August 11^th, 2005 (2:29pm) - Groove Games has announced that it will publish Direct Action Games’ World War II Combat: Road to Berlin, a high-intensity first-person shooter set in and around the chaotic battle grounds of Berlin during the final days of World War II, for the PC and Xbox.

World War II Combat: Road to Berlin takes place at the close of WWII, where there was a dramatic race between U.S. and Russian forces to capture German prototypes, research and top scientists. The spoils of this race altered the direction of the Cold War and the world at large for decades to come.

All of the German weapons research and systems featured in World War II Combat: Road to Berlin are based on actual designs, prototypes and wind tunnel models that were completed before the war ended. Several of the advanced weapon systems featured in the game were actually produced and saw combat against the allies. Much of what was captured remains classified to this day, 60 years after the end of the war.

Players are cast as Stephen Moore, a young officer in the OSS, the precursor to the CIA. Moore’s mission is to race into Berlin and beat Stalin’s armies to the highly-advanced German "Vengeance Weapons" research. Players scrounge for weapons, hide from patrols, and fight against both the Russian and German armies in 10 exciting single-player levels in a variety of environments. Single player levels include document retrieval and delivery, close contact skirmishes and stealth missions. Players can access authentic WWII military weapons throughout the game including the Thompson Submachine "Tommy" Gun, Mk2 Pineapple Grenade and Panzerfaust rocket launcher.

Based on the Unreal engine, the full-feature single-player campaign in World War II Combat: Road to Berlin is supported by complete Xbox Live gameplay features. On Xbox Live, gamers can confront the enemy with up to 16 other players in eight distinct multiplayer modes including VIP Escort, Deathmatch and single or Team King of the Hill. In addition, gamers can join in multiplayer action over System Link and four player Split-Screen to ensure that the fun never stops. World War II Combat: Road to Berlin also features Bots that can be utilized in the single-player training and online multiplayer game play modes.

World War II Combat: Road to Berlin will be available September 27, 2005 for a suggested retail price of $19.99 (USD).