The Road from Sumter to Appomattox, released in 1993, is an ambitious simulation of the American Civil War -- from start to finish. The initial responses were less than overwhelming, with mediocre graphics and bugs that made the game virtually unplayable. This 1995 revision, released as RfStA 2, remained flawed, but is an impressive effort that sports a much-improved gameplay from the original. In veteran wargamer M. Evan Brooks' opinion, "... the interface now had been improved from awful to merely bad, and the product was more of a master's thesis than a game, but for the grognard interested in the American Civil War, this had a strong recommendation." Overall, this is a very realistic simulation that should appeal to grognards, although anyone looking for an accessible, fun wargame should look elsewhere. Note: The game was superseded by the third version, published in 1996 as The American Civil War by Interactive Magic, to cheers of many grognards who now consider it the best simulation of American Civil War ever made, although it is still not quite user-friendly. Reviewed by: Underdogs |