PREVIEW

Cossacks 2:
Napoleonic Wars

By Richard Moore

Cossacks 2: The Napoleonic Wars is coming...

Screenshots
CDV Software website

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Wargames fans hold on to your hard drives as the much-awaited Cossacks 2: Napoleonic Wars continues its move towards a January release. Okay 2005 may seem a way away - but it's only a few months!

Not only do we have new screenshots for you to feast your eyes upon, but also more details about the game itself.

CDV says it has done "significant rework on the engine" as well as introducing a number of "gameplay innovations" that they reckon will present the game on a new level.

Cossacks II: Napoleonic Wars not only offers brand new gameplay of historical battles played on a true-to-life scale, but it takes into account the tactics and strategy particularities of the warring sides.

Each of the playable nations in Cossacks II: Napoleonic Wars - France, Britain, Austria, Russia, Prussia and Egypt - has unique abilities. These include architecture, development tree and military features.

One of the most exciting - and daunting - parts of Cossacks II: Napoleonic Wars is the chance to lead up to 64,000 units on the map. To put a real-life spin on that figure its almost the size of the individual armies that contested Waterloo.

CDV promises the game combines ease of play with stratgeic challenges to satisfy both fresh-faced newbies and seasoned grognards.

You control various types of units in real Napoleonic-style formations and your armies will suffer the same fatigue and morale changes as actual troops.

CDV says it has worked hard to allow the type of tactical manoeuvres that decided many of Napoleon Bonaparte's battles - rear and flank attacks - to have decisive effects on combat.

Unit control was focussed on by the game designers with a new AI set up to use new path-finding algorithms to cater for Napoleonic formations and troop control by a commander-in-chief.

The economic system also underwent drastic changes with players having to govern, develop and fight for towns. Civilian centres have their own infrastructures and offer players the chance to take a rest from military conquests and try to defeat opponents through blockades and economic isolation.

The single player game allows you to test your skills by taking on most of the Napoleonic campaigns - and you can pick the key historical figure you wish to be.

Pick the multiplayer game and you can choose between Deathmatch and Battles, with the latter reproducing real historical battles.

With Cossack II: Napoleonic Wars you get:

• Historical real-time strategy game on a new 3D engine
• True color 3D landscape with immense tactical possibilities
• Support of the latest video boards generation, pixel and vertex shaders
• European war conflicts of the 19th century, Napoleonic Wars in particular
• Battles in real historical scope of up to 64 000 units on the map at once
• 6 European nations France, Britain, Austria, Russia, Prussia, Egypt
• Over 150 unique units and 180 types of buildings
• Over 1000 pieces of flora and fauna
• True-to-history campaigns with historical personalities as army commanders
• Economy and army control brought to a new level
• Military commander simulation
• Simulated historical battles in single and multiplayer vs AI
• Extended formations and tactical orders
• Realistic morale and fatigue factors
• Extensive diplomacy system
• 3D physics engine guaranteeing realistic flight paths for all kinds of projectiles
• Multiplayer game via LAN or Internet: Deathmatch, Historical Battle and European Conquest modes.