Faces of War

About

"Faces of War" is a tactical WWII RTS where players command American, English, Soviet, and German troops in iconic battles like D-Day and the storming of Berlin. Realistic physics and complex AI allow for diverse, dynamic strategies, with up to 16 players able to join via LAN. Although affected by the GameSpy shutdown, this immersive game offers an engaging WWII experience with numerous tactical options.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

80%

Audience ScoreBased on 235 reviews

story12 positive mentions

stability6 negative mentions

Faces of War offers a detailed and immersive World War II experience with impressive destructible environments and a strong focus on tactical gameplay.
The game features challenging missions that provide a sense of satisfaction upon completion, making it rewarding for players who enjoy strategic depth.
The ability to control individual soldiers and manage their inventory adds a unique layer of gameplay, allowing for creative strategies and approaches to missions.

The AI can be frustratingly unresponsive and often leads to poor decision-making, which can detract from the overall experience.
The game suffers from numerous bugs and crashes, particularly during missions, which can disrupt gameplay and lead to lost progress.
The tutorial and mission objectives can be unclear, making it difficult for new players to understand the mechanics and complete tasks effectively.

story
123 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
86%
4%
The game's story is set during World War II, featuring three campaigns for the Germans, Allies, and Soviets, each with a series of challenging missions that often feel disconnected from a larger narrative. While some players appreciate the historical accuracy and the satisfaction of overcoming difficult missions, others criticize the linearity and lack of cohesive storytelling, noting that many missions feel like isolated challenges rather than part of a unified campaign. Additionally, technical issues and bugs can detract from the overall experience, leading to frustration during gameplay.
- “The story is based on World War II events where, after picking a faction you want to fight for, you try to fulfill different objectives to gain some advantage for your fighting side.”
- “There are some really enjoyable missions in this game that are very well designed.”
- “The campaign is separated by single missions that do not have any connection to each other, besides some story description.”
- “Since the missions are not connected, it does not feel like you are progressing through the whole game; instead, you get focused on single missions, losing the big picture of the war.”
- “The immersion during the missions was definitely on a high level, but sadly goes lost once a mission is finished and the campaign window is displayed until the next mission is started.”
gameplay
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
48%
13%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some praising its tactical depth and innovative mechanics reminiscent of classic RTS titles, while others criticize its linearity and lack of new features. Players appreciate the emotional soundtrack and graphics, but note issues like repetitive tutorials and occasional bugs. Overall, it offers a solid experience with hours of challenging gameplay, though some feel it falls short compared to earlier entries in the franchise.
- “The soundtrack stands out as the best in the franchise, adding emotional depth and intensity to the gameplay.”
- “Short version: great price; lots of content for said price; amazing graphics for its time and still decent in 2017; great tactical gameplay, something in between Company of Heroes and a tactical shooter (you can control absolutely everything about your soldiers, squads, and vehicles although the latter is a bit more tricky).”
- “I like the gameplay a lot and think that it's a shame that games are not made more like this one.”
- “Trash, no new mechanics, just garbage.”
- “Can't even load the game, and the one time it did, when I played the German campaign, the gameplay was personally boring.”
- “The gameplay consists of only managing your squads and units that you receive to finish the mission.”
graphics
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
43%
14%
The graphics of the game are generally regarded as decent, with many reviewers noting that they were impressive for their time and still hold up reasonably well today. While some describe the visuals as aged and occasionally buggy, others highlight the detailed fighting scenes and realistic elements that enhance the overall experience. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the game's tactical gameplay, drawing favorable comparisons to titles like "Company of Heroes."
- “Firstly, the graphics are noticeably better, and then you will notice the AI that can surprise you a few times.”
- “The graphics are quite amazing for its time, and they still look good to me.”
- “Graphics are nice and smooth; you may see details such as holes on the walls or in the ground.”
- “Although the game has decent graphics even now, it is simply old and buggy.”
- “The graphics look quite aged, but the graphical details that most fighting scenes have are fitting the game really well.”
- “The graphics aren't too shabby either for being almost nine years old now, similar to or better than Company of Heroes in most aspects.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant bugs and glitches, particularly in mission sequences and the tutorial, which some found nearly unplayable. While a few users noted minor issues, the overall consensus highlights a frustrating experience due to the game's instability.
- “Buggy mess of mission 10 with the radio tower; mission completed followed by mission failed.”
- “It requires you to do a tutorial to play any campaign (which is the whole game basically), but the tutorial is so buggy it's nearly unplayable and the orders they give you are unclear.”
- “So buggy in fact I wasn't even able to get through the tutorial.”
music
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
20%
The music in the game is widely praised as the best in the franchise, enhancing emotional depth and intensity while complementing the gameplay. It is described as catchy and fitting, providing a pleasant background without being overly intrusive.
- “The soundtrack stands out as the best in the franchise, adding emotional depth and intensity to the gameplay.”
- “The music provided a nice background sound without being too intrusive.”
- “The music is great in the game; it goes well with the gameplay and is quite catchy.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
150%
The game has minimal replayability, providing a fun experience for completing each mission but lacking depth for repeated playthroughs. It is best suited for fans of older RTS games, particularly those interested in Blitzkrieg and WWII themes.
- “It is quite fun to finish each mission once, but since the game is fairly short and offers only minimal replayability, it is only advised if you enjoy older RTS games, especially Blitzkrieg and WWII games.”
- “This game offers none to minimal replayability.”
- “Once you complete the game, there's little incentive to play it again.”
- “The lack of varied outcomes makes replaying feel pointless.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The soundtrack is highlighted as the strongest in the franchise, significantly enhancing the emotional depth and intensity of the gameplay experience.
- “The soundtrack stands out as the best in the franchise, adding emotional depth and intensity to the gameplay.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is noted to be less impactful compared to previous titles like "For Rodina," with some users expressing disappointment in the English-speaking elements, particularly in relation to Russian characters. Overall, the comedic elements may not resonate as strongly with all players.
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Reviews indicate a lack of character development, with players noting that there is no significant progression in skills or leveling up throughout the game.
- “There is no real character development, or skill development, or leveling up.”
- “The characters feel flat and lack any meaningful growth throughout the game.”
- “I was disappointed by the lack of depth in the character arcs; they don't evolve in any significant way.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Reviews indicate that while the game is visually stunning, players are disappointed by its poor optimization, which detracts from the overall experience.
- “The beautiful game is marred by frustrating optimization issues.”
- “Optimization feels like an afterthought, ruining the overall experience.”
- “The game suffers from severe optimization problems that hinder performance.”