
	Platform PC Genre RTS Publisher Shrapnel Games Developer BreakAway Games ESRB N/A Released July 2002

- Good challenge - Solid interface - Accurate representation of warfare of the time - Some truly titanic battles

- Pace is downright ponderous for a real-time strategy - Some will be buried by the variety of battle rules and values

Review: The War Engine (PC) Review: Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom (PC)
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Austerlitz: Napoleon's Greatest Victory

Score: 7.5 / 10

Austerlitz seems like a good name for a brand of beer. In actuality, it marks Napoleon’s finest hour – Napoleon’s Greatest Victory – brought to digital life by BreakAway Games and Shrapnel Games. While not as complicated as some of Shrapnel’s other games (a good thing) it’s a particularly slow affair. Those in love with tank rushes will probably find the whole experience boring, because although Austerlitz is real-time, it has the sensibility of a turn-based game.

The speed issue is my biggest complaint. Even with the speed set to turbo and ordering my troops to move double-quick it seems like forever until they engage the enemy or reach their tactical destination. Admittedly, Austerlitz aims to simulate the battle between a vastly outnumbered Napoleon and the allied Austria and Russia. In no way does it attempt to emulate an “arcade” real-time strategy (RTS) experience like Red Alert 2 or Empire Earth – no tech trees, no mechs, no tactical nukes. In Austerlitz everyone travels by foot (some dragging heavy artillery pieces) and only cavalry have any kind of speed advantage. So, if you’re looking for quick skirmishes you won’t have any fun regardless if you’re a history buff. However, those that like pondering their moves and a slower pace, Austerlitz should be right up your alley.

I could end the review right there – my most decisive review ever – but I know the guerillas (or hardcore war game fans) would soon be out for my blood.

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The manual states that anyone familiar with Waterloo: Napoleon’s Last Battle should be able to jump right in, but having never played Waterloo I started from scratch. Thankfully, the included tutorials break things down in a logical manner and the basics are easy to pick up. The interface is easy to grasp but I was annoyed with two formations that can’t be used but are included as icons anyway. If I can’t use them, they shouldn’t be there!

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Reading the information on the battlefield can be difficult, especially during some of the bigger battles. There are so many units to manage through the Army, Corps, Division, and Brigade Commanders that it’s easy to lose track of the infantry, artillery and cavalry that they each control. Then there’s the worry of morale and consequently being routed. Being able to issue commands (or consult the map in grid mode to make sure of a height advantage and note any terrain benefits to morale) during Pause mode comes in very handy but once again the pace is slowed further even though it adds to the tactical aspect.

Victory doesn’t come easy – at least for me, but even then I had some fun. I’m no Napoleon. If I was, I might have had an easier time. (In the early going, Austerlitz looked like Waterloo.) The key to winning is acquiring Victory Points (VP) through the completion of specific tasks such as capturing artillery pieces and demoralizing the enemy troops; and by controlling certain areas on the map that have a VP value. There’s a time limit but only a few times did I hit it – usually I was defeated way earlier than that. To claim victory your VP total must be greater than your opponents but how many points determines how that victory ranks (i.e. how decisive it actually is). The VP are also important in their ability to be “cashed in” for reserves in case you really start to founder.

The graphics do a good job of creating a board game feel. The battlefield is 3D but the units aren’t and when zoomed in they look close to something out of Space Quest II. 95% of the time I spent zoomed almost all the way out to better understand what was going on. It was the only way I felt comfortable issuing orders and reviewing troop movements. There is also the option to review your battles in a replay mode.

Multiplayer is available via GameSpy and the other usual methods. At the time of this writing I have yet to actually get a multiplayer game going. This is no fault of the game. Rather, it’s owed to laziness and an unstable Internet connection I’ve been suffering with for the last couple of weeks. However, I talked to a couple of enthusiasts and they didn’t seem to have anything bad to say about it. The single-player game is challenging enough for many hours of gameplay (and you can design your own engagements) so even if you ignore the multiplayer aspect you won’t be short-changed.

Most RTS gamers want frenetic action without a lot of rules and unit values to worry about. These gamers best avoid Austerlitz: Napoleon’s Greatest Victory because the pace is incredibly slow and there are quite a few stats to keep in mind. Tactical wargamers should be right at home though – just be warned Austerlitz could be termed a turn-based game in RTS clothing.

- Omni

(August 14, 2002)