Combat Mission Cold War

About

"Combat Mission Cold War" is a tactical simulation game set in the late stages of the Cold War, specifically from 1979-1982. It allows players to command and battle with US and Soviet forces in the strategic Fulda Gap and the US National Training Center, experimenting with different military hardware and doctrines of the time. The game is a sandbox for exploring historical "what if" scenarios and the evolution of modern warfare.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Local Multi-Player Play with friends in the same physical space using split-screen or multiple screens
2-Players Play with one other player, either online or locally, in a cooperative or competitive game mode
Multi-Player Compete or cooperate with other players online
Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo
PvP Player versus Player - Fight against other players in real-time, often in arena-style combat
Split Screen Play with multiple players on the same screen, often with divided or shared screen real estate

70%

Audience ScoreBased on 145 reviews

story25 positive mentions

graphics6 negative mentions

Combat Mission: Cold War offers unparalleled realism and tactical depth, making it a standout in the genre for fans of military simulations.
The game features a unique Cold War setting with a focus on accurate representation of tactics and equipment, appealing to both veterans and newcomers to the series.
Despite its dated engine, the gameplay is engaging and rewarding, with a steep learning curve that enhances the overall experience for dedicated players.

The game suffers from significant performance issues, particularly on larger maps, leading to lag and crashes that detract from the gameplay experience.
The user interface is clunky and lacks modern features such as UI scaling, making it difficult for players with visual impairments to navigate effectively.
Many players feel the game is overpriced for the amount of content available, especially given the limited factions and missions compared to other titles in the series.

