A remarkable essay about history and game design. Also a damn fine game.

There’s plenty to enjoy with Afghanistan ’11 but there are several issues with in the game itself including a lack of depth to some of the core features. While as a strategy title, it will hit the mark for most, things like political aspect of the game are shallow at best and often feel like an untapped gold mine of interesting gameplay. The game does create a solid difficulty and provides a challenging experience with AI that doesn’t cheat like in most other strategy titles. Enemy AI cannot see landmines. There have also been several improvements and changes to reflect the setting and type of warfare, so respect has to be given to the developers for not just creating a carbon copy of Vietnam ’65 and placing a desert skin over it.

The attention to detail in the game mechanics, the developers’ efforts to maintain relevance and historical accuracy, and the rewards of mastering its intricacies set Afghanistan '11 apart as an exceptional title. However, an unusually steep learning curve, which might be hard to accept for someone who wants to casually try a turn-based strategy game, keep this release from broader appeal. Afghanistan '11 requires a sustained interest in either the historical subject matter or turn-based strategy games, promising little to those who aren't history buffs or part of the wargamer scene.

Whatever happens to Afghanistan 11 in the future, it’s sure to be one of my most played w******* (history-steeped military strategy games with influential terrain and plausible, reality-derived unit relationships) this year. I love how it forces me to spin plates. I like the way it uses IEDs and RPGs to transform every vehicle move into an adventure. In a genre dominated by demolition and death, the emphasis it places on construction, and improving the lives of the local populace, is cheeringly discordant. The theme isn’t one I’m naturally drawn to, but the design is so strong, the history so ingeniously utilized, an ‘RPS Recommended’ rosette is inevitable.