5. American Civil War: The Road from Fort Sumter to Appomattox
(In this video "thehistoricalgamer" reviews American Civil War: The Road from Fort Sumter to Appomattox)
Made by Frank Hunter back in 1996, American Civil War: The Road from Fort Sumter to Appomattox is a strategy, turn-based game that covers the entire 4 year war.
You receive the honour, nay, the privilege, to play the president of either the Confederacy or the Union as well as their top generals. It's a good idea to read the tutorial manual first since you are thrown head first into the game after choosing your game settings.
Throughout the game you are treated to cut pictures which gives the game an authentic feel. With excellent tactical, diplomatic and economic options available to you, be prepared for some serious civil war simulation.
My rating: 3/5
4. Take Command: Second Manassas
War, in all its pixelated glory
Take Command: Second Manassas (successor to the well-received Take Command: The Battle of Bull Run, released in 2005) was released in 2006 by Mad Minute Games.
The game is played in 3rd-person view and takes place in the three most important battles of the 2nd Manassas Campaign: The Battle of Cedar Mountain, The Battle of the 2nd Manassas and The Battle of Chantilly. You take charge of any of the leaders on any of the battlefields to beat your opponent in historically accurate detail.
(Soaring Eagle Productions takes us through some game-play footage of Take Command: Second Manassas on youtube)
With 8 massive battlefields, open to modding, 3 different game modes: historical, open play and custom and up to 63 different types of Civil War weapons, Take Command: Second Manassas is your battlefield to control as you see fit.
My rating 3/5
3. Civil War II
(Civil War II trailer video from the AGEOD Civil War II home page)
Civil War II, released in 2013 and developed by AGEOD, puts a huge emphasis on playability and historical accuracy.
Civil War II is an overhead view, turn-based strategy game which covers the entire USA, with Mexico and the North Caribbean included and over 3,000 regions all with different terrains, climates and development levels. Each turn lasts two weeks within the game.
Your orders are executed in 14 phases - 1 per day. Planning and logistics are the key to your success because the enemy is not just going to sit and wait for you to be ready.
(Jean M reviews Civil War II on youtube)
Civil War II is easy to learn, but tricky to master.
You must lead your nation to victory using all the political and military means available to you. Each military leader has strengths and weaknesses that need to be taken into account before jumping into the fray.
AGEOD has put thought and detail into Civil War II to make it one of the best Civil War games out there.
My rating 4/5
2. Ultimate General: Gettysburg
Everybody blazing on the battlefield
Ultimate General: Gettysburg lets you lead thousands of soldiers in the famous battle of Gettysburg as a commander for either the Union or the Confederate army.
Not only do you get to re-enact the battle, you can change it! Don't like how it happened in real life? Try something new. Make new history with Ultimate General: Gettysburg.
(Gameplay footage by "Ultimate General" showing the first mission of Ultimate General: Gettysburg on youtube)
Featuring historically accurate forces and leaders, easy controls and unit self-awareness, advanced line of sight, custom battles and more, Ultimate General: Gettysburg is yours to command.
My rating 4/5
1. Sid Meier's Gettysburg!
What is this??? An army for ants?
As seen from future titles, Sid Meier's games have always been a force to be reckoned with and a much older Sid Meier's Gettysburg! is no different. Developed by Firaxis Games in 1997, Sid Meier's Gettysburg! puts you in the middle of the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War.
But, Mr Author Sir, there are a few games based on Gettysburg, what makes this different? Simply put, because it's simple and beautiful and it's Sid Meier. The artwork, the interface and the fact that you can play online or via LAN is a definite win for Sid Meier's Gettysburg!. Everything is accessible with the simple click of the mouse.
Rally to your general... click! Entrench your troops... click! All in real time! There is a tremendous amount of detail. Even the sounds of the gunshots are pleasant.
Some gameplay footage of Sid Meier's Gettysburg!
With the ability to play on either side and a choice between a single scenario or campaign mode, the choice is yours on how you wish to kick ass and take names in your own historically correct (or incorrect) way.
If you love Sid Meier, if you love the Civil War, then Sid Meier's Gettysburg! is your game.
My rating 4.5/5
