Rating: 
Summary: Awful
Review: This game was simply awful compared with CC I through III. I had a blast with CC III but I would not recommend this one at all.
Rating: 
Summary: Another excellent game in the Close Combat series
Review: This real-time strategy game is the best I have played from this genre. I have played all of the games in the Close Combat series, and many games of this type from other publishers. To date, I believe this is the best. If you have played any of the other Close Combat games, this one is pretty similar. One notable difference from the others is that attacks can come from any direction. Previous versions were far more predictable in that you always knew what direction the enemy would be comming from. In addition, this version takes into account morale and willingness to fight. Battles will cease if morale gets too low. One change that I did not like from the previous versions, is an inability to choose units to acquisition. A minor drawback for a game with many merits. Regardless of whether or not you have played other war strategy games, this one is an excellent choice.
Rating: 
Summary: Best there is
Review: This version (Close Combat IV) finally surpasses it's predecessor Close Combat II (III was good, but....). The AI is better and more aggressive and the head to head play against another human can be an experience in humiliation if you're not careful!!The units are fantasitic, the grand campaign strategic map adds wonderfully to the game, giving true control of the developing battle to the player (unless of course you're attacked by that pesky Wehrmacht/AEF!). Two very minor drawbacks - no battle editor like in CCIII. And the topography of the battle field can be hard to read at times. (I certainly don't think that there is any easy way to correct this short of adding topo-lines to the game which would detract more.) The AI is wonderful, and the bugs of the last versions seem to be gone completely. Tanks are now truly vulnerable to infantry up close, the variety of units keep it fun. The ability to surround your opponents on the strategic map (or to be surrounded) make "do or die" stands necessary. Over all, the BEST realtime strategy game there is!! Looking forward to Normandy!
Rating: 
Summary: Probably Good If It Works
Review: This would proably be a very good game, like the others in the series, if you can get it to run! I have tried it on two Windows 98 machines and my new XP PC. It will not run on any of them. Buyer beware...the online help is also useless.
Rating: 
Summary: A step backwards for some, a boon for others
Review: When Close Combat 2 "A Bridge Too Far" changed the graphics to photo style this series became desireable because the background looks more realistic. They kept this photo-realism through CC3 "The Russian Front" and again in this one, CC4 "Battle of the Bulge." The three games are similar in quality of (or lack of) AI - and also the tiny graphics of the real-time moving soldiers and how each team may be utilized has continued without change. In the CC series single commanders and teams of 2-10 soldiers as well as tanks and other vehicles are commanded (moved about and set to fire, defend or ambush) by point-drag-click-release method. It is an excellent method. In CC3 & CC4 the ability of each team/vehicle/tank was greatly enhanced by adding a tool that allows the player to control which direction the soldiers may defend or ambush toward. This makes a big difference to me, as I utilize a lot of hiding and ambushing and it gives me more control thus enabling me to widen my tactical abilities. But CC3 is the best all around because it's the most flexible in terms of game setup, and it is in game set-up that CC4 has taken a left turn by limiting the flexability. This is a drag for the player who enjoys creating their own weapons setups among many other variations that CC3 offers. If I had to make a choice between CC4 and CC3, I would definitely choose CC3. In fact, I rarely ever play CC4 anymore - mostly CC3, and when I tire of it, I switch back to CC2 as it is also more flexible in game setup than CC4, though not as flexible as CC3. There was a trade-off, however, and those who prefer not to create their own set-ups may find that CC4 holds quite a bit of interest by deliberately forcing the player to use a more realistically limited army force, as well as adding an overall mapping schematic that forces the player to mobilize armies to various sectors of the "bulge" area of France/Germany. Consequently, CC4 carries a lot of realism in terms of playing entire operations (series of battles). A further trade is the introducing of a new feature in arial bombardments which the player may command during the actual battle instead of only at the beginning of each battle as in CC3 (CC2 has no outside artillery nor arial attack). For infantry battlestrategy, terrain info is vital. In CC3 & CC4 there is a right-click feature that displays the terrain height in text as you move the mouse around. It is necessary because, even though the photo arial views look realistic, sometimes looking straight down on terrain makes it almost impossible to decifer if a slight incline is going up or down, and this gets especially sticky when trying to determine the lines of ridges and the exact bottom of valleys and depressions. In the end, this right-click terrain hieght in text feature is tedious to use, especially considering that the player must use it in real time. This series should incorporate an animated grid system to help determine terrain height, like Railroad Tycoon (rail building game) have solved the terrain height problem by adding an overlapping grid system which may be turned on or off. This would be an excellent feature to add onto future Close Combat games.
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