Order of Battle: U.S. Marines is a DLC expansion for Order of Battle: World War II, requiring the base game to play. Released in 2016, this tactical, turn-based strategy content focuses exclusively on the U.S. Marine Corps during the 1942-1945 Pacific island-hopping campaigns. Players manage Marine units against increasingly entrenched Japanese defenses across jungle terrain. It deepens the core gameplay with new scenarios reflecting this specific historical and doctrinal challenge.
The atmosphere centers on the intense, close-quarters combat characteristic of the Pacific War. Unlike broader WWII scenarios, this content zeroes in on the specific challenges faced by the Marines: navigating dense jungle terrain and overcoming fanatical, deeply dug-in enemy positions. The progression follows the historical arc of the campaign, requiring players to adapt their strategies as the Japanese forces transition from aggressive assaults to determined, last-stand defenses.
As an expansion, this content requires the base game, Order of Battle: World War II, to play. It introduces a dedicated campaign focusing solely on the U.S. Marine Corps experience. This includes new scenarios, unique unit compositions reflective of Marine Corps doctrine during that period, and a narrative structure built around the island-hopping progression. It does not introduce entirely new core gameplay mechanics to the overarching turn-based tactical system of the parent game but rather applies those systems to a new, focused operational environment.
This is a substantial addition that builds upon the existing turn-based strategy framework. It is not a standalone title; ownership of the base game is mandatory. It deepens the existing experience by providing a focused, historically rich campaign arc centered on a specific branch and theater of operations, offering many hours of tactical gameplay similar in quality and depth to the base game's scenarios, but with a distinct geographical and doctrinal flavor.
The primary unique appeal lies in its exclusive focus on the U.S. Marine Corps' specific tactical challenges in the Pacific. Players will engage with scenarios where terrain denial, amphibious landings, and overcoming entrenched jungle fortifications become paramount. The enemy AI adapts to these specific conditions, forcing players to master the nuances of jungle warfare tactics against a determined foe committed to fighting to the last man.
This tactical strategy content is available for PC via Microsoft Windows and Mac platforms. It was originally released in 2016.
As of the current date, this specific expansion does not have any further downloadable content or subsequent expansions released for it.