Making History: The Calm & The Storm

Diplomatic options are fairly robust, granting your inner Churchill the ability to demand peace concessions or a change in government, and in a pleasant surprise, seem to be genuinely affected by gameplay strategy. For example, while playing as China, we initially sought a British alliance, but the U.K. denied our request. Undaunted, we began offering them sizeable aid packages while buying goods from them. Eventually they relented and offered us a place in their alliance. Rewarding moments like this give you that all-important feeling that your decisions truly carry weight, and Making History nails that perfectly. Should you choose a "military solution" over diplomacy, the game offers a surprisingly effective combat engine that resolves battles fairly and, for the most part, accurately.

Muzzy Lane could have skimped on the graphics, in light of the large number of required units on-screen, but overall they've done a good job of detailing important objects attractively, even if this doesn't look as hot as a Total War game. Sound is unexceptional though the background music is quite pleasant and never gets tiring. One important aspect in these types of long-haul games is the user-interface (UI) and it does precisely what it's supposed to do - offers concise information in a very usable format. The only genuine gripe we could muster about Making History is that the game manual isn't as helpful as it should be; as things currently stand, you'll find yourself confused by cause and effect from time to time. After a bit of digging within the in-game help system, you'll usually find your answers but it could have been easier and better explained from the outset.