Enemy Front
- June 13, 2014
- CI Games
- 6h median play time
Enemy Front is a game that tries to put a different spin on World War II, but fails due to a poor story, mediocre gunplay, awful AI, weak game mechanics, and a slew of technical problems. You can tell that CI Games is really trying here, but if this is the best they can do with the subject matter, they should stay out of World War II.
You’re Robert Hawkins, an American stuck deep in Nazi controlled territory during the height of WWII. It’s up to you whether to fight your enemies face to face, snipe them from afar, or sneak past and sabotage their positions. Join the fight against the evil Third Reich in open-ended missions across war torn Europe.
Reviews
- story558 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The story of the game has received mixed to negative feedback, with many players describing it as generic, dull, and poorly executed. While some appreciate the unique setting of the Warsaw Uprising and the perspective of a journalist, others criticize the lack of character development, weak writing, and numerous bugs that detract from the overall experience. Overall, the narrative fails to engage players, often feeling disjointed and unmemorable amidst the gameplay.
“The story is great, has a nice flow and the gameplay is a lot of fun in how the game, most of the time, lets you choose whether to stealth it out or go all guns blazing.”
“The story breaks the allies vs axis powers by putting you in the game as a resistance fighter, making the story fresh compared to many other WWII FPSs.”
“The story was surprisingly strong, with a unique premise, a focus on Poland, and a logical and coherent story supported by flashback missions to learn about Hawkins.”
“The story is god-awfully boring and makes any Call of Duty campaign feel like a modern masterpiece of storytelling.”
“The story is mostly non-existent beyond you being a reporter who fights with resistance groups throughout Europe and some small historical events, but beyond that there isn't much.”
“The story is bland and pointless, the main character is a white-washed American who for no reason whatsoever shows up in Poland and France during the Second World War with no explanation as to how he got there, or why.”
- graphics376 mentions
- 52 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players noting that while they are decent for a title released in 2014, they often feel dated and inconsistent. Some praised the visuals as beautiful and well-designed, particularly in outdoor environments, while others criticized issues like poor character models, graphical glitches, and a lack of optimization. Overall, the graphics are seen as a highlight for some, but not enough to compensate for the game's other shortcomings.
“The graphics are beautiful, some of the guns are a bit ugly but they all sound pretty good.”
“Great graphics, nice story, love it.”
“The graphics still hold up pretty well today, and the gameplay is great.”
“Enemies are hard to see against the lush colors of the graphics - almost impossible to see in fact.”
“For this to have been released in 2015 is just terrible - apart from the graphics... they are good quality.”
“The graphics are very bad.”
- gameplay301 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Enemy Front" has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its outdated mechanics and linear design reminiscent of older WWII shooters. While some appreciate the variety of gameplay styles, including stealth and run-and-gun options, others criticize the execution, citing poor AI, clunky controls, and repetitive objectives. Overall, the game offers a visually appealing experience but struggles with technical issues and lacks the depth and polish expected from modern titles.
“The gameplay is smooth and fun, stealth is challenging and the story is good enough.”
“The gunplay in this game is extremely enjoyable and you can tailor the gameplay to your style; if you want to sneak through a level, you can.”
“Overall, gameplay-wise, there is nothing spectacular here.”
“Gameplay is primitive even though the game was built in CryEngine.”
“The gameplay is absolutely terrible.”
“The gameplay is mostly bad; the game lacks level design, it tries to give you a choice but it doesn't do it very well and almost all the levels are linear.”
- stability83 mentions
- 4 % positive mentions
- -2 % neutral mentions
- 99 % negative mentions
The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous reports of bugs, glitches, and crashes affecting gameplay across both PC and console versions. While some players noted that the issues were not always game-breaking, the frequency and severity of these problems significantly detracted from the overall experience, leading to frustration and disappointment. Many reviewers suggested that the game needed substantial polishing to address these stability concerns.
“The game runs smoothly without any glitches.”
“I haven't encountered any stability issues during my gameplay.”
“The performance is rock solid, making for a seamless experience.”
“But in all honesty, the console version is probably the safer bet if you want to play this as I never experienced (or I just don't remember) the amount of glitches and crashes that I came across in the PC version.”
“In total, I experienced over eight crashes, bugs, or glitches.”
“It's a buggy mess; in fact, it seems that city interactive games go by the same standards.”
- music47 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the enjoyable and atmospheric soundtrack, though some find it repetitive and inconsistent in matching the on-screen action. While certain tracks enhance the mood effectively, others feel out of place, leading to a lack of cohesion during critical moments. Overall, the soundtrack is noted for its quality, but players desire more variety and better integration with gameplay.
“The single player has an amazing music from the composer of Company of Heroes 2, with great cinematic sequences before each mission.”
“From the enthralling environment, to the tension building music to the old school 'do it your way' combat, Enemy Front satisfied!”
“Everything is right: graphics, sounds, models, music, characters, story, atmosphere, etc. Nothing could be better, and it has, in my opinion, no flaws.”
“The music is very inconsistent as well.”
“Sometimes the music would not suit the scene (perhaps a bug chase scene music while stealthing).”
“The soundtrack is meh.”
- optimization42 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 36 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many players reporting poor performance, frequent crashes, and stuttering, even on capable hardware. While some users experienced smooth gameplay on older PCs or high settings, the overall consensus highlights significant optimization issues that detract from the gaming experience. Many hope for future patches to address these performance problems and improve the game's stability.
“I played Enemy Front on maximum, and found no performance issues.”
“The game runs smoothly on older PCs (I played it on high on an 8-year-old PC with Windows 10).”
“There are also a decent amount of graphic options to play with, but it's not needed as the performance is really good; you can max everything out easily.”
“There are issues with crashes, freezing, and overall mediocre optimization.”
