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Close Combat III: The Russian Front

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Close Combat III: The Russian Front
Developer(s)Atomic Games
Publisher(s)Microsoft
SeriesClose Combat
Platform(s)Windows
Release
Genre(s)Computer wargame
Mode(s)Single-player Multi-player

Close Combat III: The Russian Front is a 1999 computer wargame developed by Atomic Games and published by Microsoft. It is the third game in the Close Combat series. It revolves around the Eastern Front during World War II, and takes players from the invasion of the Soviet Union to the final battle for Berlin in 1945. A remake, Close Combat: Cross of Iron, was released in 2007.

Gameplay

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Battles follow the general pattern of the Close Combat series. Apart from a difficulty slider, there are realism settings which disable the fog of war, unit initiative, difficulty of access to enemy info, etc.

The Grand Campaign follows the Eastern Front from the German invasion of the Soviet Union (Operation Barbarossa), to Stalingrad and ultimately Berlin. Players can pick either side.

Development

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Reception

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The game received favorable reviews according to the review aggregation website GameRankings.[2]

It sold 45,438 copies during 1999.[15] Author James Dunnigan reported that it was the year's best-selling wargame.[16] According to Marc Dultz of CNET Gamecenter, the title was profitable and achieved total sales of "well over 100,000 units" by April 1999.[17]

The staff of PC Gamer US presented the game with their 1999 "Best Wargame" prize. They hailed it as the "strongest Close Combat title yet", and wrote that it "vividly recreate[s] the fluidity and chaos of real combat without compromising playability."[14] The game received a nomination by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences for PC Strategy Game of the Year at the 2nd Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, and a nomination for IGN's pick for 1998's best strategy game; however, these prizes ultimately went to Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri and StarCraft, respectively.[18][19]

Reviews

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Legacy

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Following the release of Close Combat III, Microsoft opted to discontinue the Close Combat franchise in early 1999.[17][21] The game and its predecessors had been profitable, but CNET Gamecenter's Dultz reported "indications that the company is now only interested in publishing games that have the potential of selling 250,000 units or more."[17] Atomic reacted that April by splitting from Microsoft and migrating to Mindscape's Strategic Simulations (SSI) label,[21] with the goal of creating a fourth Close Combat based on the Battle of the Bulge.[17] Later that year, Zabalaoui said that Microsoft had been "a terrific publisher", and that Atomic had "parted company [with it] as friends who may some day work together again."[22]

Close Combat IV: Battle of the Bulge was released in November 1999, followed by Close Combat: Invasion Normandy in October 2000. After Atomic's sale to Destineer in 2005,[23][24] its new parent partnered with Matrix Games to create expanded remakes of the Close Combat games,[25] starting with Close Combat III. The result was Close Combat: Cross of Iron, released by Matrix and developer CSO Simtek in 2007.[26][27] Remakes of Battle of the Bulge, Invasion Normandy and A Bridge Too Far followed,[28][29][30] along with the new titles Panthers in the Fog (2012), Gateway to Caen (2014), and The Bloody First (2019).[31][32][33][34][35]

Sales of Atomic's original five Close Combat games, including Close Combat III, totaled 1.2 million units by the mid-2000s.[36][37][25] By 2018, the series contained 17 entries and had sold above 5 million units.[35]

