Close Combat: The Bloody First

one of those many games overlooked by many, with plenty of reasons why, some i agree with, some i don't, the title close combat, i disagree with the many who state this isn't one in the series, for me it's a follow on that went in a new direction and worked well, i liked the art, the style and also did the beta, for me it's follows a long list of really good and special games in a series that almost everyone loved, this one changed direction in it's art form and layout, but kept the UI and for me it worked, but didn't get the love the same as the rest of the series with those who played the others, which is a shame, because if it did, i'd guess by now there would have been more, which is a shame, as it's a great game in it's own right, works perfectly and looks the best in the series and is fun, but on a pure sales front, seems the older format was loved more and bought more and well played more, which is a shame for this one as not only looking better, plays better and could have been so much more, i was hoping for a series in the new engine and many many more battles to play

Altogether worse than any previous entry in franchise

Love the close combat series. It is long past time that we moved on from the old engine. While TBF isn't perfect, it is a foundation that I think will serve the series well going forward. I wish there was more ability to customize your units and apply captured equipment on an ad hoc basis though. Hope to see more Close Combat in the future.

Close Combat: The Bloody First got a lot of negative feedback, but i think it modernises the Close Combat experience, without losing the soul. It’s still the same small‑unit tactical wargame, but now with a 3D engine, that gives the battlefield depth and makes line of sight and cover easier to understand, IMO. Squads behave like real men under fire: they panic, they hesitate, they rally, and they surprise you with moments of grit. Cover and positioning matter more than ever; a well‑placed MG can dominate an entire map. Morale feels genuinely impactful, with units breaking or holding in ways that create real drama. This game has been on sale, for next to nothing, on a few occasions. I would certainly consider buying it when this happens again.

I have been long time fan of this franchise, it just has not kept up graphically and units lack any real basic intelligence or understanding of tactics. I had hoped to see a transtion to a WARNO style of game play or Steel divison. Will dust this one off like its predecessors if I am felling nostaligc.

The game engine is nice, but it's annoying when my team can't shoot straight. Having spent time in combat, I can assure you that a high rate of first-shot kills is not only possible, but likely. Stop setting the algos to worst-possible likelihood!