“Not as advertised, poorly optimized, terrible graphics, horrendous AI, bugs, non-stop screen tearing even on low settings, very linear even though advertised as non-linear, broken sneak mechanics, save your money and don't believe any of the good reviews of this game.”
“The game is clearly unoptimized and unpolished.”
- humor16 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as a mix of intentional and unintentional comedy, with players finding amusement in absurd situations and dialogue, such as the juxtaposition of serious themes with bizarre outcomes. While some moments are genuinely hilarious, others detract from immersion, leading to a sense of chaotic humor that feels both deliberate and accidental. Overall, the game's surreal, b-movie style humor is appreciated, though it may not always align with the developers' intentions.
“This game is hilarious!”
“To make it even more hilarious, the people he's conversing with sound completely normal.”
“I just never know if it was the intention of the developer to be funny or if it’s just a fortunate result of trying for something else and failing hilariously.”
- replayability15 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is mixed, with some players noting that it offers opportunities for perfectionists to collect achievements and explore different playstyles, such as stealth versus direct assault. However, many reviewers criticize the linearity and outdated gameplay, suggesting that the overall replay value is limited, particularly in multiplayer modes. While the campaign has some enjoyable elements and varied approaches to levels, the short length and lack of significant unlocks or progression diminish its long-term appeal.
“Definitely some replay value here for the achievements and a pretty fun campaign mode.”
“The huge maps, and the option to go so many different ways through the levels is a big selling point, and boosts the replay value of this game.”
“The freedom to fight or sneak or mix it up alone gives this gameplay a better feel, and a better replay value!”
“This is a hard one to review since it's a pretty good game as a single-player campaign goes, but its gameplay style is honestly outdated and has no replay value.”
“Well, this game is what the standard WWII FPS games were like back in the PS2 era, which is rather linear compared to today. No usable vehicles, the online/multiplayer is just a basic deathmatch on a tiny map, no real replay value, no cool special unlocks or notable grind progression, etc.”
“The levels also have a bit of replay value to them because you can do stealth kills in a lot of places if you want to.”
- atmosphere12 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 8 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive qualities, reminiscent of classic WWII films, with stunning visuals, effective sound design, and atmospheric music that enhance the experience. Players appreciate the attention to detail in level design, particularly in the French settings and large buildings, which contribute to a gritty and engaging war environment. Overall, the game successfully captures the essence of WWII, providing a captivating backdrop for its gameplay and narrative.
“I think it's very atmospheric before hell lets loose (pun intended) and soldiers walk around and sometimes a car drives away, soldiers talking to each other and just giving you that vibe from a good WWII movie.”
“The French levels are especially stunning, and have aged the best in terms of visuals and atmosphere.”
“The atmosphere and the way the story are set up is very nice, the level design is well done, and the game is absolutely gorgeous.”
“Also, it has a decent story about the atmosphere of a war.”
- emotional10 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
Overall, the emotional aspect of the game is largely criticized, with many reviewers finding the story to be generic and boring, which detracts from any potential emotional impact. While one reviewer noted a touching story that provided a solid experience, the majority felt that poor execution, lackluster gameplay, and technical issues overshadowed any emotional engagement. Consequently, players are left feeling disconnected from the narrative and characters.
“The story is heart touching.”
“It took me a little under 7 hours to beat the game, which is shorter than I would have liked to have experienced a lot more of the game, but those hours were a solid 7 hours of good fun and a touching story.”
“It has a super generic and kind of boring story, though, and somewhat clunky gameplay; some animations take ages to finish.”
“So to sum it up, the game has some cool ideas and design choices, but the execution at times is just awful. The game also has annoying bugs and glitches, a boring story, half-broken gameplay, and almost non-existent multiplayer.”
“- Lackluster, boring story.”
- grinding5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviews highlight "grinding" in Enemy Front as a significant drawback, with players finding the gameplay tedious due to poor controls, a frustrating save/load system, and lackluster enemy AI. This results in repetitive and slow-paced missions that detract from the overall enjoyment, both in single-player and multiplayer modes.
“Enemy Front should be so much better... the graphics are okay but surprisingly make a 580 GTC chug a bit. The gameplay is just tedious with poor controls and a console-style save/load mechanism that keeps taking you back to the start of a map.”
“You're much less likely to get cornered and killed, and you'll be moving along at a good clip instead of crawling along... only to get killed and then have to make the same, slow, grinding crawl all over again.”
“The terrible enemy AI further damages the single-player campaign, making many of the missions more tedious than fun to complete.”
- monetization3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has received criticism for lacking an ads toggle, suggesting a design that prioritizes console play over a seamless experience. Reviewers feel that the campaign is underdeveloped, which detracts from the overall modern FPS experience that is being marketed.
“There's no option for an ads toggle, which is frustrating.”
“The monetization feels intrusive and detracts from the overall experience.”
“Ads get wonky at times, making the gameplay experience less enjoyable.”
- character development3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is generally perceived as minimal, with many players noting a lack of depth in the story and character backgrounds. While the gameplay is enjoyable and focuses on action, those seeking a more intricate narrative and character growth may find it lacking.
“I liked the game, but honestly the story was a bit thin and there was a lack of character development.”
“This is not a complex game with character development and deep backstory; just running around, shooting, low stress, high fun.”
“More complex story and character development - while I'm all for shooting bad guys, I do enjoy a good story.”
Critic Reviews
Enemy Front Review
Enemy Front is a game that tries to put a different spin on World War II, but fails due to a poor story, mediocre gunplay, awful AI, weak game mechanics, and a slew of technical problems. You can tell that CI Games is really trying here, but if this is the best they can do with the subject matter, they should stay out of World War II.
20%Enemy Front review
60%Enemy Front review
20%