All you need to know about The Long Road

The year is 1985. It’s World War III, but it’s not like you’ve seen before.

You can choose from a number of accurate-to-the-underwear-brand World War III games, and the ones I’ve played have been quite good. Unfortunately, this is not one of them. While The Long Road flirts with reality, it’s not ready to settle down and live there. A twist is present in this game.  War instigated by unknown powers without geographic affiliation.

These powers could be nothing more than a special ops team of mysterious origin sent to assassinate a world leader, nothing more than a militia ambushing foreigners who raped their mother country; nothing unusual. It is also possible that they are not normal, or that they are by definition supernatural.

A paranormal wargame is therefore a twist. Don’t misunderstand. You will be able to control the weapons of that era; Abrams tanks, T-80 tanks, M60A3, T-64B, and Sheridan tanks. Bradleys, M-113s, BMPs, infantry, spetsnaz, and much more.

War is won by soldiers, not by equipment. Soldiers’ training and morale are integral to the game, integral to combat resolution. Heroes are even more important than rank and file grunts. These are the individuals who have the power to turn the tide of battle. They have also been included. Mike Hudson, Colonel Adrik Aleksandrov Shabalin, tank commander Sergeant Matt Dahl, and Commissar Colonel Elena Petrova are some examples. Heroic, but still humans.

But there’s more. Demons that summon electrical storms, rendering advanced weaponry virtually useless, Lycan clans that fight with assault rifles, RPGs, and RPDs, along with the fangs and claws of their elders. There’s a witch with an agenda, plus the spells to make it happen, plus Katarina Ubirek; the amoral Romanian vampire who is worth dozens of inexperienced soldiers in combat.

So that is The Long Road; part military horror, part authentic recreation of World War III, but all fun.