Airborne Troops: Countdown to D-Day is a third-person shooter with an emphasis on stealth action and commando-style tactics. Players take the role of lone soldier, behind enemy lines in occupied France during World War II. The game's missions are intended to re-create actual events that took place on or around the June 6, 1944, D-day invasion. About half of the missions are defensive, calling on the hero to use stealth to avoid capture; the other half offer more traditional shooter gameplay, as the hero goes on the offensive. All locations, uniforms, weapons, equipment, and medals are designed to be historically accurate.