Let’s face it: there are people out there who take the history of the Civil War
a little too seriously. Enthusiasts all over the country will meet periodically
and re-enact battles from the war, complete with uniforms, and historians who
discuss and debate the conflict to this day. Luckily, for these people who just
can’t seem to get enough of the battles between the North and the South, AGEOD
has released American Civil War: 1861-1865 – The Blue and the Gray.
A turn-based board game-inspired strategy game, The Blue and the Gray is
meticulously deep, giving you tons of combat variables and a variety of
different statistics for battlefield performance. However, that amount of
meticulousness comes with a very steep learning curve, as evidenced by a thick
manual and a beefy tutorial. If you are a huge fan of the Civil War and
table-top games with a lot of patience, the AGEOD title might just have what you’re
looking for.
The Blue and the Gray allows you to play through myriad battles with historical
context, either on the side of the Union or the Confederate Army. The game
allows you to manage your units and supplies, set up your battle positions, and
deal with terrain limitations in order to get the upper hand on your opponents.
The game moves at a slow and deliberate pace, which is not a terribly uncommon
trait in the genre, but could turn off gamers looking for more action. In fact,
the game even allows for a “play by email” option for its online component, just
to give you an idea of how long and meticulous the battles can be.
Additionally, the game is pretty intimidating to get into. The manual is pretty
big, and newcomers will need to spend some real quality time with it to know
what they’re doing. Additionally, the game boasts a pretty hefty tutorial which
will show players the ropes at the beginning. However, the tutorial does require
a fair amount of patience, as getting all of the myriad details down can take a
while.
On the plus side, the game is extremely deep. Strategy experts will find the
game’s stat-heavy approach very rich in variables and gameplay elements,
offering a level of complexity that is seldom rivaled. If you have the know-how
and the patience to stick with it, The Blue and the Gray can provide a very
rewarding gameplay experience.
Graphically, the game isn’t much to look at, offering a simple 2D aesthetic
meant to emulate board games like RISK. The game uses a grid system look similar
to most turn-based strategy titles out there and looks pretty decent, and
although it doesn’t really stand out, it still looks pretty clean throughout.
The sound effects are pretty sparse throughout the game, with only a few here
and there to offer up some confirmation as to the actions you perform. There are
also some short musical themes to keep the game from being too quiet.
The game is not for everyone, as most gamers will be immediately lost in the
game’s complexity and turned away by the slow and meticulous pace and lack of
action. However, the people who will get the most out of it know who they are,
and could do much worse when looking for an extremely deep and ambitious
strategy title.
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Gameplay: 7.0
The game requires a lot of patience, but gamers who can get past the steep
learning curve will find it to be a complex and richly rewarding strategy
experience.
Graphics: 6.5
Not much to look at, as the game works to emulate the 2D aesthetic of table-top
board games.
Sound: 6.0
The game’s sound effects are fairly sparse, but there are a few themes and
well-known songs thrown in for good measure here and there.
Difficulty: Medium
Concept: 7.5
The game’s ambition covers many elements in the Civil War that haven’t been
explored in prior games, though the game is perhaps a bit intimidating.
Multiplayer: 7.0
The game’s turn-based elements allow for an interesting play-by-email mode.
Overall: 7.0
The Blue and the Gray is a niche game that will appeal to a very specific
audience, so in that regard it’s a tough sell. However, if you fit into that
group of hardcore strategy fans and Civil War enthusiasts, then this could be
one that you’ll want to check out.
