Rating: 
Summary: Close, but not there yet!
Review: The main flaw in East Front II is one it shares with many other computer WW II strategy games - a distinct bias towards the Axis and away from the United States' Soviet ally. Now whether this is some sort of Cold War hangover, a lack of familiarity on the part of designers with the Soviet contribution to victory in WW II, or simply that some people view the Axis equipment as 'sexier', I couldn't say.What I will say is that [after several hundred hours playing] everything from the manual, to the selection of units, to apparently the combat algorithms, favors the Axis to some degree. With respect to this last assertion, continued experimentation shows that (in the game) Axis armored cars with a front armor of 14.5mm in the open typically shrug off any Soviet ordnance up to 76.2 mm at any range (a virtual impossibility in reality), whereas a Soviet T-26 tank with a front armor of 25mm under cover has about a 50 percent chance of getting destroyed by Axis MG fire at a 2-hex range; this appears to be, at best, faulty research]. The penultimate, ideologically neutral tactical computer game on the WW II East Front is, unfortunately, yet to appear. It should be noted that this particular flaw is shared by far less board games, perhaps because a commitment on paper is more easily challenged than one based on pixels, and perhaps because the boardgaming press has always been far more influenced by solid journalism based on facts and research, and less by whizz-bang and advertising dollars. Review (c) 2000 by Ray Crawford
Rating: 
Summary: Be Warned: Best Suited For The Hardcore Wargamer
Review: The other reviewers are more articulate than I, so why am I bothering? Mostly because if you're reading this review, then you're probably interested in buying EF 2 and maybe already know something about it except the most important thing: will YOU enjoy EF 2? I think EF 2 is the sort of historical military game that usually only hardcore wargamers love: detailed unit statistics, complicated supply and movement restrictions, and so on. If you're not a veteran, this EF 2 is not likely to be as enjoyable. For one thing, it is sloooooow: waiting for the AI to make its moves can seem interminable. I find the drama greatly reduced (in comparison to games like Steel Panthers and Combat Mission) but far more distracting is the predictability of the AI with its inflexible attacks. You can learn to love EF 2 (I did) but it was work: ask yourself why you're playing...
Rating: 
Summary: Everyone has an opinion
Review: Unlike the previous customer review, I enjoy the game. It is best played by e-email against a human opponent. The AI does need some work. But I think the game delivers what you could expect from this type of game. I love Talonsoft games.
Rating: 
Summary: Squad Leader/Panzerblitz boardgame in e-form
Review: Warning, this review will only be useful to veteran wargamers and mil-geeks. EF2 is designed by one of the founding fathers of the classic Avalon Hill "hexagons and hundreds of cardboard counters" boardgame Squad Leader, but actually more closely resembles the Panzerblitz game from the same company... i.e. platoon, not squad level units. I always loved those games as a kid, and a PC version solves the two main problems-- finding opponents and all the time it takes to set up. The artwork is really great and quite clear. However, I'd like to see more of a breakaway from the turn-based boardgame paradigm. Also, even with fog of war rules on, you still know far too much about the condition of your opponent's units. As a game, it is fun, but as a simulation it could be substantially improved. Sequential, turn-based movement is the worst problem. Just as artillery strikes are "lagged" in the game, you should have to issue your movement orders in advance and then watch your poor troops try to carry them out in real time, as the enemy simultaneously does the same. Your ability to alter these orders in any given turn (based on what you've bumped into) should be limited and based on your experience, nationality, degree of unit mechanization, etc.
Rating:
Summary: Squad Leader/Panzerblitz boardgame in e-form
Review: Warning, this review will only be useful to veteran wargamers and mil-geeks. EF2 is designed by one of the founding fathers of the classic Avalon Hill "hexagons and hundreds of cardboard counters" boardgame Squad Leader, but actually more closely resembles the Panzerblitz game from the same company... i.e. platoon, not squad level units. I always loved those games as a kid, and a PC version solves the two main problems-- finding opponents and all the time it takes to set up. The artwork is really great and quite clear. However, I'd like to see more of a breakaway from the turn-based boardgame paradigm. Also, even with fog of war rules on, you still know far too much about the condition of your opponent's units. As a game, it is fun, but as a simulation it could be substantially improved. Sequential, turn-based movement is the worst problem. Just as artillery strikes are "lagged" in the game, you should have to issue your movement orders in advance and then watch your poor troops try to carry them out in real time, as the enemy simultaneously does the same. Your ability to alter these orders in any given turn (based on what you've bumped into) should be limited and based on your experience, nationality, degree of unit mechanization, etc.
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