Cold War

About

Cold War is a single player action game. It was developed by Mindware Studios and was released on January 8, 2014. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"Cold War" is a first-person shooter game that follows Matt Carter, a freelance journalist who becomes embroiled in an international conspiracy in the USSR. Players must evade and eliminate Soviet forces using stolen weapons and improvised gadgets to uncover the conspiracy or risk being sent to a Siberian prison camp. Key features include an interactive non-linear world, multiple ways to complete missions, and unique gadgets like the X-ray camera.

Genres & Tags

Action

Play Modes

Single-Player

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67%

Audience ScoreBased on 127 reviews

story20 positive mentions

grinding5 negative mentions

The game features a unique Russian setting that adds to the atmosphere and immersion.
Cold War offers a variety of gadgets and crafting mechanics that encourage creative problem-solving and experimentation.
The narrative is engaging, filled with political intrigue and moral ambiguity, reminiscent of classic spy thrillers.

The game suffers from technical issues, including inconsistent AI, glitches, and a lack of modern graphical fidelity.
Gameplay can become tedious due to repetitive environments and a lack of meaningful variety in missions.
The stealth mechanics are often flawed, with enemies displaying unrealistic behavior and the game nudging players towards more action-oriented gameplay.

story
76 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
69%
5%
The game's story revolves around Matthew Carter, an American journalist embroiled in Cold War espionage, marked by political intrigue and moral ambiguity. While some players appreciate its engaging narrative and unique setting, others criticize it for being predictable and occasionally absurd, with a mix of campy charm and serious themes. Overall, the story is seen as a blend of classic spy-thriller elements, offering a mix of enjoyment and frustration due to its execution and pacing.
- “The narrative of the Cold War is one of its strongest elements, weaving a story of political intrigue, deception, and the morally gray world of espionage.”
- “The story is classic 2000s spy-thriller material—serious tone, conspiracies everywhere, and just enough charm to keep you hooked.”
- “The story is good, and rather lengthy; the game took me about 11-12 hours to complete and there are several twists and turns as the story progresses, it is entertaining and mostly well done.”
- “The story is very predictable and boring, and the idea that you can make less lethal ammunition, bombs, and sleeping agents out of scrap plastic, metals, and chemicals laying around everywhere on the map is hilarious.”
- “While the story sounds somewhat dramatic, it feels like it was written by a 5-year-old with a similar level of understanding of the Cold War and how far a reporter would go for a story.”
- “The game starts off pretty well with stealth missions, but then dumps tons of nonsense on you.”
gameplay
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
52%
17%
The gameplay is a blend of stealth mechanics, improvisation, and problem-solving, reminiscent of classic titles like Splinter Cell and Syphon Filter, offering a satisfying experience for fans of methodical stealth. While the game introduces inventive mechanics and narrative-driven missions, it suffers from technical flaws, outdated AI, and occasionally tedious gameplay. Overall, it provides a unique, if imperfect, stealth-action experience that may appeal to those who appreciate its retro style and creative approaches.
- “The game blends stealth mechanics, inventive problem-solving, and a politically charged narrative to deliver a distinctive experience.”
- “Players who enjoy methodical stealth gameplay, environmental problem-solving, and narrative-driven missions will find plenty to appreciate in the game’s design.”
- “The gameplay is very reminiscent of titles like Syphon Filter or early Splinter Cell, with simple but satisfying mechanics: avoiding guards, crafting makeshift tools, hacking devices, and navigating tightly designed environments.”
- “The stealth mechanics are borked, the enemies are blind, but you must sneak behind them very slowly.”
- “You make your noisemakers and non-lethal weapons by combining tin cans and batteries, a shallow mechanic that barely adds anything to the game.”
- “The gameplay however becomes tedious very quickly.”
graphics
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
45%
13%
The graphics of the game are generally considered dated, reflecting its 2005 origins, but they possess a retro charm that some players appreciate. While the visuals may not impress by modern standards, they effectively convey the game's atmosphere and era, with decent cutscenes and a gritty art style that still resonate with certain players. Overall, the graphics are functional and serviceable, earning mixed reviews that highlight both nostalgia and limitations.
- “Visually, Cold War conveys the era with environments that feel authentic and lived-in, though the graphics are functional rather than spectacular.”
- “The graphics are definitely dated, but they’ve got that retro charm that takes me back.”
- “The mechanics are solid, the graphics are nice for the time it was published, the sound is well-done, the levels are challenging, and the gameplay is fun overall.”
- “The story is good, but the graphics look poor and the game itself feels very old.”
- “Dated graphics, animations, and controls.”