References

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  1. ^ IGN staff (January 15, 1999). "News Briefs". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on September 1, 2000. Retrieved April 29, 2021. Close Combat Shipping: Microsoft has begun shipping Close Combat III, the third installment in its groundbreaking real-time wargaming series...
  2. ^ a b "Close Combat III: The Russian Front for PC". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
  3. ^ Smith, Nick. "Close Combat III: The Russian Front - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on November 15, 2014. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
  4. ^ Chick, Tom (January 26, 1999). "Close Combat III: The Russian Front". Gamecenter. CNET. Archived from the original on August 16, 2000. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
  5. ^ Udell, Scott (January 24, 1999). "Close Combat III: The Russian Front". Computer Games Strategy Plus. Strategy Plus, Inc. Archived from the original on July 9, 2003. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
  6. ^ Miller, Patrick (May 1999). "The Best Yet? Nyet! (Close Combat III: The Russian Front Review)" (PDF). Computer Gaming World. No. 178. Ziff Davis. pp. 164–65. Archived from the original on August 16, 2000. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
  7. ^ Bergren, Paul (May 1999). "Close Combat III [The Russian Front]". Game Informer. No. 73. FuncoLand.
  8. ^ Johnny B. (February 1999). "Close Comabt [sic] III: The Russian Front Review". GameRevolution. CraveOnline. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
  9. ^ Krol, Scott R. (January 21, 1999). "Close Combat III: The Russian Front Review [date mislabeled as "May 1, 2000"]". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on January 4, 2005. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
  10. ^ Bates, Jason (January 18, 1999). "Close Combat 3 [sic]". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
  11. ^ Klett, Steve (April 1999). "Close Combat III: The Russian Front". PC Accelerator. No. 8. Imagine Media. p. 87. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
  12. ^ Weston, Jason (March 1999). "Close Combat III: The Russian Front". PC Gamer UK. No. 67. Future Publishing. Archived from the original on March 22, 2002.
  13. ^ Trotter, WIlliam R. (April 1999). "Close Combat III [The Russian Front]". PC Gamer. Vol. 6, no. 4. Imagine Media. pp. 120–21. Archived from the original on March 7, 2000. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
  14. ^ a b PC Gamer staff (March 2000). "The Sixth Annual PC Gamer Awards (Best Wargame)". PC Gamer. Vol. 7, no. 3. Imagine Media. p. 60. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
  15. ^ "PC Gamer Editors' Choice Winners: Does Quality Matter?". PC Gamer. Vol. 7, no. 4. Imagine Media. April 2000. p. 33. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
  16. ^ Dunnigan, James F. (January 3, 2000). Wargames Handbook, Third Edition: How to Play and Design Commercial and Professional Wargames. Writers Club Press. pp. 14–17.
  17. ^ a b c d Dultz, Mark (April 28, 1999). "Mindscape Picks Up Close Combat". Gamecenter. CNET. Archived from the original on August 17, 2000. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
  18. ^ "Second Interactive Achievement Awards: Personal Computer". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original on November 4, 1999.
  19. ^ IGN staff (January 29, 1999). "IGNPC's Best of 1998 Awards". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on April 4, 2002. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
  20. ^ "Backstab Magazine (French) Issue 15".
  21. ^ a b Dunkin, Alan (April 28, 1999). "Mindscape Nabs Close Combat [date mislabeled as "April 27, 2000"]". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on June 20, 2000. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
  22. ^ Zabalaoui, Keith (January 1999). "A Note From the President". Atomic Games. Archived from the original on June 11, 2000. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
  23. ^ Adams, David (May 6, 2005). "Destineer Buys Atomic Games". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on January 9, 2006. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
  24. ^ GameSpot staff (May 5, 2005). "Destineer Acquires Atomic Games [date mislabeled as "May 6, 2005"]". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on February 13, 2007. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
  25. ^ a b Armchair General staff (October 23, 2006). "PR: Matrix Games Licenses Award-winning Close Combat Series from Destineer". Armchair General. Staten Island, NY: Weider History Group. Archived from the original on July 21, 2013.
  26. ^ Park, Andrew Seyoon (October 20, 2006). "Q&A: Close Combat to get new lease on life". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 27, 2007. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
  27. ^ Matrix Support (February 13, 2007). "Close Combat: Cross of Iron Now Available!". Slitherine Software. Matrix Games. Archived from the original on April 8, 2018.
  28. ^ Drummy, Sean (October 28, 2008). "Close Combat - Wacht am Rhein Now Available!". Slitherine Software. Matrix Games. Archived from the original on June 10, 2016.
  29. ^ Drummy, Sean (April 29, 2009). "Close Combat – The Longest Day Now Available!". Slitherine Software. Matrix Games. Archived from the original on June 10, 2016. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
  30. ^ Drummy, Sean (July 7, 2010). "Close Combat – Last Stand Arnhem Now Available!". Slitherine Software. Matrix Games. Archived from the original on April 8, 2018. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
  31. ^ Parrino, Scott (November 19, 2012). "Close Combat: Panthers in the Fog Emerges onto the Battlefield!". Slitherine Software. Matrix Games. Archived from the original on March 27, 2017.
  32. ^ Baker, Patrick (June 30, 2014). "Close Combat: Gateway to Caen – PC Game Review". Armchair General. Weider History Group. Archived from the original on November 9, 2014.
  33. ^ Schouten, Bart (June 5, 2014). "Close Combat: Gateway to Caen is now available!". Slitherine Software. Matrix Games. Archived from the original on April 8, 2018.
  34. ^ Hall, Charlie (February 20, 2018). "Close Combat was nearly done when the developer changed game engines". Polygon. Vox Media. Archived from the original on February 21, 2018.
  35. ^ a b Robinson, Joe (February 6, 2018). "Matrix & GOG Are Bringing Back Close Combat". Wargamer. Network N. Ltd. Archived from the original on February 18, 2018.
  36. ^ Rogers, Rick (June 3, 2005). "Video game brings the fight to the Marines". The San Diego Tribune. Nant Capital LLC. Archived from the original on April 8, 2018. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
  37. ^ Tamte, Peter (July 19, 2004). "Close Combat: First To Fight - Vol. #1". GameSpy. IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on July 22, 2004.
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