Significant time investment is required, but the gameplay is rewarding. Despite the lack of 3D acceleration, the graphics engine delivers crisp visuals that effectively convey a believable reality. The terrain conveys either green rolling hills or brown sandy deserts, but there are no snow textures yet it is still leaps and bounds better than Novalogic s Voxel Space technology. There are some graphical miscues, such as the goofy fireworks effect of artillery striking the ground and infantry, who appear to be wearing those shiny Intel costumes from a couple years ago. External views allow for easy panning and zooming, but there is no free camera mode which would have been an invaluable reconnaissance aid.
Sound effects are also uniformly good.
Samples of ordnance being slammed into the breach, the turret grinding around its axis and the recoil of the cannon when fired are sharp and distinct. Your loader will let you know when the next round is ready to be fired and, depending on the scenario, other units in the field will report their enemy contacts. However, it is often hard to distinguish one voice from another, but then, that is the nature of war. If anyone is wondering why a game of such depth and breadth is only available online one need just consider the state of the industry last year. Microsoft, really the only other major sim publisher, seemed content to focus exclusively on aerial sims.