As Meat Loaf sang, “Like a bat out of hell, I’ll be promptly returning to hell when the morning comes.” Not one for sticking around to clean up the flat or make a fry-up after a night of partying, Mr Loaf.

Steel Division: Normandy 44, the rather spiffy WWII RTS developed by Wargame and R.U.S.E. studio Eugen, is also going back to hell. The hell of war. The next expansion is due on February 13th, and it adds seven new historical missions, five of which support multiplayer, and four new divisions for use in solo and multiplayer skirmish, with 58 new units. Perhaps most exciting of all, a free update will be released alongside the DLC, as is the Paradox way, and that extends co-op play beyond the Skirmish mode. If I can have a friend alongside me, I might actually be able to win a battle. Perhaps even an entire war.



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The trailer isn’t very informative but if you do want to know more, this is the place to look. I’m pulling out some of the most useful words and leaving them right here. SUPPLY DROP.

“7 historical missions, including 5 in cooperative play: fight historically accurate battles, such as the Operation Deadstick, Operation Windsor, or Operation Bluecoat in this new set of missions designed to reproduce actual situations and order of battles on the eve of major operations. Play as the leader of one of the 11 never-seen before divisions (such as the legendary “Big Red One” – 1st (US) Infantry Division or the 1. SS-Panzerdivision “LSSAH”), and sync your actions with you allies’ complementary divisions to win the battle. Every new mission will come with its own achievement.”

If you’re confused by the mention of 11 divisions here and only 4 divisions in the first paragraph, you are most welcome to join my Confusion Club. Unless I’m mistaken, the 11 divisions are only available on specific historic missions, while the four fully-featured new ones can be used in any skirmish. Those divisions are: 7th Armoured Division “Desert Rats”, Demi-Brigade SAS, 2. Panzerdivision, Festungs Gross-Paris.

As more knowledgeable people than me surmise on the Paradox forums, the latter is likely to be a hotchpotch of units representing the forces used to defend occupied Paris.

The co-op is likely to pull me back in. Liberating Paris together sounds like the beginning of a beautiful friendship.