How difficult, exciting, and accurate do you need your historical simulations to be? Try Waterloo: Napoleon's Last Battle from Strategy First for a challenging, realistic historical battle simulation. Waterloo is the best historical simulation I've played, a fantastic real-time breakdown of one of the most well-known battles in history.

If you're up for the challenge, command Napoleon's forces against the English and Prussians, or take an eaiser route (you hope!) and drive Napoleon's armies from the field as commander of the Allied forces. Waterloo: Napoleon's Last Battle offers you the opportunity to play either side of the conflict, and each portion of the great battle by itself or as a single massive campaign.

The graphics are gorgeous, game play is smooth, and I love the sound of French commanders issuing your orders in their native language. And while this terrific simulation is played in real-time, by occasionally pausing the game you can gain some much-needed think-time and issue commands to your troops.

Be aware of your army's morale - don't let them stray too far from the guiding influence of their commanders or take too much punishment from the enemy, or you'll have a rout on your hands. Fire cannon at your enemies to soften their defenses and lower their morale, line up and fire with your infantry, or charge your cavalry boldly into the fray to scatter your foes. At least in theory.

The game features 30 scenarios, from the start of the battle to Napoleon's last stand, and several fictional and speculative scenarios - "what if" battles. You'll also see over 60 historically-accurate uniforms, as well as the personalities that drove the battle leading your troops and carrying out your orders. Play with up to 7 other players via LAN or Internet, and challenge yourself or your friends by designing your own battles. Waterloo is rated E for Everyone.

The game is, far and away, the most challenging battle simulation I've encountered. Past experiences in this gaming genre led me to believe that I was a pretty good general. So far, I can say, at least, that I've fared no better than Napoleon did, but I persevere. Luckily, the game features different difficulty settings.

Jason's Ratings,
1 (lowest) to 5 (highest):
Audio 4
Graphics 4
Gameplay 4
Overall 4