Introduction: Battles for Italy is a Turn based WW2 strategy game and is part of the Decisive Battles Series from SSG. In partnership with Matrix games, an excellent developer of WW2 and other strategy titles, they have developed an exceptional turn based WW2 strategy game that is not too difficult, and will appeal to the most ardent and casual strategy hound you know. Quality Strategy games have been harder and harder to find over the years. Many titles have gone the way of the Dodo, and many titles are being marketed as "strategy games;" but this is only skin deep, and many are really just glorified FPS's. A hex turn based strategy game is a cerebral adventure and typically doesn't contain much eye candy, 3D graphics etc. A good example of this would be Panzer General 3. SSI tried to jump on the 3D bandwagon when it did PG3. What it ended up with was a poor sequel to PG2, which sacrificed gameplay in the name of eye candy. Since this is the latest in the series, it's only natural that it has many improvements over its predecessors (see Korsun Pocket). The game has much more depth then Korsun Pocket, and IMHO, is one of the best Turn based WW2 strategy games on the market today. Battles for Italy is a Hex turn based strategy game with very intelligent AI, which makes single player mode a challenging affair and not a cake walk like some other WW2 strategy games. You can also set up email games if you like; they can take some time to play but are quite fun and entertaining. The game covers three campaigns in the Italian theater, which include: The invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky; the landings at Salerno, codenamed Operation Avalanche; and the landings at Anzio, codenamed Operation Shingle. There is also a game editor, if you're so inclined to make up your own history. Each campaign follows the history pretty closely and is quite accurate in layout and design. As I mentioned earlier, the AI is exceptional. It reacts to your every move in an intelligent matter, learning and adapting to your moves and strategies. For instance, the AI will aggressively look for weaknesses in your defense and exploit these weak points, making this game a treat to play in single player mode. In many WW2 strategy games, AI is weak and inefficient, which hardly translates into an enjoyable single player experience. The maps are huge and cover a wide range of territory. Small maps have always been one of my major beefs with turn based WW2 strategy games. Small maps usually translate to quick games, something that drives me nuts. With the game editor you can make your own maps and share them with other players. Do not play this game without doing the tutorials. Yes I know real men don't read maps, and manual shmanual, but take it from me; the tutorials are a must. I tried to jump right in and got lost right away and it was a major pain in the keester jumping from electronic manual (PDF) to game and back again. Take your time and do the tutorials first. The tutorials are rather long and there is no save feature so make sure you have set aside enough time. I downloaded my version so the manual is in electronic format. You will need this for tutorials, so make sure you print a copy before you jump in. The game menu is probably one of the most unappealing I've ever seen— it's rather clunky. That being said, this about the only real negative issue I had with this game. Overall, I would say this game is one of the finest WW2 turn based strategy games on the market today. Combining large maps, exceptional AI and excellent Gameplay, this game is a must buy for all you strategy heads out there.