[CCIP]

I would not go as far as to call it the "greatest thing ever", but IMO it's an excellent title. Graviteam have had lots of time to work on their engine and improve it, and I've thoroughly enjoyed the Achtung Panzer/Graviteam Tactics titles. The UI is a little ugly, but the game's actual 3D graphics are quite nice if you ask me - and it's got some nice physics features for the environment as well. A big plus is the operational level (where you move units around on a strategic map and manage resources), which I think makes you think of more than just the battle at hand, but your overall strategy. The AI is very good, both for your own units and the enemy - in fact, I would say that some of the battles I've had to fight in Graviteam Tactics were among the hardest (but still enjoyable) that I've had in a game of this kind. The controls are relatively simple, units do a good job of holding positions or formations without getting themselves killed in a hurry, and most scenarios are perfectly manageable in real time. Among the downsides are a relatively low unit density - it's better in Operation Star than the earlier titles, but you still often find yourself fighting on a fairly large space with fairly few units, which can make it difficult for the defending side especially, because there's almost always a way for you to get surrounded.

The only title that it's comparable to would be the Combat Mission series, and perhaps also Close Combat (although Close Combat does not have 3D graphics). It has the nicest graphics out of that bunch (IMO) and some of the highest difficulty, with an AI at least as good as the other two. Overall, I would still prefer Combat Mission titles - mostly just the depth and complexity of scenarios, and more versatility with the way you can give orders; and as far as the operational flow and pacing, I would say Close Combat games are still a little better, even if they lack the graphics. Graviteam Tactics is not an RTS in the same way as Men of War or Blitzkrieg or Company of Heroes titles, and is rather hardcore, slow-paced and unforgiving. However, I would still definitely give it high marks and consider it worth your time, especially because it's often on sale for very cheap. I'd say go get it and give it a try!