Turn-based strategy reaches realistic new heights in the historically authentic World War II game Classified: France ’44. In this new title, developed by Absolutely Games and published by Team17, you’ll command a team of allied special operators known as the Jedburghs in Nazi-occupied France. Fight off the German invasion in the run-up to D-Day, going on raids in some of the most dangerous battlegrounds in history.
The game’s top-down strategy gameplay will be familiar to anyone who’s played games like X-COM and Jagged Alliance, where tactics and quick-thinking reign supreme. Unlike these other games though, Classified: France ’44 prides itself on being authentic to the period of history on which it’s based. Read on to discover the mechanics that make Classified: France ’44 a must-play for any strategy fan.
Morality play
In Classified: France ’44, every shot counts. Even if your fire misses you can whittle down your enemies’ morale, allowing you to turn the tide of battle. Suppress and force the opposition back, putting your squad in an advantageous position. Once you’ve got your targets on the ropes, you can close in for the kill, utilizing flanking routes to snuff them out.
Gameplay strikes a great balance between realism and fun, allowing you to experiment with different tactics without compromising your personal play style. There are also optional objectives within each mission, netting you bonus resources and currency on completion.
Explore a vast map full of diverse areas to explore, as you build up the resistance network and gain. Nazi forces won’t let the resistance gain power without a fight, however, and will seize on opportunities to punish your expansion with reprisal raids. Study their patterns and strategies to gain the upper hand in this legendary conflict.
Sneak attack
Stealth plays a huge role in Classified: France ’44. Move silently to infiltrate enemy positions and take them out one by one. You can also set up ambushes and lure your enemies into carefully laid traps. Overwatch abilities allow you to observe the battlefield and plan the best approach to catch your enemies unawares. Mix up your approach and utilize the full range of options at your disposal to launch a successful war effort.
Remember that friendly fire is always in play, so position your troops carefully to avoid accidents, and pick your targets carefully. Use stealth whenever possible, as the more enemies you kill, the more the enemy will clock on to your presence. Combine ambushes with stealthy advances to get the drop on the opposition.
Butterfly effect
Classified: France ’44 has a replayable campaign where you can define the outcome of the historic D-Day battle. Customize your team and pick your allies from a variety of resistance factions, and aid them in building up their strength to oppose the Nazi invasion. There’s a huge variety of different units to recruit, and of course, you can outfit them all with varied weapons and gear. Train them up with a growing arsenal of skills to build a balanced and unstoppable team of warriors.
There are five classes to choose from, each with their own specialized sub-classes, allowing for complex customization. Remember that your enemies will also deploy varied teams of personnel, so you should think carefully about which units you deploy, and where. You’ll need the right tool for the right job, and Classified: France ’44 provides you with what feels like a bottomless toolbox.
There are 15 different endings to discover depending on the choices you make in the campaign, so there are plenty of reasons to revisit this explosive narrative once you’ve cleared the campaign. The story begins 50 days before that fateful fight, giving you a generous but strict deadline to build up your forces to eradicate the Axis powers and prepare for that all-important final battle.
From the history books
The team behind Classified: France ’44 has studied real-life military tactics to create a combat system that is more history-accurate than most strategy games. Using a toolbox of tactical options you can mirror real-life engagements and outwit your opponents in a succession of varied scenarios.
There are 45 challenging missions to attempt, all with their own unique objectives which you can approach with whichever tactics best suit your playstyle. Manage your team wisely, sending different units to complete strategic operations that will serve your ultimate goal to unravel the nazi occupation.
Classified: France ’44 is available on Steam now. Good luck!
Source: Wargamer
