ICBM
ICBM is a great way to kill an hour, along with a few hundred million people. It’s got a bit of a learning curve to it but it’s simple enough that you can pick most of it up in 2 or 3 games.
What I find interesting (and a little terrifying) about ICBM is how nothing is permanent and how the game always keeps you at the edge of your seat, because much like a real nuclear war, you could find yourself and everything you’ve built being vaporized by thermonuclear weapons at a moment’s notice. If you build an airbase, the enemy can nuke that. If you build missile silos, the enemy can nuke that. If you build submarines, the enemy nuke that. The game effectively works out to be a scramble between you and your enemies as you try to keep tabs on where they’re keeping their city-melting goodies, as well as protecting your own, either by keeping them well-hidden, or building enough defences that the enemy can’t smash through them until you’ve already turned their continent into a giant radioactive parking lot. Then there’s also the question of “Should I attack first or is that going to end horribly for me and 85% of my country’s population”, which then promptly leads to the question of “But If I don’t do anything, are all my cities going to be on fire in 5 minutes” which means you’re always guessing, or always trying to find out.
– Real player with 385.2 hrs in game
Read More: Best RTS Military Games.
I had to go back and change my original positive review to inform you not to buy this. Multiplayer community is dead and its been less than a month since the game lauched.
Game already has rampant hacking which ruins the game for everyone. Not to mention that the actual game itself is not really that fun after a few games.
Matches are 95% build up and 4% figuiring out who to attack and 1% fun combat. Most games you’ll build up for 35mins to literally not be able to use a single one of your nukes due to the game ending due to nuclear contamination via a massive barrage two guys release at once and even if you launched right then your nukes would not hit the ground before their nukes end the game.
– Real player with 43.3 hrs in game
Cuban Missile Crisis
Worked fine on my win 7 laptop. This game is basically Blitzkrieg 1.5 with strategic decisions that can be made by the player, so depending on how much you like that game will determine how much you like this game.
So basically you get to choose a limited amount of core units from the choices available. However, your core will mainly be heavy tanks, because all the other units are weaker. Your air units are generally useless, since the AI usually has great AA defense and sometimes your planes enter from the enemy side of the map. The main objective(s) of each mission is the only one with a scripted map a la blitzkrieg. At least 8 per nation maybe 10. All the other objectives are based on where the battle is fought. You will eventually auto resolve most of the random battles as the Russians, except when the enemy has a large stack. Unfortunately auto resolving as the other nations, you would get unacceptable losses. So you will get tired of defending the same area again and again to basically eliminate the enemy stack.
– Real player with 145.8 hrs in game
The English translations are APPALLING in this game. All text is totally and utterly unreadable. Spelling mistakes, typoes, wrong words used, totally warped grammar - this has the LOT. Don’t tell me, it’s a Russian developer! Even “Google Translate” would have done a better job that the chimpanzees they got to do these translations!
This is EVEN WORSE than “Blitzkrieg 2” for unreadable gibberish….. and that IS DAMNATION INDEED, I never thought I’d see WORSE than BK2 at least for another 50 years!
– Real player with 59.6 hrs in game
Theatre of War 3: Korea
This message on 1C forum describes the game as it is …
A splendid idea gone down the toilet:
The strategic system in Tow 3 Korea boils down to choose where to attack. I’ve played 10 turns out of 30 (it seems) and fought over 20 battles, but never could I decide to order more troop, new material o reinforcemente. You have to stuck with what you’re given in the beginning, three corps, each one with vehicles and reserves fixed. Even the additional support is kind of a joke: you can choose two (fighter, artillery, mortars or bombers), but the support appear late in the battle whene you are already winning and don’t need them (because you need winning point to order support). Cm’on! Artillery and bombers are used prior to the battle, non in the end.
– Real player with 81.5 hrs in game
It could have been much, much better, but its just one of the few games in this region of time.
The Korean War is sort of a forgotten war in history, and its good to see a game about a forgotten war and learn about it. I can see why this game has mixed reviews, but it really has some features that will stand out to the ordinary strategy player.
The grand campaign would be bland without some of the features included that are almost exclusive to the Theatre of War series. One thing i particularly enjoy is the information in the game is consistently kept. The soldiers under your command can be promoted, awarded, and kept track of at all times. Its amazing and i hate that this isnt seen in most grand strategy games now days. The battles in the game are quite challenging on both sides, but quite frankly they get boring. There literally are only a few maps that will randomly generate when you try and defend a region or attack one, which you can imagine can get quite tedious.
