Our time with Men of War was spent not in a crowded room of journalists, but in the wilds of North Africa. A platoon of Allied soldiers have been warned of a storm brewing to the northeast -- a storm comprised of a massive German force that outnumbers our squad by at least two-to-one. Our mission: to hold a defensive line of barbed wire, shoddy wooden walls, and sandbags to the south of a large field.

Yeah, sure. No problem.


Men of War controls similarly to other titles in the genre. Collect units by clicking and dragging over them, then send them marching to a designated spot using the right mouse button. Hot keys are neatly arranged to quickly execute actions such as lobbing an anti-tank grenade or coming to a halt.

Basic stuff, right? Yep, but that's where things grow tricky. Each unit has its own health bar -- so far so good -- as well as a backpack of ammunition, first aid kits, grenades, and assorted other supplies. If a particular soldier in a group of 30 other soldiers runs out of bullets, he has to stop and reload.

Correction: you have to reload for him. And if he's out of ammo? That's a shame. If a unit is low on health and has a first aid kit, you apply it. If he has an anti-tank grenade, you tell him to throw it. If you want your units to stand just so behind a large rock, you tell them to do it. If a tank is only meant to fire 997 meters, then it can only fire 997 meters. No more, and usually no less.


It seems daunting, and it is; but it's also an armchair general's wet dream. For those of you who have ever wanted to control every nuance of each and every unit of an entire army, this game is for you.

After quickly learning the basics, we immediately set to work. First, we had our artillery units take position near a choke point between two wooden fences which came together like an inverted V. Then, we snatched up a few units carrying anti-tank grenades and positioned them around wide, thick trees in the midst of the field. Finally, all gun-toters were moved behind rocks, sandbags, and anything else that was or wasn't nailed down.

A few minutes later, after everything was in place, the low rumble of tanks and marching boots reached our ears, and the first line of Germans came into view. As we'd hoped, their tanks led what became a charge as we ordered our units to open fire. Incensed, the tanks rolled forward as German troops swarmed around them, hunkering down in the field and sending a return volley of bullets scattering across wood, rock, and sandbags.

Which made them sitting ducks for the grenades we hurled directly into the tanks.

They exploded gloriously, metal bending, breaking, and scattering across dirt and sand. Men at War's realism reared its beautiful head as one tank's gunner toppled out of the vehicle and rolled to a stop on the ground, very much dead. The tank came to a halt, flames and smoke billowing up into the sky as the Germans broke rank and ran in every direction. Those who sprinted forward were cut down by our artillery, and grunts were dispersed to eliminate stragglers.


The battle continued for a few minutes longer, and while we were victorious, we did lose control at points. It was quite startling to see one of our men fall to the ground in a spray of blood and begin to crawl back to his comrades. We were occasionally able to send units packing med kits to help, but at times the hail of bullets and grenades was simply too much.

The mission was an intense and engaging experience, though the excessive level of micromanagement simply won't be for everyone. Still, if you're looking for a combat-intensive RTS, Men of War is definitely one to watch.

Men of War will be released for the PC this September.