- “Visuals 6.5/10; I would like to set this higher, but it was only just par in 2005 and it hasn't aged well, mostly due to the few cutscenes done with the game engine itself, and those are few and far between.”
atmosphere
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
11%
33%
The game's atmosphere effectively captures the tension and paranoia of Cold War-era Moscow, featuring detailed environments that evoke a sense of suspicion, despite some criticism of generic Soviet buildings. While it may lack innovation, players appreciate its nostalgic, immersive feel and solid stealth-action elements, making it a satisfying experience for fans of atmospheric, old-school games. Overall, the atmosphere is described as both engaging and reminiscent of the era, contributing to an enjoyable adventure.
- “Set against the backdrop of Moscow during the height of Cold War tensions, the game captures the atmosphere of suspicion and paranoia with detailed environments, from shadowy alleyways to heavily guarded government facilities.”
- “Released in 2005, it mixes espionage, sneaking, and light puzzle-solving with a tense political thriller atmosphere set during the height of East-West tensions.”
- “If you enjoy atmospheric, old-school stealth games with a nostalgic feel, this title still delivers a surprisingly enjoyable adventure.”
- “Most of the game takes place in generic Soviet buildings that lack detail or atmosphere.”
- “Strong PS2-era stealth-action atmosphere.”
- “Released in 2005, it mixes espionage, sneaking, and light puzzle-solving with a tense political thriller atmosphere set during the height of East–West tensions.”
grinding
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is characterized by tedious gameplay, particularly in its stealth mechanics and map traversal, leading to frustration for players. The experience is often described as a chore, with some players opting for more aggressive tactics to bypass the monotony. Overall, the game fails to deliver an enjoyable experience, even by the standards of its release year.
- “The gameplay, however, becomes tedious very quickly.”
- “Traveling from one side of a map to another can be a bit tedious.”
- “All in all, the game was just a 'dog' to play, and given the Splinter Cell series is already playable, trying to play this just is not enjoyable at all, but a tedious exercise in frustration, even by 2005 standards.”
music
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
20%
40%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews; while some players appreciate the engaging soundtrack and its ability to enhance the game's atmosphere, others find it repetitive. Notably, the composer Ján Dušek has been recognized, and many players express a desire to add the soundtrack to their collections, although it is difficult to find. Overall, the audio quality is rated positively, with ambient and chase music effectively setting the game's tone.
- “This game is awesome! It may be a little out of date, but it plays very well. It has an engaging story and a cool comic-style for the cutscenes. Its stealth system is solid, and it has awesome music.”
- “Audio 8/10! Great ambient music and thrilling chase music are great for setting the tone for this game!”
- “Music is okay but repetitive.”
- “I also like the soundtrack and would love to add it to my music collection, but unfortunately, I cannot find it anywhere - even though I found out the composer's name is Ján Dušek.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while some players report a bug-free experience, others encounter issues like stiff character animations, inconsistent frame rates, texture pop-ins, and glitches during missions. The presence of NPC pathfinding problems further detracts from the experience, leading to frustration in certain scenarios.
- “Character models and animations can feel stiff by modern standards, and technical issues such as inconsistent frame rates, texture pop-in, and occasional animation glitches are present.”
- “Starts out promising, then recycles areas and glitches out with an escort mission due to an NPC that can't follow.”
- “There's no movement at all and that makes you feel like the game freezes.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its absurdity, particularly in the concept of crafting less lethal weapons from scrap materials, which users find amusing. While the overall story is deemed predictable and bland, the ending cut scene and the cheesy plot add a layer of humor that resonates with players.
- “The idea that you can make less lethal ammunition, bombs, and sleeping agents out of scrap plastic, metals, and chemicals laying around everywhere on the map is hilarious.”
- “The ending cut scene is actually funny.”
- “It's really just a bland version of Splinter Cell with a hilariously cheesy plot.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
100%
The game's optimization has been criticized for technical performance issues and AI behavior, but its innovative mechanics, engaging storytelling, and versatile gameplay approaches contribute to a memorable overall experience.
- “While it may exhibit flaws in technical performance and AI behavior, its inventive mechanics, immersive storytelling, and flexible approaches to gameplay make it a memorable experience.”
- “The game suffers from severe optimization issues, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
- “Despite its engaging content, the lack of proper optimization makes it nearly unplayable on lower-end systems.”
- “I was disappointed by the optimization; even on high-end hardware, the game struggles to maintain a stable frame rate.”