First Strike

About

First Strike is a single player and multiplayer strategy game with a warfare theme. It was developed by Blindflug Studios AG and was released on May 30, 2017. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

First Strike is a warfare strategy game that can be played in single-player or multiplayer mode. The game, which has been completely rebuilt for the new decade, allows you to blow up the world in a nuclear armageddon. Renowned for its stunning graphics and thought-provoking gameplay, First Strike has received critical acclaim from various gaming publications. Be mindful of your actions as escalation can lead to a downward spiral.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Skip User Reviews

72%

Audience ScoreBased on 555 reviews

gameplay17 positive mentions

stability15 negative mentions

The game offers a fun and engaging experience with a unique take on nuclear warfare strategy.
Graphics and sound design are appealing, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.
The game has a decent level of replayability with various nations and superweapons to unlock.

The game suffers from numerous bugs, including issues with progress not saving and unresponsive controls.
Many players find the AI to be unchallenging and the gameplay can become repetitive quickly.
The PC version lacks features present in the mobile version, such as multiplayer and additional content.

gameplay
56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
61%
9%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players enjoying the smooth mechanics and strategic depth, while others criticize it for being clunky, shallow, and plagued by bugs. Many users noted a lack of clear instructions and intuitive controls, which detracted from the overall experience. While the game offers enjoyable moments and a captivating theme, it often falls short in providing a polished and engaging gameplay experience, leading to frustration and burnout for some players.
- “The gameplay feels well refined on PC, and I often feel much more in control of what's going on compared to the mobile version, thanks to the mouse controls and the level of precision I gain from that in interacting with the UI and game world.”
- “It's got a lot of deep strategy beneath the simplistic surface mechanics, and I feel like I've already gotten my money's worth and then some after just two hours.”
- “The overall gameplay is just so fluid and fun to do as you're always kept on your toes to keep up with the constant enemy threat.”
- “Core gameplay is pretty meh; overall user experience is terrible. There are no clear instructions or information available, shortcuts are unintuitive, there are game-blocking bugs in the menu, and it prevents you from playing to try and force you to sign up for a newsletter.”
- “The mechanics are just so dull and the controls frustratingly clunky.”
- “Late game gameplay is also tedious; a basic radar feature that lets you see enemy-controlled countries, which should always be on, has a cooldown, and wiping out almost eliminated countries feels like playing whack-a-mole.”
graphics
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
44%
12%
Overall, the graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the improved visuals and sleek art style that enhance the gameplay experience, while others criticize the downgraded graphics compared to previous versions and report glitches following updates. Many appreciate the simplicity and charm of the graphics, likening them to a board game aesthetic, but some feel that the visuals lack depth and polish, particularly on lower settings. Despite these criticisms, the graphics are generally described as nice and fitting for the game's arcade-style gameplay.
- “Awesome gameplay and stunning simple graphics.”
- “The graphics have been improved, feel smoother, and the UI style has been changed, which is good.”
- “The art style is sleek—almost like a board game—and gives a perfect feel with the UI as well.”
- “In comparison to the original PC version, the controls are unpolished, the graphics downgraded to a more childish art style, several features were removed, and the AI is severely dumbed down.”
- “This game isn't hard, and its visuals are not super impressive.”
- “After a recent update, the visuals are very glitchy.”
music
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
43%
19%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many players enjoying the catchy soundtracks, particularly those reminiscent of 80s synth. However, some users note that the music can become repetitive over time, and there are suggestions for smoother transitions and more variety. Overall, the soundtrack enhances the gameplay experience, despite some minor criticisms regarding menu sounds and the need for additional progression in the game.
- “Simple but fun game with a nice soundtrack and now has multiplayer functionality which is great.”
- “I like those soundtracks anyway <3 never get bored in this game.”
- “The game has its strongest points in its soundtracks, strategic thinking, and improvisation.”
- “Cons: repetitive music, very simple tech tree.”
- “The game can get repetitive at times, which is why I recommend listening to music or a podcast while playing.”
- “You don't hear a crying woman and the music doesn't slow down as millions die on Samuel Barber's 'Adagio for Strings' playing in the background like you do in 'Defcon'.”
stability
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with numerous reports of bugs causing crashes, freezes, and unresponsive interfaces. Players have noted that objectives often fail to track, achievements do not register consistently, and various menus, including diplomacy, exhibit erratic behavior. Overall, the game's stability is a major concern, hindering the overall experience.
- “The game is buggy; I put shortcuts for things and sometimes after playing and clicking on a province, it glitches out.”
- “Very buggy; objectives often don't track, which makes it impossible to progress.”
- “It crashes often and freezes.”
replayability
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
46%
27%
