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Sid Meier's Gettysburg! is a real-time game, simulating one of
the most dramatic battles in history. An accurate Gettysburg
battlefield, 3-D units, and historically correct scenarios place
you in command of either the Union or Confederate army. Challenge
your friends in various multiplayer modes.
Review
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Sid Meier's Gettysburg! may be the first release from newcomer
Firaxis Games, but it has all the polish and appeal of a Meier
classic. This outstanding real-time wargame recreates the
pivotal, three-day Civil War battle fought on the rolling terrain
around Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, in July 1863.
Playing from either side of the conflict, you can take part in a
single scenario or a campaign depicting the entire battle.
Campaigns typically comprise seven scenarios and are dynamically
strung together according to your performance in battle. For
example, if you and the Confederate army can rewrite history and
capture the high ground south of Gettysburg on July 1, you can
earn the option of launching a fictional evening assault on
Culp's Hill. In all, the game includes 25 predesigned scenarios,
along with a random scenario option that allows for near-endless
replay value. Also contributing to the game's replay value is the
fact that no two campaigns unfold in exactly the same way. All of
the scenarios are available in both single-player and multiplayer
mode, but the game does not include a scenario editor.
Right from the start, Gettysburg! draws you in with its elegant
interface and rich artwork. A nicely animated briefing prefaces
each of the scenarios and adds tremendous atmosphere. Once you
transition to the gameplay screen, you get more preliminary
information, including a rundown of your objectives, your best
troops, and the availability of reserves and reinforcements. In
most scenarios, you will command a few brigades of infantry (each
made up of three to five regiments) with at least one battery of
artillery in support.
As a scenario begins, you must very quickly assess your
situation and issue orders to redeploy your troops, as the
default start positions are rarely effective. The clock is
ticking, but the clean interface makes it easy to issue orders.
To move a regiment, simply click on it and drag a line to the
desired destination. You can move entire brigades this way as
well, though the process is not as intuitive as it could be: You
must select the brigade's commanding general, drag a line to the
destination, then choose a formation for the brigade to assume
upon reaching that spot.
Each unit's movement and fighting quality is affected by a
variety of conditions, including its formation, experience,
morale, and location. For example, a regiment with friendly units
on either side will fight more effectively than one that is being
flanked. Similarly, units ordered to charge a hill bristling with
artillery will take a serious morale hit (not to mention several
large, round iron hits) and will probably soon retreat in
disarray.
Each scenario lasts about 30 minutes, but the computer will add
some time at the end if one side is within striking distance of
an objective. In other words, you don't win when you capture an
objective - you win when you capture and hold it.
As in the real battle, the high ground is the key to victory and
you won't have any trouble finding it on the beautifully rendered
battle s. Capturing that ground is another matter, as the AI
can be quite formidable. Fortunately, the computer's style and
effectiveness are completely customizable. Looking for a
challenge? Try taking on an "aggressive, indirect" Confederate
foe on the highest of the game's four difficulty settings.
The graphics and animation in Gettysburg! are excellent and show
tremendous attention to detail. Best of all, the graphics convey
a reasonably accurate sense of scale - these are huge armies
we're talking about, after all. The sound effects are also
admirable. s ring out, rebel yells rise above the din, and
your troops will even shout out to indicate that they're being
flanked.
On top of all this, the game offers excellent and apparently
stable multiplayer support over TCP/IP, IPX, modem, and serial
links. Simply put, this game is about as solid as the Union line
on Cemetery Ridge. It has all the right ingredients to please
Civil War buffs, hard-core strategy fans, and maybe even some
casual gamers adventurous enough to try something new.--Michael
E. Ryan
--Copyright ©1998 GameSpot Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction
in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written
permission of GameSpot is prohibited. -- GameSpot Review
