No one ever said life in the paratroopers would be easy. You have to jump behind enemy lines with limited equipment and usually have quite a mission to do. But it was the exploits of these elite warriors that often made the difference on the field of battle. The actions of Allied paratroopers will be brought to life almost in time for the 60th anniversary of the D-Day when Combat Elite: World War II Paratroopers ships this June.

Taking the role of one of these hunters from the sky, as they were called by their German advisories, you'll play as a member of the famed 101st Airborne or 82nd Airborne, or even the heroic British 1st Airborne, made famous for going "a bridge too far." The game will cover the actions in Normandy, France before heading to Operation Market Garden and then defending against the German counter-offensive during the Battle of the Bulge. After this three historically based campaigns you'll get to take part in a final fourth campaign into the heart of Nazi Germany to foil their efforts to produce an atomic bomb to turn the tide of war.

Combat Elite is being developed by BattleBorne Entertainment with the Snowblind Studios engine, which is being used to produce this stylish looking third-person 3D shooter. The isometric-style view lets you see action that often isn't possible in traditional first-person console shooters, but switches to this mode to let you use some choice weapons like sniper rifles and fixed machineguns.

All told there will be more than 40 historically accurate weapons from basic pistols to the deadly German MG-42 medium machinegun. Your skill at each weapon, along with abilities to use medical kits, will improve as the game progresses thanks to an interesting blend of RPG elements with a variety of skill points and attributes. As you advance through the game you'll be able to tweak these abilities ranging from hand-to-hand to medic to grenade; and also let you earn actual promotions. While you'll begin as a basic "grunt" you're efforts will be rewarded with promotions that will let you climb the enlisted chain of command.

Combat Elite is being developed for both the PS2 and Xbox and will use a simple controller interface to let you auto target your enemies while having the ability to strafe and crouch to avoid being taken down! The in-game environments are being rendered to replicate the real-world experiences of the allied airborne forces along with destroyed villages, bridges, and fortified positions. The graphically rich details, along with appropriate uniforms and gear, help make for an immersing World War II experience.

The only questionable decision may be the option to jump from the third-person gameplay into a first-person mode to play sniper. This seemed a bit jarring, but otherwise Combat Elite looks like a nice alternative for a trip to Normandy in 1944!