IM1A2 Abrams

iM1A2 Abrams is a simulation of the M1A2 Abrams main battle tank for the Windows 95 operating system, developed by Charybdis Enterprises, and published by Interactive Magic (also known as Imagic) in 1997. It is a fairly realistic simulation, focusing on battlefield management as a tank commander controlling an entire company of support vehicles including infantry, artillery, and air strikes as well as the players' own tank platoon(s). Mastering the many company commands, and regular use of the real-time updated tactical map is essential for success. The player also has the ability to "jump" from each crew position (commander, gunner, driver) in every M1A2 vehicle on the battlefield and take control of each task directly, which was quite an achievement for Windows based Direct-X games at the time. Three separate fictional campaigns were available to play, taking place in Bosnia, Ukraine, and Iran, respectively. All of the major eastern and western vehicle types were accurately modeled, and a fictional T-95 main battle tank was added to the mix to create more of a challenge for the somewhat superior M1A2 MBT. It is faster, more resilient, and has a crewless auto-loading turret, allowing for a lower profile and much smaller target. Some people felt this lessened some of the realism, while others appreciated the greater challenge, as most of the enemies encountered are the aging T-72 that must remain stationary to fire its main weapon. The T-95 is found only in the Bosnian campaign.

The game was released on CD-ROM, packaged in a sturdy cardboard box with a front cover that could be opened much like a book to view the specifics of the game. Included in the box were the game CD (complete with demos of other games), and an incredibly detailed, informative, 191 page spiral-bound manual. Every aspect of the simulation was covered precisely within the manual. A wealth of other information that is irrelevant to the game is also provided, offering interesting insight into the M1A2's development, history, technologies, and uses. This compliments the "CIA archives" section of the game, which is a virtual museum complete with rotatable 3-dimensional models of all vehicles, each with its own detailed information section. Several narrated real-life Abrams videos are also included, to highlight the M1A2's tactical capabilities and tactics.

The simulation received mostly positive reviews, and made many "top 10" and "Editor's choice" awards, or similar signs of respect in various PC gaming magazines. North American distributions of the game included the famous red black and white "PC Gamer Editor's Choice" sticker on the lower right hand corner of the box. The game shipped with several minor flaws, such as objects appearing to "float" above the horizon at great distances (this only applied to users who had computers that were not powerful enough to handle the maximum terrain draw distance) and the occasional enemy vehicle being able to fire directly through the terrain. These problems rarely cropped up, and did not affect gameplay to a great extent. This was one of Interactive Magic's last releases in a line of solid, widely respected military simulations. It has been compared to Microprose's "M1 Tank Platoon II" over the years, due to many similarities in layout and gameplay. Some individuals jokingly refer to it as "M1 Tank Platoon 3". This may have something to do with Microprose's co-founder Bill "Wild Bill" Stealey being the founder of Interactive Magic. This is just speculation, however.

Known "easter eggs": At the main menu, clicking on the "Imagic" and "Charybdis" icons at the lower left and right corners of the screen resulted in hearing the "moo" of a cow, the bleating of a sheep (both of which are sounds taken directly from the game, as several farms can be found) and a strange electronic "Boink" sound, which apparently has no place within the gameplay itself.

See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M1_Tank_Platoon#M1_Tank_Platoon_II