Gates of Hell
- June 11, 2021
- Barbedwire Studios
- 97h median play time
Get on Steam"Gates of Hell: Ostfront," a Call to Arms game, explores the Eastern Front of WWII from 1941-1945. Offering single and multiplayer modes, players can command troops in first-person, third-person, or classic RTS views. The dynamic campaign allows for strategic advancement, unit research, and co-op play with friends. Conquer the Great Patriotic War in this realistic RTS.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Gates of Hell: Ostfront offers a highly immersive and realistic WWII RTS experience with detailed graphics and sound design.
- The dynamic campaign mode provides endless replayability, allowing players to build and lead their own army group across various scenarios.
- The ability to control individual units in first-person or third-person view adds a unique layer of engagement and strategy to the gameplay.
- The AI pathfinding and behavior can be frustratingly poor, often requiring excessive micromanagement to achieve desired outcomes.
- The game suffers from performance issues, including long loading times and crashes, particularly in multiplayer modes.
- Many features and content are locked behind expensive DLCs, which can feel like a cash grab rather than a fair expansion of the game.
- story1,011 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 78 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The game's story aspect is characterized by a series of campaign missions that are often lengthy and challenging, with a mix of scripted objectives and dynamic gameplay. While some missions are praised for their historical context and engaging scenarios, many players express frustration over confusing objectives, poor AI, and the inclusion of tedious stealth missions. Overall, the campaign offers a variety of experiences, but the execution can be inconsistent, leading to a mix of enjoyment and frustration among players.
“The single-player campaign is a standout feature, offering a series of challenging and historically inspired missions.”
“The campaign missions are varied in quality and interesting content, some I gladly replay while others I avoid entirely.”
“The campaign is well-crafted, immersing players in the evolving storyline as they progress through various scenarios.”
“I could get over the terrible voice acting in the missions, I could get over the lack of content, but what I cannot get over is simply how confusing it is and how little it actually aids players in figuring stuff out.”
“The core game is great but the missions are so bad, very disappointing and just not fun.”
“The campaign missions are extensive, and really make you feel like you are in some deep WWII scenarios.”
- gameplay650 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Gates of Hell: Ostfront" is characterized by its deep mechanics and tactical depth, offering a blend of real-time strategy and direct unit control that appeals to both veterans and newcomers. While many players appreciate the attention to detail and historical accuracy, the game suffers from bugs, AI issues, and a steep learning curve that can frustrate users. Overall, it provides a rewarding experience for those willing to invest time in mastering its complex systems, though some feel it falls short of its predecessors in certain aspects.
“The attention to detail, tactical flexibility, and the ability to manually control and aim with units makes for intense, god-tier tactics gameplay.”
“The gameplay in 'Gates of Hell: Ostfront' excels at combining tactical depth with action-packed moments, emphasizing strategic positioning and resource management.”
“With its dynamic gameplay modes, extensive vehicle selection, and attention to historical detail, this game is a must-play for any fan of WWII strategy games.”
“There are so many deep flaws with the gameplay that it should only be considered at a steep discount.”
“The mechanics get in the way of actually playing and enjoying the game.”
“The game is incredibly boring and the graphics it has to show off are made useless by the overall gameplay.”
- graphics527 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics in "Call to Arms - Gates of Hell: Ostfront" have received widespread praise for their stunning detail and immersive quality, often described as a significant improvement over previous titles in the Men of War series. Players appreciate the realistic environments, intricate unit models, and impressive sound design that enhance the overall gameplay experience. However, some users have noted issues with optimization and performance, particularly during large battles, which can detract from the visual experience.
“With its beautiful graphics and the latest sound overhaul, Gates of Hell is leagues ahead of any other WWII RTS on the market.”
“The graphics are excellent for a strategy game, with detailed environments and realistic battle effects.”
“The visuals are stunning, capturing the chaos and devastation of war with remarkable fidelity.”
“The graphics are subpar and comparing this to Company of Heroes where the controls are snappy, understandable, and work well, here the UI is cluttered and your men will fail to shoot a T-34 if you haven't pressed all the buttons required.”
“The graphics are not great, which is not the end of the world.”
“The graphics are terrible for a 2021 game, no cap.”
- optimization205 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 28 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues such as stuttering, low frame rates, and crashes, particularly in multiplayer modes. While some users note improvements over previous titles, the overall consensus is that the game still requires substantial optimization to handle larger battles and improve stability. Players with lower-end PCs often struggle with performance, and there are ongoing calls for the developers to prioritize optimization over new content.
“This game is wonderfully optimized.”
“All the best aspects of the Men of War titles with improved graphics and a major optimization pass that allows it to take full advantage of modern hardware.”
“The slower pace makes this game feel a whole lot more tactical, while the visuals and performance are significantly better.”
“The game optimization is a mess; the game keeps stuttering and has a low framerate.”
“Awful game optimization, especially considering the graphics that look like they are from 2014.”
“This game is frankly one of my favorites, but with how optimized it is for multiplayer, it just isn't worth it.”
- stability176 mentions
- 2 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 98 % negative mentions
The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous reports of freezing, crashes, and significant bugs affecting gameplay, particularly in AI behavior and pathfinding. Players express frustration over low frame rates, long loading times, and multiplayer issues, making the game feel unfinished and often unplayable. Despite its potential and enjoyable core mechanics, the persistent glitches detract from the overall experience, leading many to recommend waiting for improvements before purchasing.
“It's a quality piece with an excellent campaign mode, and even the multiplayer isn't too buggy.”
