My review copy of Combat Mission: Shock Force arrived yesterday, and, of course, I had to install it immediately. Naturally, it arrived without a paper manual, but I have a nice big PDF to print out once the rage subsides. Thanks Paradox!

It’s really a pretty game, even though there’s a lot of desert terrain. Vehicles and men look great and the muzzle fire from a tank cannon has just the right WHOOMP effect. I think Battlefront has overrated the capability of the Syrian Army, but it is set in the near future. Maybe an Arab army will finally become a viable fighting force by 2010. So, Shock Force requires all the tactical foresight of the games that have preceded it. This will be a very nice distraction for a while.

But, my God, it’s slow. Very slow. Zooming in and out isn’t smooth at all. The camera lurches from spot to spot like an aging lion with one foot in a bear trap. If you turn down some of the graphics, it gets a little better but then, what’s the point? If you are going to make a game that looks this good, it should be remotely playable with tanks that don’t look like leftovers from Operation Fortitude.