Nival obviously doesn't think gamers are quite ready to part ways with Blitzkrieg, and they lob a departing shot as Blitzkrieg 2 looms large on the horizon. Blitzkrieg: Rolling Thunder is the second stand-alone expansion of the series. Like Burning Horizon, its predecessor, the original Blitzkrieg is not required to play. Rolling Thunder puts you in the uniform of general George Patton, fighting against the Axis on multiple fronts in the European theater.
Rolling Thunder gets things started off easily with a simulation of Operation Torch, where Patton's forces battled the Axis in Northern Africa. Like the actual war, these battles are easier than the ones that are to come. Next up is the Allied invasion of Sicily, and then the race to ultimate victory as you invade Europe on D-Day and march inexorably towards Berlin. There are six three-mission campaigns in all, making a total of eighteen missions, so Nival didn't skimp on the content of this expansion. From Casablanca to Normandy to Bohemia, the environments are very nicely detailed and the maps are easy to comprehend and maneuver around.

As expected, Rolling Thunder has many things in common with the previous Blitzkrieg installments; infantry are still selectable by squads while armor units can be individually highlighted. The same control scheme is used, with many commands issued by button clicks or by an easy-to-understand grid of twelve keys (Q through V) that you can cycle through the menus with. Need your boys to hit the deck? Tap Z, then E to go into defensive formation. Then set up entrenchments around your tanks by tapping F. The control key grid is illustrated on screen by a 3x4 grid of buttons, so it's not hard to figure out which key does what. Little things like that always impress us (the argument might be made that we're easily impressed), but it's the little things make a good game great and a great game spectacular.

A nice feature of the game is the ability to pick up special units along the way by accomplishing extra mission goals. For instance, if you take out an extra regiment of Italian troops in North Africa, this helps you by demoralizing the enemy and you also receive a new type of tank unit in the next mission. The goals you need to accomplish for these new units are usually along the path of the main mission anyway, so you don't need to go out of your way to pick up bonus units. Sometimes you can accomplish your extra mission solely with the help of air support, which is another cool feature implemented well throughout the Blitzkrieg series. You can call in four types of air support; reconnaissance, fighters, bombers, and paratroopers. A charge timer keeps you from calling it in too frequently, but it can still be very powerful. It's very cool to see a squadron of bombers lumbering across the map, knowing there isn't much that can stop them short of fighters or AA guns. When they drop their payload, anything in their path is pretty much dust. Judicious use of artillery and air support is essential for almost any effective strategy in this game.

And what about artillery? Blitzkrieg is one of the only RTSs to make heavy use of it in every mission. You really need to think about where to set up and point your artillery in order to make effective use of it. Use small anti-tank guns for short range combat, or use huge howitzers to lay down a field of suppressing fire all the way across the map. Also, whenever your troops are under artillery bombardment, orange circles appear on the map representing estimates of where the fire is coming from so you can respond with your own barrage. Beware, because your artillery also shows up on the enemy's map, so fiery death could soon be raining down on you! One thing you need to remember though: if you set up defensive artillery, remember to tell them to attack on sight or they will stand there looking at the approaching enemy with (we imagine) a vacant expression on their faces.

With all these unique twists, we consider Rolling Thunder a worthy addition to the Blitzkrieg series. A great look, a compelling historical storyline and an emphasis on in-depth strategy and tactics contribute to a fun gaming experience, well worth the $29.99 sticker price. Wargamers, and Blitzkrieg fans in particular will definitely not be disappointed.