Battle Academy 2: Eastern Front
- August 5, 2014
- Slitherine Ltd.
- 500h median play time
Get on SteamBattle Academy 2: Eastern Front is a turn-based strategy game set in World War II's Eastern Front. Command either the Axis or Allies in tactical combat, using a variety of units, weapons, and environmental features. This installment focuses on the unique challenges and conditions of the Eastern Front, with new scenarios, units, and campaigns. Experience historical battles and tactical challenges in this immersive and engaging game.
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Reviews
- Battle Academy 2 offers a solid turn-based tactical experience with a good variety of units and engaging gameplay that requires strategic thinking.
- The game features well-crafted campaigns and scenarios that provide hours of replayability, along with a decent multiplayer function.
- The graphics and sound design enhance the immersive experience, making it enjoyable for both casual and hardcore strategy gamers.
- Some campaigns can become frustratingly difficult, leading to a loss of enjoyment for players who may feel overwhelmed by the challenges.
- The game has been criticized for its occasional reliance on luck, with players experiencing frustrating moments when attacks fail despite high hit probabilities.
- There are complaints about the user interface and some gameplay mechanics being overly simplistic or lacking depth, which may not satisfy more experienced wargamers.
- graphics25 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The graphics in these games receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the solid and immersive visuals that effectively convey the game's themes, while others criticize them for being simplistic or cartoonish. Many note that the graphics have improved from previous titles, offering a more polished experience, though some still find them lacking in realism. Overall, the aesthetic choices seem to cater to a specific audience, balancing functionality with artistic style.
“Another great turn-based game with fun graphics, good sound, and satisfying gameplay.”
“Graphics do a great job of portraying the gruesome and destructive nature of war with dead troops littering the streets of city ruins and smoking blackened vehicle wreckage tainting the landscape with a sense of desolation and loss.”
“I love the simple but effective graphics this game has - the vehicles and units are accurate down to the ski-infantry Russian units.”
“At first glance, you think the game is simple because the graphics aren't amazing and it seems kind of weak - that is totally not true at all.”
“This game has a comic book art style mixed with sub-par graphics and a tablet GUI.”
“Not worth more than ten dollars, sound effects lame, graphics sucked, and animation was crap.”
- story21 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The game's story is structured around a campaign that allows players to experience battles from the perspective of two nations, with a focus on strategic unit management and mission-based gameplay. While some players enjoyed the variety and challenge of the missions, others expressed disappointment in the realism compared to similar titles, noting a desire for more missions that directly follow historical battles. Overall, the narrative is engaging but could benefit from additional depth and realism.
“The campaign carries you through the war as either of the two nations, allowing the user to keep units from mission to mission and purchase them at will.”
“Loading screens have beautiful artwork depicting battle scenes, making the wait for a mission to load very entertaining.”
“It's very easy to learn the basics, but on the other hand, the missions are quite challenging.”
“I bought this game with the expectation that it was close to Combat Mission, which I had owned and played a number of years ago, but was disappointed to find that a lot of the realism I saw in Combat Mission is simply missing from this game.”
“I would have liked to have more missions in general, but particularly ones that directly followed the battles that were featured.”
“So just finished playing the 2nd mission, couldn't even get through it.”
- gameplay17 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The gameplay is praised for its depth and variety, featuring a solid turn-based mechanic with diverse units that require strategic thinking for effective troop management and resource use. While some players find the interface intuitive and the campaign scenarios engaging, others note that certain gameplay aspects could be better explained, and there are minor criticisms regarding unit rosters and the learning curve. Overall, the game offers a satisfying experience with a blend of fun graphics and realistic tactical elements.
“I think the basic game mechanics are very good and there is an excellent variety of units (each with their own strengths and weaknesses), and of course each mission makes you think about how to use your troops, when to tell them to hold fire (if you are on the defensive), when and where to use resources like artillery support, etc.”
“Some cool points include the use of grenades to pop tanks and pretty detailed gameplay with realistic fog of war, garrisoned units in multiple levels of buildings, and apparently an accurate representation of geography and relative military capabilities.”
“Gameplay and interface is one of the most intuitive and easy to learn systems I have ever played.”
“Gameplay and reality reduced to the level of Nintendo... not that there is anything wrong with Nintendo, but it is seriously not for the wargamer.”
“However, unit rosters in skirmish could be better and the game basics could be explained better; there are some gameplay aspects I do not understand still.”
“Actually, both games Battle Academy and Battle Academy 2: Eastern Front are quite similar in terms of gameplay.”
- replayability7 mentions
- 71 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 29 % negative mentions
The game offers exceptional replayability through its well-designed skirmish generator, custom battle and map options, and the ability to tailor game settings such as map size and location. Players appreciate the flexibility and variety these features provide, making it easy to enjoy multiple playthroughs even after completing the main campaigns. Overall, the game is praised for its unlimited replay value.
“Based on my experience, BA2 doesn't compromise on good game techniques and policies to present a solid, highly replayable game.”
“The top selling point must be the skirmish feature, which allows a quick game over a beer after work and provides some great replayability after completing the campaigns.”
“The in-game skirmish generator is also well-done and offers much more replayability.”
“If that is not enough replayability, there is also a custom battle and map generator.”
- music4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The music and sound design in the game are highly praised for their variety and quality, enhancing the overall atmosphere and gameplay experience. Players find the music both soothing and exhilarating, reminiscent of an engaging tabletop wargaming session, while the sound effects, including weapon fire and explosions, contribute to an immersive auditory experience.
“Music and art are great as well.”
“There is so much variety in weapon fire; it is a joy to listen to, along with vehicle and troop movement, explosions, and the ultra-cool deflection sound of weapon fire against a tank's hull. Music is soothing and exhilarating at the same time, bringing up the kind of mood one gets from a fabulous night of tabletop wargaming where the atmosphere just keeps one playing.”
“The sound effects and music are first rate.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, stability in the game is mixed; while some users find it less buggy than similar titles, others report issues with bugs and cluttered graphics that hinder gameplay. Additionally, the steep learning curve may detract from the initial enjoyment, potentially affecting the overall experience.
“The games are either buggy or the graphics are cluttering the overview, and the learning curve ensures that you will definitely not have any fun for the first 500 hours of gameplay.”
“It's like Combat Mission but turn-based and less buggy.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game exhibits flawless performance on Mac, indicating strong optimization for that platform.
“Flawless performance on Mac.”
“The game runs smoothly with no noticeable lag, even on lower-end hardware.”
“I appreciate the extensive graphics settings that allow for perfect optimization on my system.”
