Sid Meier's Antietam! Image
Metascore

Generally favorable reviews - based on 12 Critics What's this?

  • Summary: Command Your Troops: Attack from the trees to protect your brigade,rally around a General for a quicker recovery, entrench your troops as your cannons blast the hillside, and much, much more with just a click of the mouse! Historically Accurate Battle Maps: Detailed 3D landscapes of Pennsylvania 's rolling hills, Maryland 's lush greenery, and the extensive South Mountain range extending from the Potomac River and running the boundary of eastern Maryland into Pennsylvania. Sophisticated Gameplay: As you lead your troops into battle watch as the brilliant AI system reacts to your commands as if a real Civil War General is countering your movements at every turn. Changing your strategy as need be is crucial to your success since the same tactics against your enemy will not work every time. Infinite Replayability: A random scenario generator provides endless possibilities for strategies and outcomes as you manipulate your troops at Gettysburg, Antietam, and South Mountain. [Firaxis] Expand
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 12
  2. Negative: 0 out of 12
  1. Every once in a while, a wargame comes along that makes you think about war and all its terrible consequences--and this is one of them. But that doesn't mean I won't be booting it up to try my luck again tomorrow.
  2. Offers no dramatic graphics overhaul or drastic redesign - just a new setting, new subject matter, and more of the same great Civil War strategy, which is nicely refined through a series of subtle enhancements.
  3. 80
    It's somehow not quite as fun as "Gettysburg."
  4. A wargame that only hardcore wargamers could love. Historically accurate to a fault, vast in scale, unnecessarily complex and poorly presented, it isn't going to win any new fans for the genre.

See all 12 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 1
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 1
  3. Negative: 0 out of 1
  1. TheManichaean
    8
    This game is worthy of the Sid Meier name, in both the positive and negative ways. On the positive side, the concept is excellent. This Real Time Strategy was really ahead of its time, and even implements some things that I'd like to see in current games. For example, formation actually matters to your troops. Line formation is your standard, but there are others: columnar is fast on the march, but terrible for fighting. Skirmish is a spread out stance good for combat on the move over rough terrain, but it just won't stand up against a fortified line of troops. Troops have morale, which can be boosted by the presence of commanders. Close combat is exciting too, full with fast, furious charges and answering vollies from encamped defenders. These are the characteristics of a great Sid Meier game: inspired to the last breath. Now, though, the bad point: no good multiplayer support. Meier is a genius of gaming, having created Pirates (if any of you guys remember that gem!) and Civilizations. Unfortunately, Meier seems to be stuck back in those good old days. Back then, Commodore 64's couldn't network to play (very easily, at least). It was OK to make a stupendous 1 player strategy game. Now, though, any wargamer worth his lead figurines wants to take the combat online. And Gettysburg simply doesn't facilitate that easily. It's truly a shame, and if Meier were to release a revised version (like Blizzard's Warcraft 2 online edition), I'd be the first guy in line. So if you come across this hidden gem of a game, buy it! You'll only be disappointed that you can't play it online! Expand