target flying). Plot The game's story takes place during World War II in an alternate history. Thor's Hammer Organization (THO), is a shadowy organization with connections all over Europe and the goal of world domination. THO knows that this goal cannot be attained while there are powers capable of challenging them, and aims to use its connections and advanced technology to make sure the two sides of World War II devastate each other, while THO makes a grab for power when both are exhausted. The obvious influence of Norse mythology on the organization's name is further shown by the fact that all THO members use a mythological name as their call sign. In exchange for the services of both Allied and Axis higher-ups, Thor's Hammer provides them with some of their inventions, including Panzerkleins. Panzerkleins are very difficult to destroy, as they are essentially immune to small arms fire. Development Silent Storm was developed by Nival Interactive, a Moscow-based studio previously responsible for the Allods (Rage of Mages) series. The game's showing at E3 2003 won it the "E3 2003 Best of Show" award in the tactical genre from Wargamer. Its English version went gold on January 15, 2004. Reception According to Metacritic, Silent Storm received "generally positive reviews" from critics. The game experienced poor sales in the United States; GameSpot reported that "fewer than 20,000 copies" of the game sold during 2004. While praised for its tactical depth, aesthetics and the quality of its game engine, the game has been criticized for its "silly", "over-the-top" story and voice acting, and for its inclusion of science fiction elements—specifically the Panzerkleins—and their effect upon game balance in the latter stages of the game. The game's "tired", "played-out" World War II setting, poor performance on contemporary hardware, lack of meaningful managerial features, and lack of multiplayer, were also noted. Awards GameSpot named Silent Storm the best computer game of January 2004, and the "Best Game No One Played" of the year overall. It also won the annual "Best Turn-Based Strategy Game 2004" prize from PC Gamer US, whose Mark H. Walker praised the game's "sweaty-palm firefights, clever leveling system, and its use of its World War II setting". Silent Storm received year-end award nominations for X-Plays "Best Original Game", Computer Gaming Worlds "Strategy Game of the Year (General)" and GameSpots "Best Strategy Game". Legacy Silent Storm was followed by an expansion pack