Overall, the game's replayability is viewed as decent to high, with many players appreciating the variety of achievements, playable nations, and unlockables that enhance the experience. However, some critiques mention frustrating mechanics that can diminish replay value, particularly in single-player modes. Multiplayer options are highlighted as a significant factor that could further boost replayability.
- “This game would be perfect for multiplayer, plus it would add so much to its replayability.”
- “The amount of achievements and playable nations add plenty of replay value.”
- “Interesting game with great replayability.”
- “This gives the game little replay value.”
- “Excellent interface and mechanic decisions are marred by frustrating territory selection and a diminishing replayability.”
- “Not a AAA title; however, there is fun to be had with enough depth to make it replayable.”
story
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
43%
The game's story is perceived as minimal or lacking, with players noting that it primarily focuses on defeating opponents using nuclear rockets rather than offering a cohesive narrative. While there is a hint of a backstory regarding superpowers, the absence of specific missions or a deeper storyline leaves many feeling unsatisfied.
- “I feel there's no story in here... you only have to beat your opponents with your nuclear rockets, or you can search for the story behind all of those superpowers.”
- “The game does not feature specific missions; instead, it just has different playable and competing countries on the same globe setup.”
- “I was hoping for a multiplayer mode, some missions mode, better AI, and a lot more...”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively time-consuming and often tedious, particularly in the late game where it can lead to boredom. The rewards for grinding, such as new playable countries and rockets, feel insufficient, and the game's interface complicates the experience further, making it frustrating to manage territories and execute strategies efficiently. Overall, the grinding mechanic detracts from the enjoyment of the game, especially as players progress.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Not a fan - gets grindy, to the point of boredom in late game, even for easy games.”
- “Late game gameplay is also tedious; a basic radar feature that lets you see enemy-controlled countries, which should always be on, has a cooldown, and wiping out almost eliminated countries feels like playing whack-a-mole.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted as a key feature, with players finding it both funny and engaging, particularly in its satirical take on nuclear war and war crimes. The gameplay combines elements of frustration and humor, often leading to hilarious scenarios, especially with the game's mechanics involving missile strikes and strategic missteps. Overall, it delivers a comedic experience that resonates with players' fantasies of world domination and absurd military tactics.
- “Funny nuclear war game.”
- “It's a perfect mix of captivating, frustrating, and humorous gameplay.”
- “Hilarious game, it satisfies even the smallest dreams of world domination and being considered a superpower like Kim Jong-un.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
20%
40%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a mix of excitement and tension, with some players appreciating the strategic elements that enhance the feeling of destruction. While one title evokes a depressing, bunker-like ambiance reminiscent of the 1983 film *Wargames*, another offers a more uplifting, space-oriented perspective, creating a diverse range of atmospheric experiences. Overall, the atmosphere is noted as a significant and enjoyable aspect of the gameplay.
- “Love the strategies that can be used in this game, combined with the entire atmosphere of exciting developments and destruction key to the theme.”
- “A very fun and atmospheric game!”
- “Both generally draw inspiration from that old 1983 movie, [i]Wargames[/i]; the former more so: [i]Defcon[/i] gave us an underground, bunker-like, depressing atmosphere.”
- “[i]First Strike[/i] literally gives us an overground view from space and the atmosphere is, dare I say, merrier.”
monetization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The monetization model for the mobile version relies heavily on a freemium structure with ad support and a monthly subscription to unlock all content, which many users find predatory. In contrast, the PC version offers a one-time purchase with no ads, providing a more straightforward experience, though it lacks some content available in the mobile version. Overall, players appreciate the absence of microtransactions on PC but note the trade-off in content availability.
- “Compared to the subscriptions and microtransactions on mobile, the PC version feels like a breath of fresh air.”
- “I came here expecting the mobile version on PC without all the predatory microtransactions.”
- “The mobile version employs a freemium model of ad-supported content by default, with a low-priced monthly subscription to remove them. This subscription also unlocks all content by default, instead of having to grind for every available superpower to unlock the newer ones. There is no option to pay once to remove ads and progress through the game like you do on the PC version; you either pay monthly or don't pay at all.”
- “The PC version at least has the benefit of not having any ads at all and being a simple one-time purchase. However, as previously mentioned, it lacks a lot of the content in the mobile version, making it hard to recommend when talking exclusively about content.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers note that the game's interface is well-optimized for touchscreens, suggesting a strong potential for multitouch functionality on touchscreen PCs. However, the current PC experience involves excessive clicking, indicating room for improvement in optimization for traditional PC controls.
- “Another thing that would be very cool would be multitouch mode on touchscreen PCs, so that it can be played like on a big tablet, as this game's interface is clearly optimized for touchscreens and requires a lot of clicking on PC.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional impact of the game is largely negative, with players expressing a lack of attachment or desire to retain it in their library.