Gary Grigsby's War in the West

About

Gary Grigsby's War in the West is a turn-based strategy game set in World War II. Players can command either the Allied or Axis forces in the European Theater, managing units, resources, and battle tactics in a detailed simulation of the conflict. With a focus on historical accuracy and strategic depth, it offers a challenging and immersive experience for hardcore wargamers.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Local Multi-Player Play with friends in the same physical space using split-screen or multiple screens
2-Players Play with one other player, either online or locally, in a cooperative or competitive game mode
Multi-Player Compete or cooperate with other players online
Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo
Split Screen Play with multiple players on the same screen, often with divided or shared screen real estate

Gary Grigsby's War in the West screenshot

83%

Audience ScoreBased on 188 reviews

gameplay6 positive mentions

grinding2 negative mentions

Incredible depth and complexity, making it a rewarding experience for dedicated players who enjoy strategic wargaming.
Highly detailed and historically accurate, allowing players to engage with the intricacies of WWII's Western Front.
Offers a unique air war system that adds an additional layer of strategy, making it stand out among other wargames.

Steep learning curve that can be overwhelming for new players, requiring significant time investment to understand the mechanics.
Technical issues such as crashes and unresponsive gameplay, particularly on certain platforms, detracting from the overall experience.
Gameplay can feel unbalanced, especially for Axis players, leading to frustration when trying to achieve victory.

gameplay
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
44%
19%
The gameplay is praised for its depth and strategic complexity, requiring significant time investment to master its mechanics, with some players recommending tutorials and the manual for better understanding. While it offers an immersive experience, especially in aerial management, it is noted to be less expansive than other titles in the genre, such as the Hearts of Iron series. Overall, players find it rewarding once they overcome the initial learning curve, though some express a desire for a more engaging long-term experience.
- “A great game when you figure out all of the necessary mechanics, and an even greater game if you need to put on stress forming strategies to outperform more numerous enemies.”
- “Regardless of war gaming being my most played genre anymore, it took me about 10 hours of consecutive YouTube tutorials (I highly recommend Strategy Gaming Dodo and following along in-game) to feel comfortable playing an entire 4-phase turn without missing major mechanics or feeling lost 50% of the time.”
- “I've played 60 hours+ so far and even now I'm still figuring out some of the game's mechanics and intricacies.”
- “I recommend reading the manual before you start playing; the manual clears up a lot of questions about the gameplay.”
story
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The story aspect of the game is centered around strategic air combat during the Eastern Front, allowing players to meticulously plan and execute missions with a high level of detail regarding aircraft, targets, and operational conditions. Players experience a sense of accomplishment as they successfully engage in air superiority missions, reminiscent of "War in the West" but with simplified mechanics and a more focused scope. The narrative is driven by the player's decisions and the outcomes of their air missions, creating an engaging and immersive experience.
- “Nowhere else can you debate launching a superiority mission with hurricanes against a set of airfields stacked with Bf109s to clear a path to Hannover.”
- “You can also go into much greater detail such as where a squadron is based, what type of aircraft they have, how many aircraft, how they are armed, what's their bomb load, will they have drop tanks, what type of missions they will fly, their targets, what days of the week they will fly, what altitude they will fly at, what weather conditions they will fly in, what priority they have for supplies, what is the minimum aircraft needed for a sortie, what level of training the pilots need to fly, and who their commanders are at their higher headquarters.”
- “It is essentially 'War in the West' with simpler air mission mechanics, and a bit smaller scale (despite being the Eastern Front) as you don't have to worry about naval invasions or multiple fronts.”
- “The story feels disjointed and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the characters or the overall narrative.”
- “I found the plot to be predictable and uninspired, which really detracted from my enjoyment of the game.”
- “The character development is minimal, leaving me feeling indifferent to their fates throughout the story.”
graphics
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Users note that while the graphics are visually impressive, there is a lack of graphics scaling options, which may limit customization for different hardware setups.
- “The graphics are apparently very cool!”
- “The visuals are stunning and immersive.”
- “Graphics scaling: there isn't any.”
- “Graphics scaling: there isn't any.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
While the game has elements that suggest high replayability, significant flaws detract from the overall experience, leading to a mixed reception regarding its long-term enjoyment.
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The atmosphere is enhanced by a visually appealing map and historical imagery, which contribute to an immersive experience.
- “The pretty map and the historical pictures create a captivating atmosphere.”
- “There remains the pretty map and the historical pictures for the atmosphere.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, often leading to frustration with long load screens that disrupt the experience. This has resulted in some users resorting to forcefully closing the game to escape the monotony.
- “Not only that, to shut it up and get away from the tedious load screen, I had to end the task. FFS.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
The music in the game has been criticized for being lackluster and insufficient, contributing to an overall feeling of anemic audio experience. Additionally, some users noted that the interface issues detract from the enjoyment of the soundtrack.
- “The soundtrack is terribly anemic, lacking the depth and variety needed to keep players engaged.”
- “The music feels repetitive and fails to enhance the overall gaming experience.”
- “There are some clunky interface elements that need to be ironed out, including the music which does not contribute positively to the gameplay.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
The game exhibits some stability issues, with users noting that it remains somewhat buggy despite being released in 2015.
- “The game is still a bit buggy for a title released in 2015.”
- “There are numerous stability issues that detract from the overall experience.”
- “Frequent crashes and glitches make it hard to enjoy the game.”