Dave Shaw dshaw62197@home.com Berlin '85 Strategy & Tactics #79 Berlin '85 simulates a hypothetical assault on West Berlin by the Warsaw Pact during the 1980s. The map depicts West Berlin and its immediate environs, while the units represent Soviet and East German forces for the WP side, while NATO is represented by U.S., British, French and West German police units. Each turn represents 8 hours of time. B85 is relatively simple. Turns are move-and-attack, with a "Honors of War" check at the start of each turn to see if the NATO player surrenders, based on the WP's accumulated "surrender points." Otherwise, the WP player must take as many objectives in West Berlin without incurring too many losses of his own. Terrain varies greatly here - from clear to urban, parks and rough, industrial and autobahn, each having a unique effect on combat. The game plays quickly enough (the game can theoretically end on the first turn, should the WP gain enough surrender points), and is easy to grasp. Also, there are three different scenarios to choose from - two WP invasions with the NATO powers either prepared or unprepared for the assault, and a NATO "raid" launched against East Germany the day after a WP attack on West Germany. Unfortunately, the game lacks much replay value, if only because the outcome is pretty much obvious: the WP will prevail, it's just a matter of by how much. Of course, this part of the simulation - the defense of a small area so deep in hostile territory is just as hopeless as it sounds. There just isn't much suspense in the game on how it will end. Even switching sides isn't that much fun ("Okay, now it's my turn to kick the crap out of the capitalist pigs!"). Sadly, this is a case where the game as a game is pretty good; it's the subject matter covered that really brings the game down. Berlin '85 is good game to play once through as each side; after that, it's hard to get to get too excited churning Berlin into rubble all over again.