I can proudly say I had a very small bit part in this game. Sean and I spent some time going over equipment and weapons ranges. I did playthroughs at WBC when it was still in concept. From then to now this game has had every spare moment Sean could devote to it embedded in the game and how it plays. Great review and a great game both.
Thank you so much for a great video for Point Blank! I appreciate your feedback and we at LnL will look to make learning this game as easy as possible. I truly appreciate the time you put into our game! Thank you Sean
I think you nailed it in that review. You said everything I have wanted to say in many posts but just couldn't get the flow of what I wanted to say. I agree with every point. The manual is very messy. Mostly, the information is in there but it's all over the place and often in multiple places. When I perform melee, I want all the information including modifiers, in that section. I don't want to have to go to the leaders section then the terrain section then the support weapon section, Shaken section, fatigue section...I want that information in one place But...a fantastic game...and damn if I haven't just packed it away after 10 weeks of play only for this video to make me want to play it again! Well done and thank you. I love your energy in your videos
Excellent review ZB. I love this game as well. It brings back memories of Up Front back in the day but is NOT that game and offers so much more using modern gaming systems and production values. Sean designed an opus here. :)
Thanks, Uwe! A few people mentioned its similarities with Up Front, but I do think you're correct, from what I can see, that it advances the theme an huge amount. I'm really looking forward to seeing how the system evolves too. :)
Watching this review (which is awesome btw), makes me wonder if a PC game is the equivalent of watching a movie whereas a board game like Point Blank is the book reading experience. In the end, "most" of the time, the book is usually better than the movie. This video has me contemplating if my analogy is accurate. Nice job!
Wow, you are just rocking the war game reviews! Great review. In my experience, regarding trying to find an answer to a game question in a rulebook, it's pretty common to have questions that are hard to quickly find the answers to. I think that's just the nature of the beast. One of the best rulebooks I can think of off the top of my head is LnLs Nations at War rule book. In a detailed game of this type, you've gotta expect to have to do some learning. However, as you point out, the reward can be in direct ratio to the effort required. Your reviews are just outstanding! Hi Kennedy! 👋
Thanks, Robert! I'm glad you enjoyed it. Rules are definitely tricky, and I'll have to check out that Nations at War rulebook. I have Stalin's Triumph to play. :) Kennedy says Hi right back at you!
Really enjoyed the review and playthrough videos for this game - especially the Canadian content! Too bad Lt. Tremlay and his men couldn't complete their objective... Patiently waiting my copy to be delivered.
Great review. This game is literally in my 'stack of shame' (can't fit on one shelf 😉) and I intend to get to it in the next few months. I might take my rule book to Kinkos and get it spiral bound. I also need to get some plexiglass to put over the mat.
Thanks! I'd recommend even taking down some notes too, for things you end up looking up more than once. There were a number of things that I'd forget and then have to look them up again.
It might be fun to do a triple comparison video at some point, with Fields of Fire, Point Blank, and Warfighter. All three are unique in their own way, I think. I'm waiting for the Deluxe version of Fields of Fire to start playing though, so maybe at some point in the upcoming year. :)
Another great video! Everything I watch one of your videos it makes me wish I could be that engaging. Back in the day I would have thrilled to this, like I did to Squad Leader in '77. Alas, my tastes have changed... I'm curious how you will ultimately feel about Pub Battles. It does have a lot of the elements you talk about. I definitely feel it has a rich narrative, I wonder if you will feel the same? Best, Boom Simple
It's definitely a game you need to step into with both feet, for sure. I wouldn't put it in the same league as ASL, it's not nearly that level, but it does have meat to it, and everything comes together at once. :)
That looks so fascinating. I wish I had the time (and opponents!) to really dig into this system. But I don't, so can't justify the expense of getting it.
154 bucks OUCH!! plays solo as well. But 154 bucks!! Oh well, I dropped 160 bucks getting a double set printing out of Pocket Lands cards in colour on card stock the other day(role gaming accessory for the DM). I'm used to getting what I want.
Hmm. It's less than that much on the LnL site at the moment ($119). Still not cheap, for sure, but maybe that would be a better option if you're thinking of purchasing?
Great review. Haven't unboxed it yet but am much more motivated now. Curious, you use the pronoun "we" in your videos a lot. Do you have a production team? Kennedy?
Thanks! I'm not sure exactly why I use we, maybe all the voices in my head? It is basically me and my dog, but he doesn't really help much. Matter of fact, he eats things and can be downright counter-productive. :)
@@ZillaBlitz Also for what it's worth: I rarely sit through anyone's entire video of > 10 min length. That one got the full "Royce attention treatment". Perhaps the reason is that I've been seeing so much detailed discussion on this game that it has sort of grown an aura of being "somewhere out there perhaps never to get unboxed". Your overview nailed all my concerns and now the game is in the short list pile. Thank you.
