Partisans 1941

What starts out a bit rough and visually average title, soon develops into an addictive and entertaining experience grounded in historical accuracy. Partisans 1941 falters when explaining some early key elements, like throwing rocks to distract enemies. For example, you just drag them from your inventory into a backpack slot - like the one linked to the hot key 'Z,' and then hit the hot key to target the location where you want to throw the object/rocks. This is something learned after quite a bit of trial and error. Similarly, the writing comes off as strained, forced and cliche to a war movie, but once you get past those little things, the overall game play seems smart and well done. For example, players can click on an enemy to see where their field of vision may be to sneak past them, or check their suspicion levels before trying to distract them. You can also use the terrain to your advantage for sneaking or hiding bodies so you can complete your mission.

In fact, the strategic elements have a huge impact on the gameplay. The more you play the missions in the game, the more you have the point reinforced that you're working with a small group of fighters against a giant war machine. It also makes you think about the kinds of odds these people faced in real life. The game makes no bones about how despicable the Nazis are in the context of the game, but players should be aware that even though the partisans are clearly shown as good guys, their tactics will sometimes call that into doubt. Technically, the graphics and audio are decent -- they're not the most realistic or detailed, but that's because the focus is clearly on the action and strategy. If you're willing to handle some trial and error in your strategy games and are looking for a game that expands as you invest time and energy into understanding its tactics, Partisans 1941 is a fun ride.