Skip to main content

Combat Mission Battle for Normandy

Combat Mission Battle for Normandy Game Cover
77%Game Brain Score
story, atmosphere
graphics, gameplay
77% User Score Based on 186 reviews

Platforms

PCWindows
Buy Nowfrom $3.49
Buy NowGet on Steam
Combat Mission Battle for Normandy Game Cover

About

Combat Mission Battle for Normandy is a single player and multiplayer strategy game. It was developed by Battlefront and was released on March 28, 2023. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"Combat Mission: Battle for Normandy" is a tactical WW2 simulation, focusing on the three months following the D-Day landings in Western France. Players command American and German forces in four campaigns, 21 scenarios, and various quick battles, with a wide array of detailed combat equipment. The game utilizes a realistic 3D environment for battalion-level and below warfare, allowing control of individual vehicles, teams, and squads.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Combat Mission Battle for Normandy screenshot
Combat Mission Battle for Normandy screenshot
Combat Mission Battle for Normandy screenshot
Combat Mission Battle for Normandy screenshot
Combat Mission Battle for Normandy screenshot
Combat Mission Battle for Normandy screenshot
Skip User Reviews

77%
Audience ScoreBased on 186 reviews
story11 positive mentions
graphics12 negative mentions
  • The game offers a deep and realistic tactical experience, rewarding players who invest time in learning its mechanics.
  • Combat Mission features a unique WEGO turn-based system that allows for strategic planning and execution, enhancing the gameplay experience.
  • The game has a wealth of content, including detailed maps, scenarios, and a strong modding community that adds to its replayability.
  • The graphics and user interface are outdated, which can detract from the overall experience, especially for new players.
  • Performance issues are common, with reports of lag and crashes, particularly during larger battles.
  • The steep learning curve and complex mechanics may be off-putting for casual gamers, making it less accessible to a broader audience.
  • story
    70 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The "story" aspect of the Combat Mission series is characterized by its historical accuracy and depth, with missions and campaigns meticulously designed to reflect real-world conflicts, particularly World War II. Players appreciate the tactical challenges and the need for careful planning, though some find the interface and overall presentation dated. While the series has a dedicated fanbase that values its realism and strategic depth, there are concerns about the lack of evolution in gameplay mechanics and the high cost of additional content.

    • “The developers pride themselves on that all the campaigns, missions, units, vehicles, and even the terrain were recreated with the utmost attention to detail, to the best of their abilities and sources.”
    • “Combat Mission games are a very historically accurate depiction of various conflicts, both old and new.”
    • “I love all the Combat Mission games; they are a masterpiece of the genre, and Battle for Normandy is no different.”
    • “Not interested in the slightest with one-off battles with no consequence or story, so that's what your £50 will get you.”
    • “The combat mission series still has a strong foundation, but it hasn’t meaningfully evolved in years.”
    • “I played the first few combat missions years ago (the last one I played was Shock Force, I guess) and not much has changed in 15 years.”
  • graphics
    64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are widely regarded as outdated, with many users noting that they resemble those from the early 2000s, which detracts from the overall experience. While the performance can be poor, especially on AMD graphics cards, players often emphasize that the game's exceptional tactical gameplay compensates for its visual shortcomings. Overall, if high-quality graphics are a priority, this game may not meet expectations, but its realism and depth in gameplay are highly praised.

    • “The graphics are dated, but the gameplay is excellent!”
    • “While the graphics are a little dated, there is no other wargame that is remotely as realistic as the Combat Mission series.”
    • “Despite the need for an updated engine and graphics, this remains an excellent war game with a huge amount of content.”
    • “The graphics are dated but the gameplay is excellent!”
    • “Extremely disappointed in the very poor graphics resolution.”
    • “The game does not shine so much in a technical sense - the graphics are old and outdated by today's standards (and probably by the ones back at release, too) and the engine has its fair share of problems.”
  • gameplay
    22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay in the newer titles has been criticized for its lack of depth and outdated mechanics, with players noting that building storming feels pointless and tactical options are limited. While some unique mechanics, like the we-go system and realistic combat, are appreciated, many users find the interface and graphics to be severely lacking, detracting from the overall experience. Additionally, the need to consult manuals for understanding various features highlights a steep learning curve that may not appeal to all players.

