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Combat Mission: Red Thunder

Combat Mission: Red Thunder Game Cover
79%Game Brain Score
story, optimization
graphics, gameplay
79% User Score Based on 102 reviews

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PCWindows
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Combat Mission: Red Thunder Game Cover

About

Combat Mission: Red Thunder is a single player and multiplayer tactical turn-based strategy game with warfare and historical themes. It was developed by Battlefront and was released on June 15, 2023. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Combat Mission Red Thunder focuses on the hard fought Eastern Front battles of Bagration and Poland, from the swamps of Belarus to the gates of Warsaw during the summer of 1944.

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Combat Mission: Red Thunder screenshot
Combat Mission: Red Thunder screenshot
Combat Mission: Red Thunder screenshot
Combat Mission: Red Thunder screenshot
Combat Mission: Red Thunder screenshot
Combat Mission: Red Thunder screenshot
Combat Mission: Red Thunder screenshot
Combat Mission: Red Thunder screenshot
Combat Mission: Red Thunder screenshot
Combat Mission: Red Thunder screenshot
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79%
Audience ScoreBased on 102 reviews
story11 positive mentions
graphics6 negative mentions
  • Extremely detailed and realistic tactical wargame simulating Eastern Front combat in WWII with deep unit mechanics including morale, fatigue, and leadership.
  • Unique WEGO turn-based system offers tense and rewarding gameplay emphasizing planning and anticipation.
  • Large amount of content including campaigns, scenarios, a scenario editor, and extensive modding support ensure high replayability.
  • Outdated and low-resolution graphics along with a clunky, unintuitive user interface detract from the experience and immersion.
  • Technical issues including poor performance on modern hardware especially AMD GPUs, frequent crashes, and unresolved bugs reduce playability.
  • High price point is seen as excessive given the aging engine and minimal updates, making it difficult for new players to justify purchase.
  • story
    56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story in Combat Mission: Red Thunder focuses on deeply authentic tactical engagements on the Eastern Front during 1944, immersing players in intense late-war battles with historically grounded scenarios. While the narrative context is appreciated for its realism and strategic depth, the campaign and mission designs are sometimes seen as unimaginative, relying heavily on large unit counts rather than dynamic AI or varied storytelling. Overall, the game appeals most to dedicated fans valuing historical accuracy and tactical challenge over narrative innovation.

    • “In the end, Combat Mission: Red Thunder stands as one of the most detailed and intellectually challenging portrayals of Eastern Front combat available in gaming.”
    • “For players who value realism, historical grounding, and deep strategic thinking, it offers an experience that is both punishing and immensely rewarding, firmly securing its place as a standout entry in the Combat Mission series.”
    • “I learned the incredible depth of the mechanics and systems of the game, developed an appreciation for the skill level required to command battalion level tactical operations, and the satisfaction that is gained from completing a mission with minimal casualties.”
    • “Unimaginative campaign and mission design; challenge relies on maps stuffed with too many units to compensate for static AI that never does anything contrary to the player's plans.”
    • “The original two Combat Mission games are better than these new titles.”
    • “I gave Combat Mission so much chance, so much time, but the spotting system in this game is pure nonsense in any of its series.”
  • graphics
    20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics are generally considered outdated and lacking modern polish, with some users finding them distracting due to visual glitches and performance issues, especially on AMD graphics cards. However, others appreciate the functional detail and certain charming aspects of the visuals that effectively convey battlefield information. Overall, while the graphics may not impress compared to newer games, they are sufficient for fans seeking deeply tactical gameplay.

    • “The graphics are serviceable and detailed enough to convey battlefield information clearly, but they are not flashy.”
    • “People moan about the graphics but I think overall the landscapes and units have a certain charm to them, especially if you get the camera just right while everything is kicking off.”
    • “Great graphics and game play options.”
    • “Absolutely horrible graphics.”
    • “Graphics are outdated, controls and UI are pretty poor but no other game can do what CM does.”
    • “I have an AMD graphics card and it seems that apparently a 3 year old issue with drivers still exists making the game virtually unplayable limiting the size of the battles you can play even if your PC has good specs.”
  • gameplay
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay offers a deep and strategic combat experience with both real-time and wego modes, emphasizing tactical battalion-level command. While the mechanics are intricate and rewarding, technical limitations and outdated UI reduce fluidity, especially in larger battles. Despite some flaws like problematic line-of-sight mechanics, the game provides a unique and satisfying strategy simulation.

    • “The core gameplay follows the established combat mission formula, offering both real-time and WEGO modes, with WEGO being the defining experience.”
    • “Fairly deep game mechanics allow for multiple, overlapping factors to affect combat; for example, tank crews can panic and bail out of their vehicles only to be ordered back in after a couple of game turns.”
    • “I learned the incredible depth of the mechanics and systems of the game, developed an appreciation for the skill level required to command battalion level tactical operations, and the satisfaction that is gained from completing a mission with minimal casualties.”
    • “Sadly, the full fluidity of gameplay and UI has decreased over time due to technical outdatedness, especially with larger, battalion-sized battles.”
    • “The worst mechanic of this game is the line of sight.”
    • “I am going to stick to Graviteam Tactics, which is way better and offers similar depth and tactical gameplay.”
  • optimization
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization is generally poor, with outdated engine performance causing significant issues even on modern computers, compounded by numerous unresolved bugs reported over the years. While the combat mechanics and detail are praised, the overall performance struggles and lack of engine updates detract from the experience, though some users still find it playable and enjoyable despite these flaws.

    • “The graphics and performance are not up to modern standards, but overall this remains a strong recommendation, especially if you like large tank battles.”
    • “Mostly about the performance on modern computers, but also hundreds of little bugs/issues that are never fixed despite being reported by the community for years.”
    • “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 an engine with the same poor performance and zero updates. Great series, horrendous business practices.”
  • replayability
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers significant replayability through its flexible gameplay, master maps, and an editor, providing extensive content for players who invest time in it.

    • “This flexibility, combined with the inclusion of master maps and an editor, gives the game enormous replay value for those willing to invest the time.”
  • humor
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is derived from its unexpectedly slow and exaggerated mechanics, such as a tank taking an absurdly long time to turn slightly, creating a comedic and entertaining experience.

    • “Watching a tank take 3 minutes to turn 15 degrees is hilarious.”
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Frequently Asked Questions

Combat Mission: Red Thunder is a tactical turn-based strategy game with warfare and historical themes.

Combat Mission: Red Thunder is available on PC and Windows.

Combat Mission: Red Thunder was released on June 15, 2023.

Combat Mission: Red Thunder was developed by Battlefront.

Combat Mission: Red Thunder has received mostly positive reviews from players. Most players liked Combat Mission: Red Thunder for its story but disliked it for its graphics.

Combat Mission: Red Thunder is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include Combat Mission Battle for Normandy, Combat Mission Black Sea, Combat Mission Shock Force 2, Graviteam Tactics: Mius-Front, Combat Mission Cold War and others.