The First World War and gaming is not a popular genre but the alternate history potential of the conflict has been played with. The games that have come out of the alternate history aspect of the conflict are set with rather inaccurate premises. Two games stand out with the most impossible story lines. The first is Code Name Eagle which centers around the largest threat on the planet, Russia!

The First World War never happened…Somehow the growing issues of Europe in 1914 just never blew up, so it would have to be assumed that Arch Duke Ferdinand of the Austro-Hungarian Empire was never blown up ether…never sparking the conflict. In the Game Code Name Ealge some how Russia has managed to industrial to a scale that threatens Europe. The war hasn’t started but is in a semi Cold War like situation where the main conflict is espionage. The allied nations of Europe stand ready against the Russian Tsar and his plans for Europe. You play as Red a special agent sent in to derail  any invasion attempt by the Russians. In the game the Russian Empire has mechanized tanks advanced aircraft and even advanced long range rockets.

The Russians in 1917 never came close to having that level of advanced weaponry. The Russian army when it deployed in the First World War was the largest army in the world, but it had fatal flaws that would ultimately prevent it from ever being able to achieve any real lasting victory. The first major flaw was that Russia lacked the industrial base to support such a large army for extended operations. The second problem was that the internal politics that kept the Tsar in power were falling apart and they had been sense 1905. The Tsar could no more hold the country together than build up his country to rival that of Germany or in the case of Code Name Eagle, all of Europe.

The Game can be fun to play but falls into the “That would never happen” category of alternate histories.

Game Number two will be Shown tomorrow.