Iron Storm

Overview

Iron Storm, also known in-game as "Iron Storm: World Advanced Strategy" and known in Japan as World Advanced Daisenryaku: Kōtetsu no Senpū (which loosely translates to "World Advanced Great Strategy: War Wind of Steel", is a historical-military turn-based strategy game developed by Sega AM7 and SystemSoft and published for the Sega Saturn in Japan (by Sega on September 22, 1995) and North America (by Working Designs on April 1996).

Part of the Daisenryaku series of wargames, Iron Storm is set in World War II and allows the player to take command of multiple Allied or Axis forces in historical battles throughout the war in both the European and Pacific Theaters. Each faction has their own unique set of units based on historically-accurate representations of their tanks, aircraft, and warships, and each battle is shown in a 3D cinematic fashion.

Along with multiple scenarios, the game features a campaign mode where players choose from one of three factions (United States, Nazi Germany, or Imperial Japan) and lead them throughout the war, with branching paths based on how successful they were in certain missions. This can lead to fictional and hypothetical scenarios, such as a Japanese assault on the American mainland.

It is notable for being the first game in the series to receive an overseas release with complete localization, making it one of the few games sold outside of Japan where players can lead the Axis forces into an alternate war outcome. As such, it is noted on the game's box that a portion of the game's sales were donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

The Japanese version later received a standalone expansion, known as World Advanced Daisenryaku: Sakusen File. Both games were later bundled on December 13, 1996 as World Advanced Daisenryaku Pack.

Gameplay

Iron Storm is a strategy game that makes use of a hexagon-grid in order to track player progression during matches. The map itself is static, but the player can choose whether he or she wishes to view a 3-dimensional animation of each skirmish between units. Different units can travel different distances over select terrain. Tanks and other land-based vehicles are limited to land, while troops can traverse both land and rivers. Unlike land-based units, planes can traverse the map with no hindrance from water or land, however, bad weather (such as rain or foggy weather) prevents planes from flying large distances and also prevents bombers from dropping bombs on specified targets. All vehicles are limited by fuel. They can replenish their fuel reserves by calling a supply truck or by returning to a base.