WIF is, hands down, the best grand strategic game of WWII made. Third Reich is perhaps better known, but WIF is better balanced and more challenging. Axis and Allies is a fun beer and pretzels game, but has nowhere near the depth of WIF.
One of the best features is that the game resists "perfect" plans. Units have variable strengths and are drawn randomly - maybe you'll get the best 3 armor units in your initial draw, maybe you won't. Kind of difficult to plan the perfect opening move when you aren't certain what units you'll have. The same issue with building units - you don't know the exact stats until it is ready to place on the board.
In addition, turns are played in impulses, but the number of impulses in a given turn is uncertain. Generally clear weather turns have more impulses than poor weather turns, but I still remember one game where the first two turns of Barbarossa ended with the minimum number of impulses. Huge benefit to the Soviets (who really needed the help, having gotten bogged down in Turkey - don't ask...)
One thing to keep in mind is that there are different editions of the game. I'm most familiar with 4th and 5th edition, but Final Edition is the current one. There are also numerous add-ons, such as Planes in Flames, Ships in Flames, Convoys in Flames, etc. Each adds expanded gameplay, but at the expense of addtional counters and rules.
That's the one drawback of this game. It's truly a monster game and while a 60 page core rulebook may not seem like much compared to an RPG, compared to the typical wargame, it's a lot to keep up with. If you can play Squad Leader, you can play WIF. But if you want something quick and easy, Axis and Allies this ain't.
If you haven't heard, Matrix Games is producing a PC version of Final Edition. It's still got a ways to go, but it looks good so far. Here's the link to the forums:
World in Flames
BTW, I'm envious. I haven't been able to find a WIF group for some time now and need my fix.
