The first title is a Normandy invasion based wargame
Close Combat is a well polished, first title in a large Microsoft series that is not really a tactics one, nor a wargame classic, but rather a relatively novel concept/approach in strategy/wargaming, that is all about the high grade/high level commands and control that were used during the Normandy invasion. Yes, it's a world war game, and it feels pretty accurate historically, but you do have your options; you can play as the Axis or as the Allies and the results can differ from the ones that were historical. Thus, it can be said that Close Combat is also an alternate history blend game, but the fun is had in making the hard, war winning decisions, which are not always straightforward. So, have Close Combat in your collection, even if graphically it is no high stakes kind of game; yes, it looks alright enough, with good top down maps that are anything but original or beautiful and the menus that could have received a bit more polish. But you can do the job within them, which is what it is all about, at the end of the day. And see later Close Combat games, later titles polished the recipe further and made it loads more playable and more involving for the armchair general!
