Close Combat III: The Russian Front
A 1999 wargame set on the Eastern Front.
Close Combat III: The Russian Front is a World War II computer wargame released in 1999. Developed by Atomic Games and published by Microsoft, it is the third installment in the Close Combat series. The game focuses on the Eastern Front, covering the conflict from Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union through the final assault on Berlin in 1945. A remake titled *Close Combat: Cross of Iron* appeared in 2007. Gameplay follows the established patterns of the series. Players can adjust difficulty and realism settings, including options to disable fog of war, unit initiative, and access to enemy information. The Grand Campaign lets players choose either side, progressing from Operation Barbarossa to Stalingrad and ultimately Berlin. The game earned favorable reviews on GameRankings. It sold 45,438 copies in 1999, and author James Dunnigan called it the year’s best-selling wargame. By April 1999, CNET Gamecenter’s Marc Dultz reported total sales had exceeded 100,000 units, making the title profitable. *PC Gamer US* awarded it the 1999 “Best Wargame” prize, praising it as the “strongest Close Combat title yet” for vividly recreating combat’s fluidity and chaos without sacrificing playability. The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated it for PC Strategy Game of the Year at the 2nd Interactive Achievement Awards, and IGN nominated it for 1998’s best strategy game, though both awards went to *Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri* and *StarCraft*, respectively. After *Close Combat III*, Microsoft discontinued the franchise in early 1999. Despite the game and its predecessors being profitable, Dultz noted signs that Microsoft would only publish titles with potential sales of 250,000 units or more. Atomic Games split from Microsoft that April, moving to Mindscape’s Strategic Simulations label to develop a fourth *Close Combat* based on the Battle of the Bulge. Later that year, Atomic’s Zabalaoui described Microsoft as “a terrific publisher” and said the split was amicable. *Close Combat IV: Battle of the Bulge* followed in November 1999, and *Close Combat: Invasion Normandy* in October 2000. After Destineer bought Atomic in 2005, it partnered with Matrix Games to produce expanded remakes, starting with *Close Combat: Cross of Iron* in 2007, developed by CSO Simtek.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Close Combat III: The Russian Front
- Developer
- Atomic Games
- Publisher
- Microsoft
- Series
- Close Combat
- Released
- NA · January 15, 1999 · EU · 1999
- Genre
- Computer wargame
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
- Platforms
- Windows
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Battles follow the general pattern of the Close Combat series. Apart from a difficulty slider, there are realism settings which disable the fog of war, unit initiative, difficulty of access to enemy info, etc. The Grand Campaign follows the Eastern Front from the German invasion of the Soviet Union (Operation Barbarossa), to Stalingrad and ultimately Berlin. Players can pick either side. Following the release of Close Combat III, Microsoft opted to discontinue the Close Combat franchise in early 1999. The game and its predecessors had been profitable, but CNET Gamecenter's Dultz reported 'indications that the company is now only interested in publishing games that have the potential of selling 250,000 units or more.' Atomic reacted that April by splitting from Microsoft and migrating to Mindscape's Strategic Simulations (SSI) label, with the goal of creating a fourth Close Combat based on the Battle of the Bulge. Later that year, Zabalaoui said that Microsoft had been 'a terrific publisher', and that Atomic had 'parted company [with it] as friends who may some day work together again.'
Reader's Guide
Close Combat III: The Russian Front was the third game in the Close Combat series and was notable for being the year's best-selling wargame in 1999, according to author James Dunnigan. It sold 45,438 copies during 1999, and by April 1999 had achieved total sales of 'well over 100,000 units' per Marc Dultz of CNET Gamecenter. The staff of PC Gamer US presented the game with their 1999 'Best Wargame' prize, hailing it as the 'strongest Close Combat title yet' and writing that it 'vividly recreate[s] the fluidity and chaos of real combat without compromising playability.' The game received a nomination by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences for PC Strategy Game of the Year at the 2nd Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, and a nomination for IGN's pick for 1998's best strategy game; however, these prizes ultimately went to Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri and StarCraft, respectively. A remake, Close Combat: Cross of Iron, was released in 2007 by Matrix Games and developer CSO Simtek. Sales of Atomic's original five Close Combat games, including Close Combat III, totaled 1.2 million units by the mid-2000s. By 2018, the series contained 17 entries and had sold above 5 million units.
Did You Know?
- The game sold 45,438 copies during 1999.
- It was named the year's best-selling wargame by author James Dunnigan.
More in Video Games of the 1990s, Part 1 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced