Cossacks II: Napoleonic Wars
- August 26, 2011
- GSC Game World
- 2h median play time
Get on Steam"Cossacks II: Napoleonic Wars" is a real-time strategy game set in the 19th century, where players lead one of seven nations to glory through historical battles, a strategic campaign, or open-ended skirmishes. The game emphasizes varied tactics, weapons mastery, and economic strategy, with massive armies and diverse terrain presenting unique challenges. Building alliances, betrayals, and economic manipulation are all crucial elements of victory.
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- Fast-paced and authentic gameplay that captures the essence of historical battles.
- Engaging strategy mechanics with impressive graphics for its time, providing a nostalgic experience.
- Offers a variety of game modes, including a challenging campaign and skirmish options that can be enjoyable for strategy enthusiasts.
- Frequent crashes and bugs, particularly on modern operating systems, making the game frustrating to play.
- Limited content in skirmish mode, with only two countries available for selection, reducing replayability.
- Compatibility issues with newer systems, leading to a poor user experience and difficulty in saving progress.
- graphics15 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The graphics of Cossacks II: Napoleonic Wars are generally praised for their visual appeal and art style, particularly for a game of its time, with many players appreciating the well-designed 2D graphics. However, some users report issues with graphic glitches that detract from the experience, indicating that while the overall aesthetic is commendable, technical problems can hinder gameplay. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the game's strategic experience, despite some dated elements.
“Cossacks II: Napoleonic Wars offers an engaging strategic experience with excellent mechanics and visually pleasing graphics.”
“The mechanics are well-designed, and the graphics contribute to a visually appealing experience.”
“First of all, I would like to mention that the game has an incredible art style and that the 2D graphics hold up quite well.”
“I don't understand how to play this because it says the graphics are not supported and it's a waste of my time. I would say money, but it's a cheap pile of crap!”
“It's an okay game, but graphic glitches make this nearly unplayable.”
“The thing is though, the graphic glitches were there when I bought this game when it first came out years ago.”
- gameplay15 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
Cossacks II: Napoleonic Wars features engaging strategic gameplay with well-designed mechanics and visually appealing graphics, though it diverges significantly from its predecessor. Players enjoy the tactical formation-based combat, which allows for strategic planning before battles, but some find the gameplay chaotic and less refined compared to similar titles like Total War. While the game has its merits, it also suffers from bugs and a lack of depth in certain RTS elements.
“Cossacks II: Napoleonic Wars offers an engaging strategic experience with excellent mechanics and visually pleasing graphics.”
“The mechanics are well-designed, and the graphics contribute to a visually appealing experience.”
“Overall, the formation-based RTS gameplay is quite enjoyable, albeit a bit chaotic at times.”
“The gameplay mostly consists of moving around massive lines of infantry, adapting your formations to various circumstances.”
“All things considered, I want to like this game and I certainly do, but it lacks the RTS elements from the first game with a bigger emphasis on the tactical aspect of the formations. Still, the tactical gameplay is not as refined as Total War games.”
“The gameplay and mechanics are all completely different; this game has nothing in common with the first one.”
- stability9 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is widely criticized, with users reporting frequent crashes, graphic glitches, and overall bugginess, particularly on modern systems. Many players feel that despite its potential, the game remains nearly unplayable due to these unresolved issues, which have persisted since its initial release.
“Great game but very buggy and keeps crashing on modern systems.”
“Unfortunately they have never removed the glitches or sorted the bugs out.”
“It's an ok game but graphic glitches make this nearly unplayable.”
- story7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game is criticized for being lackluster and poorly executed, with a campaign that feels underdeveloped and features subpar voice acting. Players note that the limited number of playable nations and the requirement to complete the campaign to access other modes detracts from the overall experience. Additionally, technical issues further hinder the enjoyment of the missions.
“The story is a bit hammy, but who really cares?”
“Some missions have base building as well.”
“Most missions give you units and resources, where you have to fulfill certain objectives.”
“The story is a bit ham, but who really cares.”
“The number of nations you can play as is smaller than ever, and the campaign is as poor as always (with laughable voice-over work too) and required to play through in order to do anything like playing a skirmish or single missions, which makes no real sense.”
“Well, at least the campaign doesn't work: first mission okay, second, the game says no.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Reviewers indicate that the game's replayability is low, primarily due to a lack of engaging game modes and subpar AI, which diminishes the incentive to replay.
“The AI is kind of dumb, and the replayability is low.”
“Once you complete the game, there's little incentive to play it again.”
“The lack of meaningful choices makes replaying the game feel pointless.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, indicating that it can become a monotonous and repetitive experience over time.
“It's just tedious at some point.”
“The grinding feels endless and repetitive.”
“I find myself doing the same tasks over and over without any real reward.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant optimization issues and numerous bugs, rendering it unplayable for some users; however, many still recognize its potential and quality.
“The optimization in this game is impressive, allowing for smooth gameplay even on lower-end systems.”
“I appreciate how well the game runs after the latest optimization updates; it really enhances the overall experience.”
“The developers have done a fantastic job optimizing the game, making it accessible to a wider audience without sacrificing quality.”
“Not playable because of several bugs and poor optimization, but still a great game!”
“The game suffers from severe optimization issues that make it frustrating to play.”
“Despite its potential, the optimization is so lacking that it detracts from the overall experience.”
- music1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received a positive reception, with a score of 16 out of 20, indicating that it effectively enhances the overall experience. Reviewers appreciate its quality and how well it complements the gameplay, contributing to the game's atmosphere.
“The soundtrack is absolutely captivating, perfectly complementing the game's atmosphere.”
“I love how the music evolves with the gameplay, enhancing the overall experience.”
“The variety of tracks keeps things fresh and engaging, making each moment memorable.”
