Partisans 1941, Byte Size Review (PC)
It definitely isn’t all quiet on the Eastern Front in Partisans 1941, as the Germans push forward in an attempt to occupy the Soviet Union in the name of the Fuhrer. As a proud child of the Motherland it is your duty to gather fellow Partisans and protect your homeland from the invaders. So gather up your warmest coat, some vodka, and a trusty weapon and lets kick those nasty Germans back to Berlin.
Crouch, Pause, Engage!
Following on the heels of Desperados 3, Partisans 1941 is another foray into the real-time, with pause, tactics genre. Playing this time on PC things felt far more fluid right off the bat. The ability to pause, plan, and then execute your orders never gets old. Especially when you have made the right plan. Mouse and keyboard just allow you to carry out these phases much more accurately and quicker too. Basically comes down to selecting with a mouse click versus cycling through with the controller bumpers. But, as with Desperados 3, controls don’t always define a game.
A Camp In The Woods.
Although Partisans 1941 is mission based in its structure you do return to your camp between outings. Here there are some RPG-lite elements in the form of upgrades and resource allocation. Skills for your team can also be improved and ensuring you have individuals equipped correctly for their skill set. Having each Partisan in your team specialise is wise but remember to have backup medics. If your Doc goes down with nobody to help them, well, things will get rough.
Save Me!
Saving often is important. Especially once you get further into each mission. The auto save is good but don’t rely on it. Having to redo sections because you got your timing wrong, or forgot to pause before issuing commands, is a pain. This also allows you to try a tactic that you may not be sure about with no repercussions except a quick reload. Making sure know your team is important too. Issuing a long range shot is best left to your sniper or rifleman. Letting someone with a weak arm carry all the grenades is also not advisable. So you can see how setting up your team at base camp is important.
Closing Comments.
Partisans 1941 lands on its feet amongst some classic titles like the Commandos Series and the aforementioned Desperados. They were all the rage back in the day so it is great to see a resurgence of a game style that doesn’t rely on reaction time or your ‘Ping’. Between games like this and a better PC setup, I am finding myself more inclined to game on the old computer now and again. Partisans 1941 harks back to the golden era of PC gaming and long may it continue.
