''Gary Grigsby's World at War'' is a 2005

computer wargame A computer wargame is a wargame played on a digital device. Descended from board wargaming, it simulates military conflict at the tactical, operational or strategic level. Computer wargames are both sold commercially for recreational use an ...

developed by 2 by 3 Games and published by Matrix Games.

Gameplay

''Gary Grigsby's World at War'' is a grand strategy

that simulates conflict in World War II.

Development

''Gary Grigsby's World at War'' was announced in February 2004. 2 by 3 Games developed it concurrently with '' War in the Pacific'', a significantly more complicated title. The company's Joel Billings noted that playtesting ''World at War'' was relatively simple: "In ''WitP'' the longest scenario can last around 1700 turns, while ''GGWaW''s longest scenario lasts around 25 turns". It reached gold status in February 2005.

Reception

''Gary Grigsby's World at War'' received "generally favorable reviews" from critics, according to Metacritic. Writer Greg Costikyan reported that the game had sold over 100,000 units by 2008. In ''

Computer Games Magazine ''Computer Games Magazine'' was a monthly computer and console gaming print magazine, founded in October 1988 as the United Kingdom publication ''Games International''. During its history, it was known variously as ''Strategy Plus'' (October 1 ...

'', Bruce Geryk was unimpressed with ''World at War''. He called it "a claustrophobic game in which there are only one or two ways to win ... and what matters is how carefully you count the combat factors needed to succeed." Anthony Holden of ''

PC Zone ''PC Zone'', founded in 1993, was the first magazine dedicated to games for IBM-compatible personal computers to be published in the United Kingdom. Earlier PC magazines such as ''PC Leisure'', ''PC Format'' and ''PC Plus'' had covered games but ...

'' was more positive, referring to it as "a superior piece of work" hampered by its inaccessibility to newcomers. ''

Computer Gaming World ''Computer Gaming World'' (CGW) was an American computer game magazine published between 1981 and 2006. One of the few magazines of the era to survive the video game crash of 1983, it was sold to Ziff Davis in 1993. It expanded greatly through ...

''s Di Luo concluded, "Even with its flaws, ''World at War'' is still a good choice for anyone looking for a fast-paced war game." ''

IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...

'' presented ''World at War'' with its 2005 "Best Game No One Played" computer game award. The editors wrote that it "really shines in its excellent simulation of supply and logistics."

''A World Divided''

In October 2006, ''World at War'' received a follow-up under the name ''Gary Grigsby's World at War: A World Divided''. According to Joel Billings, it had begun as a patch but became ambitious enough for a full release; production began in January 2006. Among other updates, the game includes greater support for espionage and diplomacy, and enables a hypothetical conflict between the Soviet Union and Allied Western powers.

Reception

Reviewing ''A World Divided'' for

, Steve Butts wrote, "Gamers who are looking for an introduction to high-level wargames should definitely consider giving this one a look." ''

Wargamer A wargame is a strategy game in which two or more players command opposing armed forces in a realistic simulation of an armed conflict. Wargaming may be played for recreation, to train military officers in the art of strategic thinking, or to s ...

''s Al Berke called it "an excellent game" that "has a historical feel, but doesn't drown the players in a sea of detail."

References

External links

* * {{Matrix Games 2005 video games Computer wargames Windows games Windows-only games Multiplayer and single-player video games Video games developed in the United States World War II video games Matrix Games games