Oh, thanks! That's great to hear! I'm trying to layer in more visual content to reviews too, so they aren't just staring at me talking the whole time. I'm hopeful that can make the overall experience more enjoyable.
I like a lot of the art, but some of the cards are just... muddy. Like if it didn't have a title I would have no idea what the card was supposed to be. That's a problem in wargames when you have to be able to take in a lot of information quickly. I like the art STYLE well enough, just some of the specific implementations are a little messy.
Makes sense! :) From a game play angle, I found them easy to work with, but I did have to memorize the action icons on the action cards. I found the icons helpful, but really don't connect them to the image on the action card. Something about the artwork-the grainy, and even muddy style perhaps-really drew me into France 1944. The game has an unpredictable and chaotic feel to it, in a good way, and I felt like the artwork embellished that. But yes, to each their own, for sure! :)
I can proudly say I had a very small bit part in this game. Sean and I spent some time going over equipment and weapons ranges. I did playthroughs at WBC when it was still in concept. From then to now this game has had every spare moment Sean could devote to it embedded in the game and how it plays.
Great review and a great game both.
That's awesome, it must have been fun to see this game progress through development too. And thanks for the kind words!
Thank you so much for a great video for Point Blank! I appreciate your feedback and we at LnL will look to make learning this game as easy as possible. I truly appreciate the time you put into our game!
Thank you
Sean
My pleasure, Sean. It's been great fun learning, playing, and recording this game. Thank you for the opportunity. :)
I think you nailed it in that review. You said everything I have wanted to say in many posts but just couldn't get the flow of what I wanted to say.
I agree with every point. The manual is very messy. Mostly, the information is in there but it's all over the place and often in multiple places.
When I perform melee, I want all the information including modifiers, in that section. I don't want to have to go to the leaders section then the terrain section then the support weapon section, Shaken section, fatigue section...I want that information in one place
But...a fantastic game...and damn if I haven't just packed it away after 10 weeks of play only for this video to make me want to play it again!
Well done and thank you. I love your energy in your videos
Thanks, Billy, for the kind words! :)
Looks like a really great design.
Definitely a unique experience for me, yes. I know design-wise it pays tribute to the Up Front system, but I've heard it's much different as well.
This one was a really good one. I thoroughly enjoyed your play through. The variety that this game can give you each time you play is outstanding.
Yes, it's remarkably deep and so much play in the box. :)
Excellent review ZB. I love this game as well. It brings back memories of Up Front back in the day but is NOT that game and offers so much more using modern gaming systems and production values. Sean designed an opus here. :)
Thanks, Uwe! A few people mentioned its similarities with Up Front, but I do think you're correct, from what I can see, that it advances the theme an huge amount. I'm really looking forward to seeing how the system evolves too. :)
Watching this review (which is awesome btw), makes me wonder if a PC game is the equivalent of watching a movie whereas a board game like Point Blank is the book reading experience. In the end, "most" of the time, the book is usually better than the movie. This video has me contemplating if my analogy is accurate. Nice job!
Thanks, Commander, I'm glad you liked the review! That's an interesting analogy. It's got me thinking now too. :)
Excellent review of point blank. It's now added to my list of 2023 games.
I'm glad you liked it, Jackie. Really a fascinating system, and one that I think will only improve over time.
Wow, you are just rocking the war game reviews! Great review. In my experience, regarding trying to find an answer to a game question in a rulebook, it's pretty common to have questions that are hard to quickly find the answers to. I think that's just the nature of the beast. One of the best rulebooks I can think of off the top of my head is LnLs Nations at War rule book. In a detailed game of this type, you've gotta expect to have to do some learning. However, as you point out, the reward can be in direct ratio to the effort required. Your reviews are just outstanding! Hi Kennedy! 👋
Thanks, Robert! I'm glad you enjoyed it. Rules are definitely tricky, and I'll have to check out that Nations at War rulebook. I have Stalin's Triumph to play. :) Kennedy says Hi right back at you!
Really enjoyed the review and playthrough videos for this game - especially the Canadian content! Too bad Lt. Tremlay and his men couldn't complete their objective... Patiently waiting my copy to be delivered.
I'm glad you liked the content, thanks for the kind words! I hope you enjoy the game, too. So much stuff to explore. :)
Great review. This game is literally in my 'stack of shame' (can't fit on one shelf 😉) and I intend to get to it in the next few months. I might take my rule book to Kinkos and get it spiral bound. I also need to get some plexiglass to put over the mat.
Thanks! I'd recommend even taking down some notes too, for things you end up looking up more than once. There were a number of things that I'd forget and then have to look them up again.
FYI they make Greenbay Packers Hats ....