– Real player with 49.1 hrs in game
Wargame: Airland Battle
This game has gotten some raw reviews lately by people whome have put very little time into this game. Others have voiced legitimate points over the games campiagn mode. This mode is very lacking but shows just a glimpse of what a campaign can really be if they move in a different direction (i.e. Total War). The maps are set up pretty good with great detail in vegetation and the size of the air space your planes fly in is amazing. Model detail for the vehicles and air power are great while the infrantry is mediocre whitch leaves alot to be desired. The difference between models of air craft is neglegable with no difference in aero-nautical and external hardware. They swap out the skins and say it is a different vehicle despite the fact they look the same.
– Real player with 195.8 hrs in game
Before reeding, please accepte that i have bad Englsih :)
90 hourse online and 300 offline game time.
Short: This game are taking the RTS in a new lvl and twist. Cause the game have made it massive and “smal” in the same time. I feel the developer have made it realistic and smoth. And I feel like i have the countroll over whats happening while playing.
Long: I go after 6 thing i going to rank. GIGS-CO
Gameplay:
I find it realy great. It is many thing that bring it easy to play, but in same time funny to countrol. One eks: can give many comands; move fast, move, attack, spread, regroup, split. This is very importan when it comes to winning or losing. (You can say witch direction thay gonne stay at if you are holding in left mouse butten).
– Real player with 133.3 hrs in game
Wargame: European Escalation
This is the sort of game I have been waiting for a long time; an ultra-realistic RTS game simulating the tactics of a hypothetical Cold War showdown. As a professional soldier I know the history on the development of all the vehicles I used in combat, but we always wondered how they would do fighting in the role for which they were designed (hint: Bradleys, Abrams and Apaches weren’t meant to fight third world insurgents). All of the Wargame battles require a combined arms fight with knowledge on how to use terrain and maximize the strengths and weaknesses of one’s equipment. This game is an incredible achievement in my mind. When a red horde slams into your position, and you realize that you do not have enough TOW’s to stem the tide, it puts the Fulda Gap into perspective.
– Real player with 232.5 hrs in game
I really hate that I have to call this game terrible, but sadly I do. For me, it is almost unplayably bad, and I wish I had never wasted my money on it.
The gameplay mechanics are good; it is sometimes difficult to micromanage the orientation of platoons to keep them facing the enemy, and my recon helicopters have an annoying tendency to land whenever they’re not actively moving, while I may want them to stay airborne to keep enemy units visible; the inability to set stances, and the rather awkward method of turning off individual weapons on individual units to keep control of who fires what, can be annoying, but I can generally get my units to do what I want. The graphics are fantastic, making each unit distinct and identifiable. The music fits the scene nicely, and the single player campaign storyline is nicely plausible.
– Real player with 83.3 hrs in game
9th Company: Roots Of Terror
I picked up this Russian made RTS game in the Steam sale.
The game is a tactical level RTS that follows the the 9th Company of the 345th OPPD through 9 years of warfare in Afghanistan against the insurgents and yes it is the same 9th Company in the film 9th Company. The game even has clips from the film.
The campaign is good but short and you do a nice variety of missions. The tutorial at the start is comprehensive enough for you to get a quick grasp of the controls.
It also has some nice realistic elements. Soldiers can get injured and can’t fight until attended by a medic and if you’re not fast enough may die from their injuries. You also get off screen support fro missions such as D-30 artillery strikes, rocket artillery and Hind CAS (all of which are extremely deadly) and so on. If you lose your radioman you lose your access to support. For some missions you get armoured vehicles to control and if these get hit you can bail the crews before the vehicle brews up. It’s best to take care of them as they provide a great fire-power advantage over your enemy.
– Real player with 239.8 hrs in game
Grab it on a sale.
While the game has a good few bugs (I’ve made a steam guide to help avoid them.) I personally enjoy this RTS, keep in mind that the store-page is inaccurate as the non-linear mission structure/morale system and a few other mechanics were actually cut and (like a good few steam games) the description seems to be out-dated.
What you do get is a linear, generally pretty decent budget RTS with some good ideas brought down by clearly being rushed out the door which is a shame as I really enjoy it, you will have to manage your units ammo for instance by scavenging/sharing ammo between them or you’ll end up having to try using your knife, you will be able to have snipers take out the gunner/driver of a truck so you can take it for yourself and you can call in artillery if the situation’s bad enough, these mechanics all together make for a pretty fun experience and the fact the game is set in the rare setting of the Afghan war and with the Russians as the player faction means this is an obscure RTS that’s pretty fun.
