Actual Game
Battleground 4: Shiloh1-Click Install
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Talonsoft's fourth installment to the Battleground series was a superior entry in the then crowded Civil War gaming market. Battleground: Shiloh builds on the strengths of its predecessors while adding some welcome new features.
Talonsoft presents the first major battle of the American Civil War in commendable detail. The game offers you a variety of ways to view the action - you can choose from both 2D and 3D views of the conflict, quickly grasping the tactical situation using the 2D perspective, then switching to 3D as the action intensifies. The SVGA graphics are above average for the time and reveal nice touches - the faces of the commanders, the unique uniforms of the regiments, even the individual buildings that dot the battlefield. The included video footage of reenactments heightens the drama. The sound effects are, as expected, quite good, are limited in scope.
As with the rest of the Battleground series, Talonsoft put great emphasis on making the game playable while retaining historical accuracy. Players can choose from several levels of control. If you'd rather give orders than execute them, simply choose Commander Control. The action commences in a phase-and-turn format. Shiloh also includes an advantage slider that allows the odds to be tipped (or toppled) toward one side or the other. Even on the standard setting, the AI provides an adequate opponent. The Wilson's Creek and Prairie Grove scenarios, for instance, can be quite challenging to even the most experienced grognard.