Atari’s new release of Axis and Allies is a delightful take on a classic board game.  If you are expecting a straight take from the board game, you’re in for a surprise.  Axis and Allies is a real-time-strategy game that adds some innovative features to the genre.  It is not a straight adaptation of the classic board game.  The graphics and sound are well done and, when combined with the fun game play, makes Axis and Allies one of the more entertaining real-time-strategy games I’ve had the chance to play.

The most interesting feature of Axis and Allies is the system of territorial control and resource gathering.  Unlike other strategy games where players are forced to mine resources from nodes placed on the map, Axis and Allies gives the players resources based on the number of headquarters a player has.  For example an infantry headquarters, which allows players to recruit infantry units, gives each player a set amount of money, ammunition, and oil.  Players have to keep their units supplied if they want to survive.

Another interesting feature is the territorial control.  When a player’s units are in the territory they control, if they are attached to one of the appropriate headquarters, they will heal when not in combat.  Units outside of your territory cannot heal from their damage.  Players can expand their territory by placing more headquarters or supply stations for oil and ammunition.  Axis and Allies lends itself to both the blitzkrieg assault style of play and the slow, steady advance.

Finally there are “special events” that you can purchase with “experience.”  As your units battle they earn points for your army as a whole.  You can order events like a spy sneaking through enemy lines to give you a view of the enemy, or carpet bombing an area to create a breach in an enemy’s defenses.

The graphics for Axis and Allies are crisp and clear.  The units are rendered down to individual combatants.  While a tank division might only have two or three tanks, an infantry unit can have half-a-dozen miniature warriors detailed on your screen.  You can see the weapons fire for individual weapons, the muzzle flashes for rifles or the fire burst for mortar fire.  There are also animations for units dying.  Watching a tank explode for the first time is an experience.  The wreckage literally bounces into the air before crashing into the ground and breaking up.

The background music and combat sounds for Axis and Allies are well done.  Units speak to the player when they are selected or ordered around.  The sounds used to convey information to the player are well used.  When a unit dies, for example, a trumpet sounds to warn the player.  There are also sounds for victories in combat, a unit fleeing, and construction work for your engineers.

Axis and Allies is a fun game and has some innovative features to bring to the real-time-strategy genre.  For fans of the genre I’d suggest a closer look.  If you were looking for a straight adaptation of the classic board game you might want to look twice.  With good game play, a wide range of strategies available for both single and multi-player, and good graphics and sound Axis and Allies is a solid contender in the real-time-strategy genre. 

Gameplay:  8.0

Axis and Allies plays well.  The only real problem I had when playing the game was getting units to break off an engagement.  Your units will defend themselves, even chasing their opponents when they break and rout.  This can lead to an accidental charge if you don’t keep an eye on your front line.

Graphics:  8.0

The graphics for Axis and Allies are well done.  They are crisp and clear, running without problems or slowdown.  The color scheme for the individual forces tends toward gray and tan, which can make it a little difficult to figure out which player owns enemy units.  Still, that’s my only real concern with the graphics.

Sound:  7.0

The sounds in Axis and Allies can be very helpful when you are listening to units being built, but during combat things can get a little chaotic.  The background music is fairly standard and the recorded voices for the units and commanders are about what you would expect for a modern game.

Difficulty:  Medium

Like many real-time-strategy games Axis and Allies has a learning curve.  There is a tutorial built into the game, and two campaigns (one as the Axis powers and one as the Allied forces) that give players the chance to experience the game before trying it out against other players.

Concept:  7.5

Axis and Allies is a good game, and has a lot of fun features.  It is a solid real-time-strategy game, but it doesn’t stand out from the rest of the genre.  The innovative features help make Axis and Allies a unique game, but they don’t quite make it a must-have game.

Multiplayer:  8.0

The real gem of this game is the wide range of strategies available.  Players can select their major power and a unique general, all of which have different abilities.  Combined with the tech trees available in the game there are dozens of ways each battle can unfold.

Overall:  7.8

Axis and Allies is a solid real-time-strategy game that fans of the genre will appreciate.  The game play and wide variety of strategies available make it fun for solo and multi-player action.  The graphics and sound are well done.  Over all this is an above average game, but I would recommend that anyone new to the real-time-strategy game take a closer look before buying the game.