– Real player with 88.2 hrs in game
Codename: Panzers - Cold War
CPCW is an acceptable good Tactic-Strategy game. In my Opinion a good game to play on rainy weekends with a nice cup of coffee. Details:
Graphics - 8/10
The ingame graphic is awesome detailed. Enviroment looks close steps to realistic, nicely done with much love to detalis. Also the realistic reactions are nice to look at (example: Weather / grenade in forest burns trees down / ramming electricity pylons make’em flash and fall / after some gaming time the night comes and the tanks use activate headlights,….)
– Real player with 110.8 hrs in game
While it is a tad different compared to the previous installations from the series it still is a very good game worth playing.
It has kept some elements from the previous games but it feels more like Company of Heroes which is not at all a bad thing. It is still squad heavily squad based with infantry having different variations to a squad as opposed to specific squad for example the regular SMG squad can be a Bazooka Squad or a Mortar Squad as well, Ranger MG Squad can be Bazooka and Flamethrower Squad as well. Tanks feel a little better now in terms of armor and the impact of the shells as well and no longer occupy double their model size. They also have field / headquarters upgrades that you can buy with Prestiege, the in game currency which you get from completing objectives, upgrades like armor skirts, better guns, AA defense, etc.
– Real player with 46.7 hrs in game
First Strike: Classic
I love the game, but it has some issues that bother me. I’d love to see them fixed in an update at some point.
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Sometimes I start the game and there is some kind of bug that doesn’t allow me to click on anything and expand or build nukes/cruise missiles. I end up backing out of the game and starting a new one, then it just starts working and lets me click things.
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I can have a single warhead headed towards my country, but when I send up a missile to take it out, the missile instead goes after missiles heading to/from allies or enemy countries. This means that sometimes I have to send up three or four warheads just to finally hit ONE warhead that is actually about to hit my country. A lot of times I can’t launch that many in time to stop it from hitting mine. This is frustrating. Surely this could be changed so that missiles only target incoming warheads for OUR country only and not outgoing from some other ally/enemy country that aren’t even headed for my country.
– Real player with 170.8 hrs in game
For the past 3 years I have been playing the mobile version waiting for this PC port.
The game has its flaws , but generally I am not disappointed.
-Pros:
+Nice arcade graphic
+Nice set of soundtracks
+Not too hard to master
+Decent replayability
+You get to nuke the world…enough said
-Pros compared to the mobile version:
+It does look much better
+12 unique superweapons , a significant upgrade from the mobile’s 6
+I felt more control of the game
+Savegame
+Diplomacy
-Cons:
+Few bugs here and there
– Real player with 19.8 hrs in game
Espiocracy
Disclaimer: Trailer & screenshots are early work in progress
GRAND ESPIONAGE STRATEGY
Choose one of 102 countries and guide character-driven national intelligence agency through rough seas of the Cold War. From Soviet KGB and American CIA, up to Israeli Mossad and British MI6, expect different approaches to grand strategy gameplay.
INNOVATIVE MECHANICS
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Espionage finally made as it should be
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Precise modelling of views & ideologies
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Direct links between causes and effects
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System of geopolitically active actors
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Emergent multipolar simulation
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Operation plans, campaigns, and opportunities
MEANINGFUL DECISIONS
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Prioritize grand scale and leave micro to your operatives
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Establish contacts, threaten, exploit, and trade
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Manipulate public opinion, support and establish political factions
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Launch coups and proxy wars, falsify casus belli
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Hunt spies and terrorists, protect internal stability
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Form alliances, prepare all-out attacks, break rules
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Advise country leader on critical decisions such as military interventions
DANGEROUS TIDES OF HISTORY
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Nuclear race: first atom bombs, thermonuclear revolution, mutually assured destruction
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Huge progress in technology, simulated in the game with Kuhn’s paradigm shifts
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After-war poverty, civil wars, controversial past
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Configurable balance between alternate history and determinism
Wargame: Red Dragon
Awesome..Im a Total War Junkie, and this feeds my addiction perfectly!!!
– Real player with 1609.9 hrs in game
One of the few games that can make me throw my mouse at Mach 2, but still come back for more. Worth every penny.
– Real player with 420.7 hrs in game