Serious gamers look for several things when trying out a new online game. Regardless of the type of game, several criteria need to be met in order to satisfy someone really into, oh say, a combat game or a WW2 game. Graphics have to be first rate. No getting around the demand for outstanding graphics; in a similar vein, gamers want authenticity to ooze from every screen.
The makers of Aces High understand these basic facts. That’s why they are constantly working to improve graphics and also to make sure that the planes, boats, and vehicles in their games are authentic in every detail. One example of this insistence on authenticity is the tank section in the Aces High game. Armored vehicles played a huge part in World War II and three of the most effective tanks were the German Mk.IV Panzer, the American M4 Sherman, and the Russian T-34/76.
The Panzer was originally developed in 1937 and early on in the war it was the dominant tank. Armed with a 75 mm gun and hull and turret-mounted machine guns, this war machine was capable of travelling 18 mph over most terrain. One of the interesting facts is that it was so dominant early on because it had radios installed in it, making coordinated movement with troops and planes possible. It was later replaced by the Mk.V Panther, a much faster tank with more armor that debuted in 1943 at the Battle of Kursk.
The M4 Sherman was easily the most produced tank in WWII. It wasn’t the fastest, it wasn’t the most powerful, but it was produced in such numbers as to overwhelm the enemy on all fronts. It sported 50 mm side armor, adequate outside of 100 yards but not thick enough for in-fighting. It also had a 75 mm gun and hull and turret-mounted machine guns.
Finally there was the T-34/76 introduced in 1939, so named for its 76 mm gun. The frontal armor was 45 mm thick and sloped at 60 degrees and it boasted of being indestructible, a claim that was later proven incorrect. 40,000 of these killing machines were produced and it was later replaced by the T-34/85, a much more reliable and well-protected tank.
All three of these tanks can be found on Aces High, the WWII simulation war game created by HiTech Creations. The graphics are superb, the authenticity is right on, and serious gamers are giving a thumbs up for this great online game. Download the game, hop in your M4 Sherman, and take on the best the Germans have to offer over the European landscape.
