Axis and Allies is a popular franchise that has taken forms in many types of media platforms. It was very popular as a board game after its publication in 1981. Soon after a real-time strategy PC game was released.
Axis and Allies, the PC game, is just one of the many spinoffs produced by the classic game, but also one of the most loved. It still follows the two main superpowers of World War II as they fight for territory.
But, what makes Axis and Allies so special that we're talking about it decades after its release? And how do you win at the game? Find out more details on how to win in the Axis and Allies computer game below.
What Are Axis and Allies?
Axis and Allies is a real-time strategy game released by Atari in 2004 and was re-released in 2006 as a Collector's Edition. Players get to choose one of the five superpowers of World War II to play as.
More specifically, you choose between the US, Germany, Great Britain, Soviet Union, and Japan. Much like any other RTS games, players will need to gather resources and build infrastructure.
They will need to recruit units, upgrade them, and defend their base. Players will also be able to recruit special units based on their chosen alignment.
For example, the British have Flame Thrower tanks while the Germans can build King Tiger tanks. Each alignment also has four generals each with their own set of special skills that hugely affect the battlefield.
Gameplay and Features
Each general's special skills will greatly affect the battlefield thus choosing your alignment and adapting to who you are against is crucial to winning the game.
The game also features Special Operations which can tip the scale to your favor when timed perfectly. Skills such as Kamikazes and nuclear bombs can wipe out an entire base but it must be done at the right time especially during skirmishes.
The game also features a mechanic called morale. Each group of units starts with a base level of morale and when these units engage in battle, their morale slowly degrades.
It degrades until it reaches a certain level at which they begin to flee from the enemy. Players can control units that are about to lose their morale and take them away from the battle to restore them.
Game Modes
The Axis and Allies computer game has three different game modes to choose from.
WWII Mode
In WWII Mode, players take control of history and alter it to make it their own. This game mode is played through a quick resolve battle where the computer calculates your odds of winning a battle.
It calculates that based on the units that you place or you can choose to do it yourself through the RTS battle. In this mode, there are two resources at play: money and technology.
Money lets you recruit your units while technology increases your chances of winning quick resolve battles. What makes this mode popular is that it follows the gameplay patterns of the classic Axis and Allies board game.
Campaign Mode
The campaign mode follows the story set by the developers of the game. Players can choose which side they are on and the story unfolds as they play the game.
The game is played the same way through controlling units and leading them to battle. With a total of 24 campaign missions on both sides, players get to take on the battles of the Axis Powers or the Allied Nations.
Players get to experience the famous Battle of Normandy and many other historical events in World War II.
Custom Battle
Custom battle mode is where the fun begins. This mode generates a random map or you can also choose a preset map. You can also choose how many players you can play with and the type of biome you want the map to be.
This mode is also accessible through online play so you and your friends can play this mode. In this mode, you can customize the map, starting units for each player, and the layout of the terrain.
Custom Battle mode allows up to 8 players to play in a single game while the other 4 players can spectate.
How to Get the Game
You can buy the game on the Axis and Allies website for $14.99. You can also access a version of it with your Steam account.
Conclusion
Fans of the original board game and those who want to relive the heroic battles in World War II will like this game regardless of how old it is. In fact, the slightly older graphics give it that bit of historic charm.
Additionally, the Axis and Allies computer game provides an interesting way to teach or learn about World War II and it's major players and battles.
