A Front Too Far: Normandy
- December 20, 2018
- Marco Amadei
"A Front Too Far: Normandy" is a RPG Open World game set in May 1944, where you play as Lieutenant Jasper Fox of the OSS. Your mission is to infiltrate enemy territory near Valognes, Normandy, find and free a captured American agent, and escort them to the coast for extraction by an allied submarine. Along the way, you'll need to manage your ammunition, health, and complete various missions in this open world game.
Reviews
- The open world design is enjoyable and provides a relaxing gameplay experience.
- The game has a unique concept with interesting survival elements and a variety of weapons.
- For its low price, it offers a decent amount of content and can be fun if you appreciate retro-style games.
- The game is plagued with bugs, including issues with saving, vehicle physics, and mission objectives not functioning properly.
- Graphics and animations are outdated and poorly executed, leading to a frustrating visual experience.
- Gameplay mechanics, such as weapon accuracy and AI behavior, are inconsistent and can make the game feel clunky and unenjoyable.
- story98 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 82 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The game's story is criticized for being bland and rushed, primarily consisting of repetitive fetch quests and lacking character development. Players report numerous bugs that disrupt mission progression, such as confusing objectives and issues with saving, which detracts from the overall experience. While some appreciate the potential for dynamic gameplay, the execution leaves much to be desired, with many missions feeling out of place or frustratingly designed.
“This game has a nice story and mission progression like other games you've played.”
“The story was a bit rushed at times but was good.”
“I've always loved all sorts of single player campaign WWII FPS, and the idea of introducing a survival mechanic and a dynamic plot are very appealing to me.”
“The story is very bland with retrieval missions and no obvious character development.”
“I honestly would expect a mission to defend the camp, however I can no longer play as I have encountered a mission which I believe to be the most ridiculous out of place mission yet.”
“It is the sheer frustration of the number of bunnies, lack of ammunition, inventory management, and weapon inaccuracy that makes this mission impassable.”
- graphics54 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have been widely criticized for being outdated and reminiscent of early 2000s titles, with many reviewers noting poor visual quality, frequent pop-in issues, and a basic user interface. While some players appreciate the retro aesthetic and find the game enjoyable for its low price, others feel that the graphics detract significantly from the overall experience. Overall, the visuals are considered budget-level and in need of considerable polish.
“If you like early 2000's retro/arcade styled gameplay and graphics applied to a large open world map, you'll like this game enough for what it is, especially with it selling for $5. I appreciate the work and effort from the developer on this game, but it needs a little more polish for sure!”
“Graphics have improved a lot since Easy Red.”
“If you can ignore or appreciate the retro quality of the graphics and the slightly janky voice acting, there is a fun open-world WWII RPG to be had here.”
“The graphics are poor, though the gameplay and stories are good and true enough to real WWII settings.”
“Graphics, UI, basically everything just seems early stage but released as a whole 1.0 game.”
“Graphical quality is budget and understandable due to it being a small project; however, even with render settings on far, it is quite clear that grass and trees render when you are at least 20m in front of them.”
- gameplay30 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by open-world objectives and inventory mechanics, with shooting mechanics being notably better and less buggy than other aspects. While the free-roaming and mission-based elements are enjoyable, many players find the overall experience to be repetitive and reminiscent of older games, with poor graphics and cumbersome mechanics detracting from the fun. Despite these issues, the game offers realistic weapons and a true-to-history WWII setting, making it worth a try for fans of the genre.
“Very wonky but the free roaming and mission-based gameplay is surprisingly enjoyable.”
“The graphics are poor, though the gameplay and stories are good and true enough to real WWII settings.”
“Overall though, the game is pretty much worth it, the weapons are realistic and look really cool, the gameplay feels truly open world, but just like in Oblivion, it's a bit empty.”
“The game doesn't save at all and the gameplay itself is more like that of a game from 15 or 16 years ago.”
“The voice acting is truly awful and the game just feels flat and increasingly repetitive, with some of the mechanics proving just too cumbersome to give it one more go!”
“The game is really fun but the graphics and mechanics are not that good.”
- humor12 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is largely derived from the exaggerated French voice acting, which players find either jarring or hilariously entertaining, often leading to moments of genuine laughter. While the voice performances may be considered "bad," they contribute to the overall fun and charm of the game, with players appreciating the comedic aspects of the characters and situations encountered during gameplay.
“The heavy French in the voice acting is either jarring or hilarious; I've met enough English-speaking Frenchmen in my line of work to fondly giggle at how the resistance sounds.”
“The French voice actors are hilariously bad, while the Germans sounded quite tactical, which was interesting.”
“The (cough) haunted hill (cough) made me roll on the floor laughing; I couldn't shoot straight.”
- optimization8 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is widely criticized, with players noting poor weapon performance, subpar visuals, and frustrating driving mechanics. Many feel that the inventory system's weight reliance detracts from gameplay, leading to an overall experience that feels poorly optimized despite some redeeming qualities.
“On the other hand, I believe this was for performance issues.”
“Very poorly optimized, shooting feels kind of off, driving is a nightmare, and weapons themselves aren't great; otherwise, it's a good game.”
“Visuals are not the best despite performance being semi-poor.”
“For weapon performance, most weapons are downright useless in a game that has an inventory system relying on weight.”
- stability6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many users reporting significant bugs and janky shooting mechanics that hinder gameplay. While some appreciate improvements in certain areas, the overall experience is marred by confusion and difficulty, leading to frustration and a lack of motivation to continue playing.
“Not very good; it's buggy, takes forever to get anywhere, shooting is janky, and I lacked much inspiration to go back to the game.”
“Buggy, confusing, and way too difficult.”
“The game is filled with bugs, making it frustrating to play.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a strong emotional response to key moments in the game, particularly highlighting the impact of character deaths, such as Cryil's. However, frustrations with gameplay performance detract from the overall experience, leading some to wish for a refund despite the emotional engagement.
“I can't believe I actually got emotional at Cryil's death.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, often describing it as overly time-consuming and boring after a few hours of play. Many feel that it requires an excessive commitment, likening it to needing a "second life" to keep up with the demands.
“But after a few hours in, it just becomes too tedious, frustrating, and rather boring to say the least.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- music4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The music in the game has been criticized for being overly cheerful during intense moments, which detracts from the overall experience, especially in solitary combat scenarios. Additionally, technical issues, such as AI bugs and inconsistent music selection, highlight the game's lack of polish.
“When assaulting your objectives, you are presented with gleeful music which reduces the experience, especially since you are alone and surrounded by random enemies spread across the map.”
“Noticeable bugs such as AI getting stuck or the music that has been selected at the moment reveal the rough, unpolished interior.”
“The music feels out of place and detracts from the overall atmosphere of the game.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is often praised for its immersive and engaging qualities, effectively drawing players into its world. Reviewers highlight the combination of visuals, sound design, and environmental storytelling as key elements that enhance the overall experience. Overall, the atmosphere contributes significantly to the game's emotional impact and player engagement.
- character development2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is largely criticized, with many users noting a lack of depth and engagement in the storyline, which primarily consists of repetitive retrieval missions. This results in a bland narrative experience that fails to foster meaningful character growth.
“The story is very bland with retrieval missions and no obvious character development.”