It’s only been a couple of months since we first had the chance to take to the frontline in Isonzo. Already though it’s time to welcome in some new troops and via the free Caporetto expansion, the Germans are coming.
A World War One shooter in which we do battle for control of the Isonzo river valley, heading high into the Alps, Isonzo from BlakMill Games takes what was learnt from the likes of Verdun and Tannenberg to provide a commendable attempt. As our full review of Isonzo on Xbox Series X|S mentions, it’s certainly authentic, but perhaps that is to a fault and whilst the maps are large and the multiplayer on point, various bugs do emerge.
If you have a copy of the base game of Isonzo on Xbox, PlayStation or PC though, then today a whole new option arrives – and it’s all thanks to the new, and free, Caporetto expansion.
Available today on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, PS5 and PC, Isonzo welcomes in the German Empire, via a new Offensive map which lets you play out the initial stages of the Battle of Caporetto. It’s here where a new range of weapons and equipment come to the fore, as the German soldiers march forth.
The Caporetto update adds in the first map in a new Offensive – Isonzo’s signature game mode – where players fight through multiple different maps to determine who wins or loses the overall Offensive. The German Offensive will have three maps, focused on the momentous Twelfth Battle of the Isonzo, also known as the Battle of Caporetto. Historically this was a disaster for the Italians, as a combined German and Austro-Hungarian attack broke through Italian lines and forced them to retreat more than 100 kilometers.
Caporetto is the titular map in the Caporetto season of free updates, with two more to follow at a later date. It’s set on a rainy autumn day, with German attackers attempting to break through a small town and storm increasingly steep hillside positions as they aim to conquer the strategically important peak of Hill 1114. The Italian defenders must use ruined buildings and multiple lines of trenches and bunkers to try and delay the attack long enough for it to lose momentum.
“Today’s release of part one of the Caporetto season marks the first step in bringing one of the most significant battles of the Italian Front to Isonzo, not to mention the addition of German troops as we promised at launch. The Caporetto map is a huge multilayered battlefield – and as players can see on our roadmap, they can expect more to come, with every season bringing three free updates to the game!” says Jos Hoebe, Creative Director and co-founder of the WW1 Game Series.
But there’s more to the Isonzo Caporetto season than a free map and you’ll also find the Royal Units Pack available. This expands the Germans and their squad, adding in the distinctive uniforms of a couple of major states – the Kingdoms of Bavaria and Württemberg.
It contains two sets of uniforms for all classes, plus a special officer uniform. The Royal Württemberg mountain battalion is a veteran formation, and includes specialist cosmetic details like a wire telephonist engineer and a minenwerfer ammo carrier assault class. Both the Württemberg and Bavarian troops come with distinctive headgear, and the pack also contains five facial hair styles and four facial items which can be used for any faction in the game.
Finally, Isonzo players will also find an increase in level cap in place, alongside a Prestige Mode for elite players.
If you have Isonzo in your digital library, fire it up on Xbox, PlayStation or PC today and you’ll find the Caporetto expansion rolling out. Should you not yet have a copy of the game, you’ll find it on the usual digital stores – the Xbox Store for instance.
