Over the Reich

The player's squadron of fighter planes are taking on threats from land and from air in this World War II mission.

Players can play as either Nazi Germany, the United States of America, or as Great Britain. This game combines turn-based dogfighting with strategic manoeuvers as the player must position his airplanes to destroy his enemies. Authentic clips from World War II help to improve the realism of this video game.

A mostly classical music soundtrack (with some wartime radio music) helps provide ambiance for the aerial settings. This game would eventually have a prequel called Achtung Spitfire! in 1997. Missions range from trying to liberate Nazi-occupied France by air power to attacking the German military power in the heart of Germany itself. The main menu resembles a vintage World War II hangar with difficulty levels ranging from Cadet (allowing new players to dive directly into the game) to Flight Commander (where incidentals like altitude, speed and attitude have to be manually controlled).

Creating results that are worse than expected will result in somber music. However, achieving results that are better expected will result in swing music being played. Music played during combat is Ride of the Valkyries by Richard Wagner.

Reception
Review score Publication Score AllGame

Over the Reich was a runner-up for Computer Gaming World's 1996 "Wargame of the Year" award, which ultimately went to Battleground: Shiloh. The editors wrote of Over the Reich, "Dogfights are fun, particularly over the Internet, but the real appeal of this game lies in the campaigns, where developing your individual pilots is almost a role-playing game in itself."[1]

• Over the Reich at GameFAQs
• Over the Reich at GameSpot
• Over the Reich at IGN
• Over the Reich at MobyGames