Not tryiing to take the glory of CB:BN (I preordered the first day!), but this isn't a bad game at all. Last year was a hard year for my family, and I guess this one, as well as Panzaer Command Kharkov musta slipped under my radar. Can't comment on PCK (which looks interesting), but Achtung Panzer - Kharkov 1943 is pretty cool. Not specifically better than the CMX1 series, as they both have good and bad qualities, but if your looking for Eastern Front action, I would say that it's a very viable alternative to CMBB, which I love, BTW. And may last you well into the Eastern Front module for CM2. The graphics are leaps and bounds, as would be expected, above the original CMX1 engine, and it is pretty competetive even to CM:SF. Nowhere near the content of the CMX1 or CMX2 engines, but cool, nonetheless. I think the AI may be smarter than CMX1. MY personal gripe is: if you've been playing Combat Mission for the last 10 years like I have, the view & movement controls are, at the best, bewildering. I may get used to it, but I doubt it - CM:BN will be out soon! I only bought it ($19.99) as a distraction from checking here every 2 hours!