WWII turn-based tactical game Classified: France ’44 announced by Team17

The Jeds

Team17 has announced that they will be publishing Absolutely Games’ World War II title, Classified: France ‘44, sometime in ‘23. The turn-based strategy game is targeting PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

Oh, crap. It’s just a teaser.

We get to see some Nazis get killed up in different ways, which is always fun, but no actual gameplay.

Let’s see here. There’s a press kit. It looks like an Unreal 3 Engine game. That might be why they chose to go with CG over in-engine stuff.

Aesthetics aside, WWII is a great setting for squad tactics. Killing Nazis never gets old, and when WWII gets strategic, it’s usually in the form of some grand strategy game. Which are enjoyable, don’t get me wrong. I guess Classified: France ‘44 got my attention because I’m pining for the days of Silent Storm.

There’s a big Silent Storm-shaped hole in my heart right now.

Quiet squall

Classified: France ‘44 is inspired by the untold story of the Jedburghs” which, uh, have a Wikipedia page, so I’m not sure it’s definitely untold. However, the term is applied to allied groups who were dropped in occupied France, the Netherlands, and Belgium as part of Operation Jedburgh. They helped set the stage for D-Day by sabotaging German operations.

To set itself apart from other tactical games, Classified: France ‘44 promises a greater emphasis on stealth. The campaign is to be non-linear and will have you guiding a growing team of operatives while gaining favor with various factions. Absolutely Games says that the PC version will come with a mission editor that will be the same one that the studio itself used to design the in-game missions.

I’m down for this. I like turn-based strategy games, and despite the fact that it’s well-trodden ground, I haven’t tired of games set during WWII. Still, there’s not a lot of information given, especially when it comes to any inspiration it might have gained from Silent Storm.

Sorry. I promise I won’t mention Silent Storm again.

Classified: France ‘44 is coming to PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S sometime in 2023.