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Combat Mission Cold War

Combat Mission Cold War Game Cover
64%Game Brain Score
story
optimization, graphics
64% User Score Based on 85 reviews

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PCWindows
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Combat Mission Cold War Game Cover

About

Combat Mission Cold War is a single player and multiplayer strategy game. It was developed by Battlefront and was released on November 16, 2021. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"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.

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Combat Mission Cold War screenshot
Combat Mission Cold War screenshot
Combat Mission Cold War screenshot
Combat Mission Cold War screenshot
Combat Mission Cold War screenshot
Combat Mission Cold War screenshot
Combat Mission Cold War screenshot
Combat Mission Cold War screenshot
Combat Mission Cold War screenshot
Combat Mission Cold War screenshot
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64%
Audience ScoreBased on 85 reviews
story11 positive mentions
optimization8 negative mentions
  • Combat Mission Cold War offers a deep and realistic tactical simulation experience, appealing to fans of military strategy games.
  • The game features a balanced combat system where both American and Soviet forces have unique strengths and weaknesses, making for engaging gameplay.
  • The transition to Steam has improved accessibility and ease of updates, allowing players to enjoy the game without the hassle of manual patching.
  • The game suffers from significant performance issues, including lag and crashes, especially during larger battles, which can hinder the overall experience.
  • The outdated engine leads to poor graphics and clunky controls, making it difficult for players to fully enjoy the tactical depth of the game.
  • Many players feel the game is overpriced for the amount of content it offers, suggesting it would be better suited to a lower price point.
  • story
    47 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story aspect of "Combat Mission: Cold War" is set against the backdrop of the late 1970s to early 1980s, focusing on large-scale military operations in West and East Germany. While the game offers a rich tactical experience with a variety of missions and campaigns, players have noted significant technical issues, including crashes and performance lags, which detract from the overall immersion and enjoyment of the narrative. Despite these challenges, the game is praised for its realistic simulation and potential for expansion within the Cold War context.

    • “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.”
    • “The Combat Mission series has always had a high skill ceiling and plenty of tactical decision-making depth and flexibility.”
    • “I really enjoy the Combat Mission series and believe that it is military-grade in its simulation.”
    • “On this game, Battlefront tried to make the game scope big like Graviteam Tactics: Mius-Front but fails. Combat Mission was always about small engagements and more platoon tactics and barely has the functions or the performance to go above this.”
    • “All Combat Mission games run poorly, but this one is unplayable due to lags.”
    • “Constant crashes when saving or loading means I can't even finish a single mission without losing all progress. I can't run the game past balanced graphics, and there are numerous artifacts, especially in shadows.”
  • optimization
    17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the optimization of the game is widely criticized, with many users reporting severe performance issues regardless of their hardware capabilities. While some players find enjoyment in the gameplay, they express frustration over stuttering, lag, and low frame rates, particularly during large-scale engagements. Many reviewers call for an engine update to address these persistent performance problems, which detract significantly from the overall experience.

    • “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.”
    • “Not ideal, and it'd be great if they optimized it; however, I'm having a great time and love watching the anti-tank missiles take out Russian tanks!”
    • “However, it's time to update the engine, guys. It runs poorly, and while we pretty much all enjoy the game, there's no excuse for producing 9 out of 10 games on what the development team calls a new engine that has the same poor performance with zero updates. Great series, horrendous business practices.”
    • “The performance is awful no matter how powerful your PC is.”
    • “During the 3rd campaign mission (Bear in the Sun '79), the performance is horrible/unplayable (5 fps) during the setup phase when attempting to reposition infantry units.”
    • “However, it's time to update the engine guys, it runs like ass and while we pretty much all enjoy the game, there's no excuse for producing 9 out of 10 games on (what the development team calls new) an engine that has the same piss poor performance with zero updates... great series, horrendous business practices.”
  • graphics
    17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the aesthetic and improvements, while others criticize them as outdated and technically flawed, leading to performance issues like input lag and crashes. Many users emphasize that the game prioritizes gameplay over visuals, which may appeal to those who value tactical simulation over graphical fidelity. Overall, while the graphics may not be cutting-edge, they serve the game's purpose for some players, though significant improvements are desired by others.

    • “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.”
    • “Maybe if I pray hard enough, the devs will finally update the engine's visuals.”
    • “I messed around with the graphics settings, but never could find a way to bring it into the 20th century.”
    • “Outdated graphics are okay for this kind of game, but the problem comes from the input lag in big scenarios and general bad FPS.”
  • gameplay
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is characterized by classic tactical mechanics that align with the Combat Mission series, offering a hyper-realistic experience focused on strategy over graphics. However, players express disappointment with the absence of certain armies and the game's engine not fully accommodating the extensive unit variety typical of the Cold War era. While the core gameplay is solid, issues like poor pathing and a lack of innovation compared to previous titles may hinder overall enjoyment.

    • “Classic combat mission tactical gameplay in the Cold War era!”
    • “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).”
    • “But if you can get over that, and the (realistic) poor pathing choices your tank commanders sometimes make, the gameplay is really good.”
    • “I really like the combat mission concept and battle system (about as old as 20 years), but the actual gameplay experience and the 'fire and forget' approach from developers make it really hard to recommend.”
    • “After playing Combat Mission: Shock Force 2 and Black Sea, which I liked 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.”
    • “They present different models and weaponry, but the gameplay is extremely similar between titles.”
  • stability
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviews indicate that the game suffers from stability issues, including buggy input lag, which detracts from the overall experience. Players seeking high-quality graphics may also be disappointed.

    • “If you want great graphics, look elsewhere, and be prepared to deal with some buggy input lag too.”
    • “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable at times.”
    • “I experienced constant frame drops and stuttering, which ruined the overall experience.”
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Frequently Asked Questions

Combat Mission Cold War is a strategy game.

Combat Mission Cold War is available on PC and Windows.

Combat Mission Cold War was released on November 16, 2021.

Combat Mission Cold War was developed by Battlefront.

Combat Mission Cold War has received mostly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its optimization.

Combat Mission Cold War is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include Combat Mission Black Sea, Combat Mission Shock Force 2, Combat Mission Battle for Normandy, Graviteam Tactics: Operation Star, Wargame: European Escalation and others.