hen the original Close Combat title was released for the PC back in 1996, it was heralded for its real-time military action and vibrant visuals.  Also the game received rave reviews for its unique use of combat psychology, a system that affected how troops reacted when locked in a firefight and also saw them improve in both skills and abilities.  Developer Destineer is hoping to stay true to those roots in the next chapter of the game, Close Combat: First To Fight.  While original series creator Atomic Games won’t be behind the development of the game, Atomic Games president Keith Zabalaoui is taking on the role of Executive Producer and has been involved with First To Fight since the game’s initial development stages. Game Informer Online was granted an exclusive pass to visit Destineer’s offices and see the game first-hand. Although the game is still in the early stages of development, it’s still looking to be quite promising.

If you have fond memories of how the old Close Combat titles played, prepare to experience the game in a whole new way.  First of all, it’s important to know that First To Fight was originally a game produced for the U.S. Marine Corps as a training tool for their troops, much like Full Spectrum Warrior was the same for the U.S. Army.  As such, Destineer is really aiming at putting together a game that is the most realistic military title on the market.  Throughout the development process real-life Marines have made the trip to Destineer’s Plymouth, Minnesota-based headquarters to test the game and offer input on how the game is coming along, as well as offer up suggestions on how it can be improved.  Did we mention that these Marines are also fresh from conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, making their input that much more valuable?

Despite the recent flood of arcadey military shooters, First To Fight is all about authenticity and realism.  Real-life Marine input has proved invaluable to Destineer as they go about creating a game that adheres to actual combat guidelines and as an extra measure they’ve completely molded their game around these features.  Players will be put in the role of team leader who is in charge of three other team members.  As it is in the Marines, each team is broken down into a four person role hierarchy: Ready, Team, Fire, and Assist. You and your squad members will adhere to this system at all times.  Depending on what environment you’re in the role of each team member will change accordingly.  Being the team leader, you’ll always be in the lead but your other members will adjust to their roles.  Your Assist gunner may cover the rear of the group while your Ready rifleman and Fire “Saw” gunner may keep an eye out on the left and right sides of the group for hidden enemies.  Each team member has a unique skill or role within the greater group so you’ll need to know how to use each one properly in order to make it out of some conflicts alive.  And as in previous Close Combat games, your teammates will see their stats and abilities increase as you progress through the game.

The RTFA system goes one step further with your squad members featuring highly tuned AI that will react realistically during combat.  They’ll do things like hug and lean around corners to either gain a better view or fire off their weapons.  Also, they’ll use things like cover intelligently and will take things like cover height into account before moving.  When faced with low-level cover, they’ll actually run out to it and crouch down to make them harder to hit.  They’ll also aid their comrades if they notice that they’re pinned down by enemy gunfire.  While your team members are highly intelligent you can issue commands first-hand and tell them where to move using the targeting reticule and using the special “move out” command or more complicated action like throwing down suppressing fire or tossing grenades via a special radial menu.  But even team member movement is realistic and instead of simply running to where you point, they’ll actually “bound,” which causes them to slowly walk with their weapon at a ready position in case an enemy tries to get the jump on them.

All friendly and enemy actions are tied to a psychology model which can be affected by certain actions.  First of all, it’s actually possible to break an enemy’s will depending on how you engage him. The game makes heavy use of “combined arms” attacks, which is a process of using two different types of arms in one concerted attack.  If you’re faced with a group of enemies who are hunkered down in a tight position you can call in a mortar strike.  The mortar attacks will effectively alter the psychology of the enemies and cause them to flee their position out of fear.  Once they’ve been flushed out you can then move in and engage them with your standard weapons. “Call for Fire” plays a large role in the game and often provides key strategic and combat advantages when you’re faced with difficult enemies.  Support can come in a wide variety of forms including the mortar attacks, Cobra helicopter fire, M1 Abrams tanks, light armored vehicles, and heavily armored assault vehicles.  Enemies will also fight better when they’re in close proximity to their commanders.  But if you manage to separate them from their leaders their morale will drop and their fighting tactics will suffer as a result.

Perhaps the most noticeable change from previous Close Combat titles is the fact that First To Fight is in the first person perspective.  Destineer has created an entirely new proprietary graphics engine for the game, one that features volumetric shadowing, normal mapping, and specularity.  As a result the game features highly realistic environments that really hammer home the feeling that you’re in the middle of the action.  The game takes place in an as-yet-unnamed Middle Eastern city, so you’ll be faced with a gritty and foreboding urban landscape in which to try and survive in.  Currently Destineer hasn’t disclosed which city the game takes place in, but will say that it’s neither in Afghanistan or Iraq.

 So far, Destineer seems to be heading on the right track at creating a truly realistic military shooter.  Close Combat: First To Fight  will feature a regular single player campaign as well as an even more realistic “Simulation” mode that will really immerse players in what it’s like to be part of an ongoing military war.  While the game will feature a multiplayer aspect, Destineer is still tight-lipped on details about it and are also undecided whether the game will support downloadable content.  But fans of tech supremacy will be happy to hear that the Xbox version of the game will support 480p widescreen as well as surround sound.

Close Combat: First To Fight is currently slated to ship for the PC and Xbox this Fall.

To view the PC screens from Close Combat: First To Fight, click the Screenshots tab at the top of the page.

To view the Xbox screens, click here.