Decisive Battles of WWII: Korsun Pocket
| Decisive Battles of WWII: Korsun Pocket | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Strategic Studies Group |
| Publisher(s) | Matrix Games |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows |
| Release | 2003 |
| Genre(s) | Turn-based strategy |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
Decisive Battles of WWII: Korsun Pocket is a turn-based strategy computer game developed by the Strategic Studies Group (SSG).
Setting
The game depicts the historical World War II battle of the Korsun Pocket.
Publication history
The game is part of the Decisive Battles of World War II series and was released on August 25, 2003.
In December 2003, SSG released an expansion pack for Korsun Pocket called Across the Dnepr, referring to the Dnieper River in Ukraine. The expansion pack is only available via a download from the Matrix Games website.
Reception
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Computer Gaming World |  [2] |
| PC Gamer (US) | 93%[1] |
In PC Gamer US, William R. Trotter declared Korsun Pocket "the best wargame ever made for the PC." He praised its combination of extreme detail and accessibility, and argued that "it can be mastered by any novice willing to invest the time and patience", despite single turns requiring an hour of play. Trotter concluded, "It is the Mount Everest, the Beethoven's Ninth, and Moby Dick of PC wargames, and it absolutely qualifies as a genuine work of art."[1] Similarly, Bruce Geryk of Computer Gaming World called Korsun Pocket "the best hex-based computer wargame ever made", and echoed Trotter's praise of its high level of detail. He wrote, "Korsun Pocket manages to capture everything that's compelling about historical wargaming, exclude the tedium, and present it as a tremendous game."[2]
The editors of Computer Gaming World named Korsun Pocket the 2003 "Wargame of the Year". They wrote, "The core design is as outstanding as the interface and presentation, and the A.I. demolishes the myth that war games can't put up a decent fight against a human opponent."[3] GameSpy also declared Korsun Pocket the best computer wargame of 2003, and its editors called it "arguably the best traditional hex-based wargame of all time."[4] It was a nominee for PC Gamer US's 2003 "Best Turn-Based Strategy Game" award, although it lost to Combat Mission: Afrika Korps. The editors called it "the new 'big dog' of the hex-based wargame genre".[5]
References
- ^ a b Trotter, William R. "Korsun Pocket". PC Gamer US. Archived from the original on October 17, 2006.
- ^ a b Geryk, Bruce (December 1, 2003). "State of the genre, state of the art". Computer Gaming World. Archived from the original on March 26, 2004.
- ^ Editors of CGW (March 2004). "Computer Gaming World's 2003 Games of the Year". Computer Gaming World (236): 57–60, 62–69.
{{cite journal}}:|author=has generic name (help) - ^ Staff (December 2003). "GameSpy's 2003 Game of the Year Awards; PC Wargame - Korsun Pocket". GameSpy. Archived from the original on August 5, 2004.
- ^ Staff (March 2004). "The 10th Annual PC Gamer Awards". PC Gamer US. 11 (3): 38–40, 42, 44, 45.