Mission Barbarossa

by CDV Software

Product Features

• Covers the entire war on the Eastern Front from the commencement of Operation Barbarossa in June 1941 to the fall of Berlin in May 1945
• Travel from Finland to the Black Sea, with accurate modeling of terrain, forces and weather
• Take cahrge of multiple forces -- command a deplted platoon or several reinforced battalions
• Create your own maps, save them and re-use them in different battles using the new Map Import Feature

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0007XXS2W
• Item Weight: 12.3 ounces
• Media: CD-ROM
• Release Date: April 1, 2005
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #12,726 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

Format: Box
Age: 13 and Up
Platform: Windows

The thrilling sequel to the globally successful Blitzkrieg series

Product Information

[Requires the original Blitzkrieg, Blitzkrieg: Rolling Thunder or Blitzkrieg: Burning Horizon installed]

Mission Barbarossa contains nine exciting new campaign-based missions along with two standalone missions. The developers have added 28 historically accurate units, updated unit data for all units in the game and new graphical textures. Mission Barbarossa aims to re-create the dramatic historical events that surrounded the outbreak of hostilities between the Soviet Union and Germany in 1941.

Product Features

• Mission Barbarossa marks an unofficial continuation to the globally successful Blitzkrieg series.
• Start wit a few tank formations and re-enact the first confrontations of Operation Barbarossa
• 28 New Units
• German campaign with 34 exciting missions
• 3 additional missions
• Revised units data and organization to provide the most possible realistic WWII tactical real-time experience
• Enhanced AI behavior

Windows Requirements

• Requires the original Blitzkrieg, Blitzkrieg: Rolling Thunder or Blitzkrieg: Burning Horizon installed
• Windows 98, Me, 2000, XP
• Pentium 4 1.3 GHz processor
• 256 MB of RAM
• 1.0 GB free Hard Drive space
• Direct X 9.0c or higher
• Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher
• 100% Direct Sound compatible Sound Card
• DirectX 9.0c compatible T&L-enabled Graphics Card with 64 MB
• 16X CD-ROM drive
• Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Good, but the changes weren't my cup of tea., July 1, 2007

By 

McCthulhu "McCthulhu" (Canada) - See all my reviews

= Fun:2.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Mission Barbarossa (CD-ROM)

There are really two ways a person can review this based on two differing types of gamers. A person could be impressed by the fact that many changes have been introduced to the game to make it more realistic. I, however, am not in that category.

I came to enjoy the original BK based on the fact that certain elements of the game made it 'relaxing' to play. You knew that your sniper was like the invisible man. You knew that the enemy couldn't see you before you saw him. You knew that the enemy artillery couldn't be used without you knowing where it came from. All those things are gone, and personally, I don't find this game enjoyable anymore.

I can give this game a positive review if I was looking for all-out realism, but that's not what I personally came to expect from the BK franchise. There was a certain cheese factor that I considered good game design. Games are meant to be enjoyed, not cursed at until you don't feel like playing anymore. Let me give examples of what I mean:

The artillery in original BK put you at even odds with your opponent. If he fired his, you knew roughly where it was, and vice-versa. In this new version, you won't see a single triangulation circle until you are deep in his territory, and then the circle is way out of range where you actually come across the guns later on. Now, explain why if you fire a single gun, cannon OR tank, he knows exactly where you are, trucks and all and it rains buckets, even when you've pushed his advanced units far back? Frustrating as heck, and hardly enjoyable from a game-playing vantage point.

The sight ranges are suddenly huge, so you can be shot at from way outside the actual weapon ranges of individual units. I enjoyed previously how if you came under fire you had a chance to retaliate somewhat. Forget that now.

Your sniper is no longer the invisible man. He will be spotted at much great ranges, and he is dead meat if he dares fire his gun if there's more than one opponent within range.

Now two more real killers as far as this game goes. The AI has become out and out brain dead. I had to do a great deal of extra work to make sure my units don't go charging out and firing at will if one enemy gets spotted by forward observers. I tend to enjoy an element of surprise, but your own units will do everything they can do to void it, if you don't set your 'hold ground' and 'ambush' settings with every single move you make. On more occasions than I care to mention I would find units far down the map who weren't given any orders to move, killing my intended surprise attack, and killing the unit themselves.

Also, the game tended to crash more than any previous releases, making it a bit frustrating after building up to a critical point in the chapter, and then having to go back a half hour or hour to redo everything you had just done.

In addition to this set, "Mission Barbarossa", the downloadable mission set "Mission Kursk" from CDV had the exact same complaint list from me, and crashed even more often than this one. After getting increasingly frustrated by stupid units and what I considered grotesque changes to the previous fun game mechanics, I simply switched everything to the God cheat mode just to finish out the game and feel like I got my money's worth without feeling like putting the disks in my shredder.

Overall, from my personal expectations of the game based on looking for a relaxing experience and not hours of endless frustration, I cannot recommend this set. If you are looking for ultra-realism and constant frustration, you may enjoy it more than I.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mission Barbarossa, July 9, 2006

By 

Blair R. Patton "War Gamer" (Choteau, Montana USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Mission Barbarossa (CD-ROM)

This is a great add on for the Blitzkrieg series. I wish there were more. The expansion pack includes more battles, types of armor and troops, and advanced AI. If you are a true Blitzkrieg fan you will eat this expansion up. No doubt.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mission Barbarossa Review, March 27, 2007

By 

David T. Smith - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Mission Barbarossa (CD-ROM)

Mission Barbarossa is a Mission set for the WW2 RTS game Blitzkrieg. If you like rts games or you have played any of the other Blitzkriegs you'll like it. It adds a new German Campaign and new units. But you do need a copy of the Original game to run it.