Commands & Colors: The Great War
- January 19, 2017
- HexWar Games
"Commands & Colors: The Great War" is a digital adaptation of the board game, focusing on WWI engagements with historically accurate troop positions and terrain. The game features a flexible scale, with a focus on trench fighting and a Command card system that creates fog of war while offering unique opportunities. Combat cards add an element of suspense, challenging players to coordinate their use for victory.
Reviews
- The game captures the feel of the original board game well, providing an engaging and strategic experience.
- It offers a unique approach to WWI tactics, with a variety of scenarios and replayability.
- Despite some bugs, many players find the game fun and addictive, especially for fans of the Command & Colors series.
- The game is plagued by numerous bugs, including AI freezes and issues with card functionality, which significantly detract from the experience.
- The user interface is clunky and not user-friendly, making it difficult to navigate and understand game mechanics.
- Many players report that the game lacks proper support and updates from the developers, leading to frustration and disappointment.
- graphics13 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the rich visuals and nostalgic board game aesthetics, while others criticize them for being subpar and distracting from gameplay. Users note that while the graphics can enhance the experience, they sometimes overshadow the strategic elements of the game, making it difficult to quickly assess the board state. Overall, the visuals are considered passable but could benefit from improvements to better support gameplay clarity.
“The graphics are well done, sounds and music are okay.”
“Nice graphics and a decent UI.”
“Oh, and did I mention the very board game-centric rich visuals of intro screens and gameplay, giving one flashbacks of opening freshly purchased wargame boxes with that smell that says minty new?”
“I’m of the opinion that the graphics could be better.”
“On top of this, the graphics and sound are not very good.”
“The graphics also make it hard to see at a glance what units are on the board.”
- gameplay6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Gameplay is described as enjoyable but somewhat slow, with a focus on aesthetics that may overshadow the mechanics. While the visuals, reminiscent of classic board games, are praised, some players feel that the emphasis on graphics detracts from the core gameplay experience. Minor glitches were noted, but they did not significantly impact overall enjoyment.
“Oh, and did I mention the very board game-centric rich visuals of the intro screens and gameplay, giving one flashbacks of opening freshly purchased wargame boxes with that smell that says minty new?”
“The game is a little slow in mechanics, but it's really fun, so it doesn't really bother me.”
“I like the graphics upgrade here, but I don't like how the graphics seem to be putting actual gameplay in the backseat.”
“It feels like so much of the emphasis is on the dice roll, how amazing it looks (and hey, it looks great), but the real beauty of a Richard Borg system shouldn't be the graphics but the gameplay.”
“It's one annoying card study and gameplay deceiving happening.”
- stability5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with frequent freezes and glitches that disrupt gameplay, particularly affecting AI interactions and UI functionality. While some minor glitches are present, they generally do not impact the overall experience as severely as the more critical bugs.
“The AI freezes in the middle of the majority of games I've played.”
“I cannot finish the second scenario because there is always a moment where the game freezes.”
“I'm enjoying it, but it's quite buggy.”
- music5 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The music in the game is noted for its ability to enhance tension and evoke a sense of heroism, though some users find it unbalanced with sound effects, often being too loud. While some praise the quality of the music, others describe it as lackluster, indicating a mixed reception overall.
“Music is very well done, adding a sense of tension and heroic conflict as one can just imagine infantry rushing the open ground in hopes of not being taken down by a fuselage of enemy fire or an artillery barrage.”
“I adjusted my settings and find that the music isn't balanced well with the sound effects.”
“Music is much louder.”
“Music is lackluster.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviewers highlight that the game's card and dice system introduces significant variability, enhancing its replayability and providing a fresh experience with each playthrough.
“There is lots of novelty and replayability given the variability of the card and dice system.”
“This would add a lot to the replay value, in my humble opinion.”
“Lots of novelty and replayability given the variability of the card and dice system.”
- story1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game is not extensively detailed in the review, but it suggests that the missions provide a solid framework for solo play, particularly for those familiar with the board game.