story
88 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
68%
3%
The story aspect of "Combat Mission: Cold War" is characterized by its focus on realistic tactical simulations set during the Cold War era, specifically in the late 1970s to early 1980s. While fans of the series appreciate the depth and challenge of the missions, many newcomers find the steep learning curve and technical issues, such as crashes and lag, detracting from the experience. Overall, the game is seen as a solid addition for veterans of the franchise, but it may not serve as the best entry point for new players due to its punishing gameplay and limited content.
- “Combat Mission Cold War is set in the classic Fulda Gap in West Germany and the National Training Center in the US, within the timeframe from 1979 to 1982. Out of the three Combat Mission titles currently released on Steam, and being non-World War II, Cold War is the best entry next to Shock Force 2, where both Bluefor and Redfor are equal in equipment and technology.”
- “Combat Mission is a tactical battle simulator franchise that aims to simulate real-world equipment, battle doctrines, and soldier behavior in the context of various real and theoretical conflicts.”
- “The campaign missions are brutal; there is no feasible way one is supposed to win any of those battles blindly. As a complete newcomer to the series, this has been both a beautiful and intensely irritating struggle, with reloading maps over and over again because you didn't know that the tree over there was see-through but this one isn't.”
- “Perhaps the other Combat Mission games are better and the campaigns less bloated, but this one is just hard to recommend.”
- “I have to say, it is a wildly better product than the single-player part of the game, so much so that I would say to just skip the campaigns and focus on the quick missions and multiplayer.”
graphics
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
65%
19%
The graphics of the game are widely criticized for being outdated, with many reviewers noting that the engine is nearly two decades old, resulting in modest visuals and performance issues, especially on larger maps. While some players appreciate the game's focus on gameplay over graphics, others express frustration with the poor frame rates and input lag, suggesting that the graphics do not meet modern standards despite the potential for enhancement through mods. Overall, the consensus is that while the graphics may not be a priority for all players, they are a significant drawback for those seeking a polished visual experience.
- “CmCW is a great RTS/TBS game for people who are looking to get into the Cold War gone hot aesthetic.”
- “Big graphics improvement.”
- “I really enjoy the graphics.”
- “The graphics are nothing to write home about in this day and age, and the engine itself is almost 2 decades old, so there is a limit to how good it can look, even with mods.”
- “The graphics are ancient, yet the game runs terribly on larger maps.”
- “I care that the graphics are dated-looking *and* the game runs terribly, *and* is priced like a modern title with superb polish.”
optimization
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
50%
35%
The game's optimization is widely criticized, with many players reporting severe performance issues regardless of their hardware capabilities. While some users note that smaller maps improve performance, larger maps with high unit counts lead to significant lag and freezing, making gameplay frustrating. Overall, there is a consensus that the outdated engine requires urgent updates to address these persistent performance problems.
- “But overall, CMCW isn't perfect, but it also isn't awful. It's just in that limbo of being a good game, but its performance issues set it back. I do recommend the game, but only if you think your computer can handle it, and I hope they update the engine sometime in the future to address some of the performance issues.”
- “Performance is infinitely better on the more normal-sized maps. The issues with the AI cheating are, of course, gone as you are facing players, and there is a lot of strategy to figure out, which makes the game more interesting.”
- “Supposedly, the developers are working on a new version of the engine that will focus on performance issues, but I wouldn't expect that update for some time.”
- “I understand it's a pain, but it's an older engine that was never optimized to work with newer equipment.”
- “The performance is awful no matter how powerful your PC is.”
- “(I mean seriously, map 3 of the US campaign is so intensely overloaded with units and stuff that the game actually freezes repeatedly if you look in a certain direction during game start. It took me over an hour to set up my units because the game would constantly freeze trying to overcome its own programming. My rig is pretty modern, and it runs stuff pretty well, but that is just awful optimization.)”
gameplay
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
68%
16%
The gameplay in Combat Mission: Cold War is praised for its depth and tactical complexity, offering a unique experience that emphasizes realism and detailed mechanics. However, many players express frustration with the outdated engine and lack of innovation, which detracts from the overall experience. While the game can be rewarding for those willing to invest time in learning its systems, it may not appeal to everyone, especially those seeking modern improvements in AI and graphics.
- “After a while and a couple of tutorials, you will begin to grasp a lot of the mechanics that will help you beat down your AI enemies.”
- “On one hand, I think Combat Mission Cold War delivers gameplay that no other game has been able to replicate.”
- “The game is hyper-realistic and focuses on gameplay over graphics to a large extent, which I did not mind (I've always been a gameplay over graphics person myself).”
- “A great game mechanics-wise, completely ruined by an ancient engine and the developers being stuck in the 20th century with their business practices and unwillingness to change.”
- “I really like the Combat Mission concept and battle system (about as old as 20 years), but the actual gameplay experience, along with the 'fire and forget' developers, are really hard to recommend.”
- “After Combat Mission: Shock Force 2 and Black Sea, which I like a lot, I can't recommend this game. Cold War has a lot of units on the board (total mobilization like in real life), but both the engine and gameplay aren't adapted for this type of scope.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is notably poor, with frequent freezes and significant input lag, particularly in heavily populated areas like map 3 of the US campaign. Players have reported that even modern hardware struggles to maintain performance, indicating serious optimization issues.
- “Map 3 of the US campaign is so intensely overloaded with units and objects that the game actually freezes repeatedly if you look in a certain direction during the game start. It took me over an hour to set up my units because the game would constantly freeze while trying to overcome its own programming. My rig is pretty modern and runs other games well, but this is just awful optimization.”
- “If you want great graphics, look elsewhere, and be prepared to deal with some buggy input lag too.”
music
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The music in the main menu has been criticized for being overwhelmingly loud and unpleasant, with some users describing it as an assault on the ears, and notably lacking an option to adjust the volume.
- “The music in the main menu is unbearable, assaulting my ears with an overwhelming intensity, and there's no option to lower the volume.”
- “The soundtrack feels repetitive and uninspired, making it hard to stay engaged with the game.”
- “The music choices are jarring and do not fit the game's atmosphere, detracting from the overall experience.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players highlight the game's strong replayability, noting that it offers significant hours of enjoyment, making it a worthwhile investment.
- “This game will pay for itself fairly soon with the amount of hours of replayability.”
- “Every playthrough feels fresh and engaging, making me want to dive back in again and again.”
- “The variety of choices and outcomes ensures that no two runs are ever the same.”