Realistic as far as what? Rising up the chain of command? Or a "realistic" simulation of war? If it's the latter, there is really only one candidate:
Combat Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin (or CM: Beyond Overlord, or CM: Afrika Corps.. I prefer the former though).
Without a doubt, the most realistic (and entertaining) game that's ever been made (concerning WWII tactical engagements). They don't have a campaign, per se (which, incidentally, is wildy unrealistic in itself... the average US rifle platoon in WWII experienced a 300% turnover rate during the course of the war, and there's very few (read: none) people who rose from Lt. to 5 star general over the same time frame), but the game is infinitely replayable (the random battle generator rules) AND there are user created "campaign" rules.
And, don't worry: it's not hex maps and unit chits. It's full blown 3D. If you want to know small unit tactics, and what a "real" WWII battlefied was like, you owe it to yourself to get/play this game. It excels at (reinforced) company/batallion size engagements, but you can easily model brigade/regimental clashes (if you have the machine to handle it). As a testament to it's quality/accuracy, it's played/praised by numerous current/former members of the U.S. military. It was also purchased by the Australian Defense Ministry for training/history purposes.
As you can tell, I quite like the game.
Check it out at:
http://www.battlefront.com
(While America's Army is certainly entertaining, keep in mind that it's an FPS and a "virtual" recruiting tool for the U.S. Army. In short: it's hardly a wargame).
-V
