Indie developer GreenTree Games is making quite a fascinating game, a turn-based tactical RPG based on World War II.
Called Burden Of Command, you play as the captain of the Cottonbalers company to fight in the Moroccan front. This is based on a real US Army regiment and a real campaign which they were deployed on.
GreenTree Games has military historian historian Professor John McManus advising the game’s development.
While strategy games and shooters based on World War II are plentiful, Burden Of Command is an RPG in the game really means it with the title. The life of these men wrests on your decision-making. The soldiers may get shaken from combat stress. There’s permadeath. And these soldiers are characters in and of themselves, with character portraits and profiles.
And throughout the campaign there’s also narrative events where you choice will have an effect to what happens next, like something out of Disco Elysium.
As you proceed through the narrative-driven campaign, you have to make the call whether to take risks- which may see some of them die- for the mission’s sake, or withdraw to keep them alive (and fail the mission).
As far as tactics goes, Burden Of Command employs the expected military tactics. You will need to suppress and flank enemies effectively if you want to succeed in this campaign. Otherwise, you’ll have to bear the consequences of ununited squad. Succeed, and you’ll forge a brotherhood that’ll follow you to hell and back.
Burden Of Command is being described as an interactive “Band Of Brothers”- the award-winning TV series that depicts the humanity of these soldiers. And in some ways, this is a tactical RPG take on Brothers In Arms, Gearbox Software’s WWII shooter series which also depicts a well-knit squad going through the horrors of war.
Wars are horrific, and that is something worth exploring. And Burden Of Command looks promising in that front.
A demo for Burden Of Command is available right now, featuring 5 hours of playtime. The full game will have a campaign that lasts 70 hours.
Burden Of Command will launch sometime in Q1 2025 for PC (Steam).