Battle of Britain (1999 video game)

Battle of Britain is a 1999 computer wargame developed and published by TalonSoft. It was designed by Gary Grigsby and Keith Brors.[2]

Not to be confused with Rowan's Battle of Britain.
Battle of Britain
Developer(s)TalonSoft
Publisher(s)TalonSoft
Designer(s)Gary Grigsby, Keith Brors
Platform(s)Windows
Release
Genre(s)Grand strategy wargame
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Gameplay

Set in World War II, Battle of Britain is a computer wargame that simulates the conflict between Germany and the United Kingdom during the Battle of Britain. [2]

Development

Battle of Britain was developed by TalonSoft and was designed by Gary Grigsby and Keith Brors.[3] The pair had previously co-created the Steel Panthers series at Strategic Simulations Inc. (SSI), but had left the company in late 1997 to join TalonSoft, with the stated goal of making a wargame based on the Battle of Britain.[4] It was planned as the pair's first of three games for TalonSoft,[5] and was originally entitled Battle of Britain 1941 and set for a release date of August 1998.[6] According to Alan Dunkin of GameSpot, the game was envisioned as a semi-remake of Grigsby's earlier game U.S.A.A.F. - United States Army Air Force.[2] It was Grigsby's first attempt at an air-combat title since U.S.A.A.F.; the subject matter was relatively rare in computer wargames at the time.[7] Grigsby and Brors developed the game while simultaneously working on a fourth Steel Panthers game at SSI.[8]

The game was Grigsby's first game developed for Microsoft Windows.[9]

Reception

According to David Chong of Computer Games Strategy Plus, critical reactions toward the game were "lukewarm",[19] as it received above-average reviews according to the review aggregation website GameRankings.[10] Reviewing the game for PC Gamer US, William R. Trotter concluded, "There's a lot to admire in the depth and accuracy of this simulation, but you'd better be a serious student of the World War Two air war. For everyone else, it may just be too much work."[3]

Legacy

In late 1999, the game received a "follow-up" game from TalonSoft, entitled 12 O'Clock High: Bombing the Reich. It was again designed by Gary Grigsby and Keith Brors.[20] It reused the game engine from Battle of Britain.[19] In 2009, publisher Matrix Games reworked and re-released the game and 12 O'Clock High together as Gary Grigsby's Eagle Day to Bombing the Reich.[21]

References
  1. Gentry, Perry (March 12, 1999). "What's in Stores Next Week". Gamecenter. CNET. Archived from the original on August 17, 2000. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  2. Dunkin, Alan (May 4, 1999). "Battle of Britain Review [date mislabeled as "May 1, 2000"]". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on October 30, 2004. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  3. Trotter, William R. (July 1999). "Battle of Britain". PC Gamer. Vol. 6, no. 7. Imagine Media. p. 126. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  4. PC Gamer staff (December 12, 1997). "Grigsby Joins TalonSoft". PC Gamer. Imagine Media. Archived from the original on February 18, 1998.
  5. Dunkin, Alan (January 26, 1998). "War Games Update [date mislabeled as "April 28, 2000"]". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on June 3, 2000. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  6. Coleman, Terry (March 1998). "TalonSoft Signs Hall-of-Famer Gary Grigsby" (PDF). Computer Gaming World. No. 164. Ziff Davis. p. 44. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  7. Udell, Scott (September 14, 1998). "Battle of Britain (Preview)". Computer Games Strategy Plus. Strategy Plus, Inc. Archived from the original on February 5, 2005.
  8. Coleman, Terry (August 1999). "Free Agency" (PDF). Computer Gaming World. No. 181. Ziff Davis. p. 166. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  9. CGW staff (September 1998). "100+ Hot New Games (Battle of Britain)" (PDF). Computer Gaming World. No. 170. Ziff Davis. p. 153. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  10. "Battle of Britain (1999) for PC". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 11, 2019. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  11. Dultz, Marc (March 23, 1999). "Battle of Britain". Gamecenter. CNET. Archived from the original on October 16, 2000.
  12. Chick, Tom (April 19, 1999). "Battle of Britain". Computer Games Strategy Plus. Strategy Plus, Inc. Archived from the original on March 4, 2003. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  13. Case, Loyd (August 1999). "Spreadsheets and Spitfires (Battle of Britain Review)". Computer Gaming World. No. 181. Ziff Davis. p. 145.
  14. Brenesal, Barry (1999). "Battle of Britain Review for PC on GamePro.com". GamePro. IDG Entertainment. Archived from the original on January 13, 2005. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  15. "Battle of Britain". GameStar (in German). Webedia. August 1999.
  16. "Battle of Britain". Génération 4 (in French). No. 124. July 1999. p. 180. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  17. Kornifex (August 24, 1999). "Test: Battle Of Britain". Jeuxvideo.com (in French). Webedia. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  18. "Battle of Britain". PC Games (in German). Computec. September 1999.
  19. Chong, David (December 12, 1999). "12 O'Clock High: Bombing the Reich". Computer Games Strategy Plus. Strategy Plus, Inc. Archived from the original on April 6, 2005.
  20. Fudge, James (November 1, 1999). "12 O'Clock High: Bombing the Reich Released". Computer Games Strategy Plus. Strategy Plus, Inc. Archived from the original on April 6, 2005.
  21. Levandowski, Larry (November 24, 2009). "Eagle Day to Bombing the Reich". Armchair General. World History Group. Archived from the original on June 3, 2010.
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