Ha! But as much as I'm a Vikings' fan, I don't hate the Packers and would wear a Packers hat. I just don't have one yet. :)
Shaaron is done. Although he still has a chance for a Super Bowl with his next 5 girlfriends.
As always a great review and bonus dog score!
Thanks! And yeah, he just showed up and wanted to be part of the video. Hard to refuse a dog. :)
My current favorite game is Fields of Fire. I would love to hear how these two compare. First time watching your videos and I really enjoyed it.
It might be fun to do a triple comparison video at some point, with Fields of Fire, Point Blank, and Warfighter. All three are unique in their own way, I think. I'm waiting for the Deluxe version of Fields of Fire to start playing though, so maybe at some point in the upcoming year. :)
@@ZillaBlitz Don't wait! It's too good. The Hue City campaign from Vol. 2 has some great urban combat rules.
@@kronos77 :) So tempting! But I've got a backlog of review games to play through first. Maybe once those are complete. :)
Great review. Thank you very much for your thoughts. I love this system as well. =)
Thanks! Glad you liked it! One of these days we'll have to connect to play. :)
@@ZillaBlitz Yes Sir
Another great video! Everything I watch one of your videos it makes me wish I could be that engaging.
Back in the day I would have thrilled to this, like I did to Squad Leader in '77. Alas, my tastes have changed...
I'm curious how you will ultimately feel about Pub Battles. It does have a lot of the elements you talk about. I definitely feel it has a rich narrative, I wonder if you will feel the same?
Best,
Boom Simple
It's definitely a game you need to step into with both feet, for sure. I wouldn't put it in the same league as ASL, it's not nearly that level, but it does have meat to it, and everything comes together at once. :)
That looks so fascinating. I wish I had the time (and opponents!) to really dig into this system. But I don't, so can't justify the expense of getting it.
We definitely can't play them all, although I'm going to try. :) And fail. :)
They should have used movie stars faces on the cards....now THAT, would be interesting.
Ha! I imagine some of the stars from old WW2 movies. :)
@@ZillaBlitz James Coburn as Senior Sgt. Steiner!.....Gary Sinise as Lt. Dan.....
154 bucks OUCH!! plays solo as well. But 154 bucks!! Oh well, I dropped 160 bucks getting a double set printing out of Pocket Lands cards in colour on card stock the other day(role gaming accessory for the DM). I'm used to getting what I want.
Hmm. It's less than that much on the LnL site at the moment ($119). Still not cheap, for sure, but maybe that would be a better option if you're thinking of purchasing?
@@ZillaBlitz Might have been displaying in Canadian dollars for me.
Ah, that would explain things. :)
Great review. Haven't unboxed it yet but am much more motivated now. Curious, you use the pronoun "we" in your videos a lot. Do you have a production team? Kennedy?
Thanks! I'm not sure exactly why I use we, maybe all the voices in my head? It is basically me and my dog, but he doesn't really help much. Matter of fact, he eats things and can be downright counter-productive. :)
@@ZillaBlitz ha... Nice one.
@@ZillaBlitz Also for what it's worth: I rarely sit through anyone's entire video of > 10 min length. That one got the full "Royce attention treatment". Perhaps the reason is that I've been seeing so much detailed discussion on this game that it has sort of grown an aura of being "somewhere out there perhaps never to get unboxed". Your overview nailed all my concerns and now the game is in the short list pile. Thank you.
Oh, thanks! That's great to hear! I'm trying to layer in more visual content to reviews too, so they aren't just staring at me talking the whole time. I'm hopeful that can make the overall experience more enjoyable.
Is this better than fields of fire?
Sorry, I haven’t played Fields of Fire yet so I can’t compare. (I’m waiting for the deluxe edition.)
I like a lot of the art, but some of the cards are just... muddy. Like if it didn't have a title I would have no idea what the card was supposed to be. That's a problem in wargames when you have to be able to take in a lot of information quickly. I like the art STYLE well enough, just some of the specific implementations are a little messy.
But like I have said, I decided the game wasn't for me, so my opinion of the art is not terribly important. Just had to get it off my chest lol.
Makes sense! :) From a game play angle, I found them easy to work with, but I did have to memorize the action icons on the action cards. I found the icons helpful, but really don't connect them to the image on the action card. Something about the artwork-the grainy, and even muddy style perhaps-really drew me into France 1944. The game has an unpredictable and chaotic feel to it, in a good way, and I felt like the artwork embellished that. But yes, to each their own, for sure! :)
Ausgezeichnet , yeah all in one box ,say no more gone Up Front bud 🕊️🤗
Fascinating, but absolutely not for me. It happens.
Totally understandable! That's generally my hope, to paint a picture of a game so that people can decide whether it's for them or not. :)