    • “The we-go system is a brilliant mechanic that's served battlefront (and me) well for over 15 years.”
    • “There are some good gameplay mechanics in this game, which make it very unique.”
    • “I like the PBEM aspect and the semi-realism of the game mechanics.”
    • “Gameplay details are lacking: sandbag defenses can only be placed in triangle formations with no variation, grenades are rarely used effectively against infantry, and mechanics feel recycled.”
    • “Sadly, the full fluidity of gameplay and UI has decreased over time due to some technical outdatedness, more so with bigger, battalion-sized battles.”
    • “There are some irksome issues with certain mechanics (e.g. 'occupy' objectives require you to root every last enemy soldier out of the objective as opposed to changing position based on the weighted strength of the forces present in the zone).”
  • optimization
    17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with many users reporting poor performance, especially on modern hardware, and issues such as lag during specific scenarios. Players have noted that the game defaults to using integrated graphics, leading to subpar performance unless manually adjusted. Overall, the combination of outdated graphics, sluggish controls, and frequent stuttering has made the game frustrating for many, raising concerns about its high price relative to its performance quality.

    • “Performance needs to be adjusted by you; you need to open the NVIDIA control panel and make sure it is using your GPU when you run this game. By default, it uses integrated graphics and runs poorly.”
    • “I'm currently working on mapping all of the controls, and performance seems pretty good so far.”
    • “It could be optimized better for modern hardware, but hopefully that'll come with an engine update.”
    • “The campaign in the rain will lag, and the optimization is not done well enough.”
    • “Extremely fun and complex game, although performance is somehow still quite bad even on a modern PC.”
    • “It's just sad that it is so badly optimized, the controls feel sluggish, the sound and graphics are by this point more than a quarter century old and it doesn't support more than 2 players.”
  • grinding
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, especially as unit numbers increase to battalion levels, leading to a negative impact on gameplay. The combat missions are described as slow and uncomfortable, lacking modern conveniences that could alleviate the grind. Overall, the repetitive nature of grinding detracts from the overall experience.

    • “This massively affects gameplay negatively and is also really tedious.”
    • “Combat missions are ugly, slow, sometimes tedious, uncomfortable, and lack modern convenience features.”
    • “Probably not a huge deal if you are used to shuffling counters, but it can get tedious in larger scenarios.”
  • stability
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability is hindered by an outdated and buggy engine, leading to issues such as environmental objects obstructing gameplay elements like cannons and missiles.

    • “It strives to be realistic, but the engine is so old and buggy that trees block cannons and missiles.”
    • “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable during crucial moments.”
    • “I experienced constant lag and frame drops, which ruined the overall experience.”
  • atmosphere
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere in the game is highly praised, with towns and villages feeling authentic and immersive, effectively capturing the essence of Normandy.

    • “Towns feel like towns, villages feel authentic, and Normandy really does capture its atmosphere.”
  • emotional
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players report that the game evokes strong emotional responses, with some experiencing intense moments that lead to tears, indicating a deep connection to the narrative or characters.

    • “At that point, I cried and hit ceasefire.”
  • music
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The reviews do not provide specific feedback on the music aspect of the game, instead focusing on the game's quality and approachability within the wargaming genre. There is a mention of music as a separate hobby, but it does not relate directly to the game's music. Overall, the music aspect remains unaddressed in the provided texts.

Skip Game Offers

Buy Combat Mission Battle for Normandy

2h Median play time
2h Average play time
2-2h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs
Skip Videos

Videos

Skip Games Like Combat Mission Battle for Normandy

Games Like Combat Mission Battle for Normandy

Combat Mission Shock Force 2 Image
83%842reviews

Combat Mission Shock Force 2

2020Turn-based Strategy
PCWindows
Graviteam Tactics: Mius-Front Image
89%703reviews

Graviteam Tactics: Mius-Front

2016Strategy
PCWindows
Combat Mission Black Sea Image
83%490reviews

Combat Mission Black Sea

2021Strategy
PCWindows
Graviteam Tactics: Operation Star Image
82%272reviews

Graviteam Tactics: Operation Star

2014Strategy
PCWindows
Call to Arms - Gates of Hell: Ostfront Image
84%14.8kreviews

Call to Arms - Gates of Hell: Ostfront

2021Real-time Strategy
PCWindows
More games like Combat Mission Battle for Normandy
Skip FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Combat Mission Battle for Normandy is a strategy game.

Combat Mission Battle for Normandy is available on PC and Windows.

On average players spend around 2 hours playing Combat Mission Battle for Normandy.

Combat Mission Battle for Normandy was released on March 28, 2023.

Combat Mission Battle for Normandy was developed by Battlefront.

Combat Mission Battle for Normandy has received mostly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its graphics.

Combat Mission Battle for Normandy is a single player game with multiplayer support.

Similar games include Combat Mission Shock Force 2, Graviteam Tactics: Mius-Front, Combat Mission Black Sea, Graviteam Tactics: Operation Star, Call to Arms - Gates of Hell: Ostfront and others.