More broadly, your strategic approach will be governed by the frontline mechanic. Control of the battlefield is marked by a visible frontline on either side, and there are many things that can only be done on your side of the battlefield. Summoned troops can appear only at a certain distance from the front line. Engineers can place anti-tank hedgehogs, dig trenches and set up minefields, but only on your side of the battlefield. Medics can take wounded soldiers on your side to the hospital and vehicles can retreat to get repairs done or to replenish ammunition.
In addition, there's also no fog of war on your side of the frontline, so aside from a few specialized stealth units, you'll immediately be able to see enemy troops crossing into your territory. It's also crucial to note that the frontline can only be pushed forward by infantry units - tanks and other vehicles have no effect on the frontline. Therefore your most vulnerable units are also your most valuable, so it's vital to provide your soldiers with appropriate support. A general who is careless with lives will struggle to maintain control over the battlefield.
The tactical potential of the frontline is immediately clear. I love the idea of pushing down the flanks to surround enemies and deprive them of reinforcements, constructing defensive fortifications along the frontline to hold it, watching for salients in your enemy's line and sweeping sideways to cut them off. It seems primed to reward careful planning and flexibility.
Alongside these more abstract additions, Men Of War II also seeks to improve the game's more direct representation of the war. The sequel is running on a new version of Best Way's GEM engine that has been "purpose built" for it and has been upgraded to support HDR, 4K resolutions, modern lighting effects, and so on. The audio has been overhauled too. Composite sounds will change in real-time and depending on the distance of the source from the player.
The result is a game that rivals Company Of Heroes for its audiovisual spectacle. Tank shells and artillery barrages land in thundering bursts that'll reshape the game's destructive battlefields, while the detail on individual models is also impressive. Indeed, Best Way’s confidence in Men Of War II's visual presentation is demonstrated by the introduction of "Direct Vision." The series has always let players assume direct control of individual soldiers and units, letting them try to personally influence the battle, but this was always from a bird's eye view. Now, you can get up close and personal with the battlefield, viewing it in first-person from above tank hatches and behind mounted machine guns.
One element of Men Of War II that's less clear is how straightforward the game will be to grapple with. Everything in the demo footage seemed to move more slickly than in previous games, but it's hard to discern how that translates to controlling your army without getting hands-on. During the demo, Best Way said that they're trying to balance accessibility with depth, but it sounded like the latter remains the primary focus for the studio, which will no doubt please the series' existing audience.
Mounted guns will let you view the battlefield in first-person.
As a direct sequel to Men Of War, the game will be more singleplayer oriented than its
Assault Squad spinoffs, but multiplayer is still being heavily catered for. The game supports skirmishes of varying sizes, including massive 5v5 battles, with players able to choose not only the army they want to fight as (whether that's Germany, Russia, or the US), but specific battalion pre-sets geared toward specific fighting styles. Best Way also mentioned that the game will launch with full mod support, including a bunch of new tools for more creatively-minded players to adapt the game.
I'm excited for Men Of War II, which I did not expect to feel like going into the demonstration. It looks and sounds fantastic, while the frontline mechanic has me genuinely intrigued for the sequel's strategic potential. The game is due to launch sometime next year, so between it and the upcoming
Company Of Heroes 3, 2022 is shaping up to be a banner year for World War II-themed
strategy games.