Great Battles of WWII: Stalingrad

Awesome game with an awesome soundtrack, used to play this in a library

Just replayed this gem after finding a guide to unlocking the secret missions on Steam. Got two new missions I hadn't seen since I last played it twenty years ago.

"Requirements for unlocking Wehrmacht (German) missions are:

1. Saving Emil - unlocked after 6th German mission (Field-testing the Emils). Easy to unlock. Both Emils must survive by the end of the mission. Just be sure to repair them properly and you should be fine.

2. The Stalin city - unlocked after 11th German mission (Last Stretch). This one is tedious. It was the last mission I unlocked. Actually it took me 4 years to unlock it and it was by pure chance. Only after extensive testing did I find the trigger for it. Trick is to kill ALL enemy troops on the map. Not a single enemy must survive. To increase your chances to unlock it do the following: clear the entire trench system and the position on the right flank, THEN approach the station from several directions. That way you’ll easily complete the requirement for it.

3. 503-th Heavy Armored Battalion - unlocked after 16th (last regular) German mission (Decisive assault). Never had the problem with this one. After securing the airfield you’ll receive reinforcements. Among these are 5 tanks (2 Pz. IV ausf. G, 2 Pz. III ausf. L and 1 Pz. III ausf. J). By end of the mission you must have more than 2 tanks from this group alive. Reason I never had a problem is that by the end of this mission you’re strong enough even without these."

You can also download a custom mission menu where all missions are unlocked and can be played as single maps.

"Requirements for unlocking RKKA (Soviet) missions are:

1. Penal battalion - unlocked after the first Soviet mission. To unlock it you must withdraw group of forces in the village on the left flank (player) and allow Germans to take it.

2. Pavlov House – unlocked after 4th Soviet mission (Mamaev Hill). Unlocking this mission is tricky. Apparently at the start of the mission you have 4 tanks (2 T-34 and 2 KV-1). You must lose these. After that you get reinforcements in form of 3 squads mounted on 2 T-34’s and 1 KV-1. To unlock the mission you must have more than 1 of these units alive by the end of the mission.

3. Sniper Zaytsev - unlocked after 10th Soviet mission (Enemy forces are encircled). Another tricky one. You’ll have two groups of forces in this mission. One to the north and one to the south. Southern group will arrive as reinforcements during the mission. Group consists of 7 tanks. By end of the mission you must have more than two tanks left in the southern group. Preferably 3 or 4.

4. Stalingrad undergrounds - unlocked after 20th (last regular) Soviet mission (Agony). To unlock it, you must defeat nearly all German forces in the mission. Keep in mind that due to the capitulation script this might be a little hard to achieve. So destroy as much enemy troops as possible first, only then capture the department store to end the mission."

It is a very charming game, a Blitzkrieg Clone, except the missions have had more love put into the making of them. The story progression between the missions, as well as the briefings and screens before a mission starts is something that is almost an enriching experience compared to games that only have "start", "options", "quit" menu outside of the actual gameplay.