“This game is highly polished, runs great even on my mid-spec laptop, and has completely surpassed my expectations.”
“It's still in the works but runs great for me. I've been following it since its announcement and have loved it since playing, especially with the content coming from the developers.”
“The game's performance has been terrible for a while, getting low FPS, freezes, crashes, and very long loading times.”
“The game is a buggy, broken mess that has the potential to be a great game if the dev team listens to their audience.”
“It's a buggy, non-optimized mess.”
- replayability96 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game boasts high replayability, primarily due to its dynamic campaign mode and extensive modding support, which allows players to tailor their experiences and explore various strategies. While many users praise the endless replay value from different game modes and the active modding community, some express concerns about limited content in the base game and the impact of overpriced DLC on overall replayability. Overall, the combination of diverse gameplay options and community-driven content significantly enhances the game's longevity.
“The dynamic campaign alone makes this game well worth it; the amount of replayability is immense.”
“Insanely large and amazing modding community, which allows you to tailor the game to your taste and preferences very easily, and combined with the dynamic, randomly generated campaign provides for near-infinite replayability.”
“The dynamic campaigns have great replayability.”
“There is not enough replay value.”
“The game is overpriced; the base game comes with only two factions, which is a massive issue that hurts the game's replayability. With only two factions, there's only so much to do.”
“The main feature of the game, and what most people are looking for, is replayability and the conquest mode, which, even though it gets updated once in a while, is underdeveloped and deserves more attention.”
- grinding58 mentions
- 3 % positive mentions
- 21 % neutral mentions
- 76 % negative mentions
Reviews highlight that the grinding aspect of the game is heavily criticized due to excessive micromanagement and tedious tasks that detract from the overall enjoyment. Players find the need to constantly manage units and inventory overwhelming, often leading to a frustrating experience that feels more like a chore than engaging gameplay. While some appreciate the depth and realism, many agree that the game requires significant optimization to alleviate the grind and enhance the strategic elements.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“A bit grindy sometimes.”
“If it weren't for the inventory system, I would totally recommend this game, and others might thoroughly enjoy the micromanaging required, but to me it just feels like it drags the game to a grinding halt.”
“The single player missions are unsatisfying and tedious.”
“The infantry AI is quite poor as of this review and requires a lot of tedious micromanaging and support, especially on the offensive, to be effective; otherwise, the entrenched infantry will usually win.”
- humor49 mentions
- 88 % positive mentions
- 2 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is often described as unintentionally hilarious, stemming from poor voice acting, absurd AI behavior, and comical glitches that lead to ridiculous in-game situations. Players find amusement in the game's broken mechanics, such as units running blindly into danger or tanks flipping for no reason, which can create entertaining moments, especially in multiplayer settings. While some appreciate the humor, others express frustration with the game's overall performance, suggesting that the comedic elements can sometimes overshadow the gameplay experience.
“The voice acting and the script are hilariously bad.”
“Playing this game with friends and going against people is hilariously fun, especially if you have no idea what you're doing.”
“The AI's driving skill is pretty horrendous and can be really funny to watch.”
“Third mission was utterly unfair and unfunny as a result.”
“In fact, the game is so broken and unfunny that I wrote this whole review while waiting for a counter (troops boarding ships) to tick down because the game gave me no option to take out the German tanks, so all I had to do was wait for a timer to pass, while making sure at least one soldier remained alive.”
“Yes, this game is unfunny and broken.”
- atmosphere41 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 34 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive sound design, realistic weapon effects, and detailed graphics that effectively convey the intensity and grimness of WWII. Players appreciate the dark and gritty ambiance, enhanced by a fitting musical score and atmospheric maps that evoke a strong sense of place and realism. Despite some criticisms regarding unit responsiveness and UI, the overall presentation creates a compelling and engaging experience that resonates with the historical context of the conflict.
“The sound design is equally impressive, with realistic weapon sounds, explosions, and atmospheric effects that bring the battlefield to life.”
“The game itself is frankly beautiful, all the DLC maps are extremely well made and very atmospheric with plenty of detail; the lighting in some maps is astonishing, especially the winter maps, which feel nostalgic and immersive.”
“The atmosphere makes you feel like you're there, with a nice attention to details, impressive explosions, and detailed maps.”
“Units are clunky and unresponsive, the atmosphere and terrain are gray and bland, and the multiplayer 'economy points' system is opaque and not intuitive.”
“Very limited, the UI is bad, the very dark and grim atmosphere, while looking more cinematic, is very boring; the quality of life improvements and performance are definitely a nice step up from AS2, but everything else?”
“In fact, this game is to the RTS genre what RO2 is to the FPS; it's a PTSD simulator: voiceovers are incredible, the music is dark and gritty, and the overall atmosphere of the game is not about heroism, but about death and despair.”
- music35 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising the soundtrack for its immersive and atmospheric qualities that enhance the gameplay experience, particularly during intense moments. However, many players find the music to be generic or uninspired, with some opting to turn it off entirely. Overall, while the sound design is often highlighted as a strong point, the musical score tends to be viewed as average at best.
“The game’s music and voice acting add to the immersion, providing a fitting soundtrack to the high-stakes action.”
“The musical score, while somewhat understated, effectively complements the tense and dramatic atmosphere of the game.”
“The music is perfectly crafted to match the intensity of each battle, making the experience even more immersive.”
“The music... ehhh, turn it off, you won't miss it.”
“I found, however, that the OST annoyed me after hearing it for a while.”
“Music is generic and uninspired.”
- monetization28 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 21 % neutral mentions
- 68 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising the thoughtful expansions that enhance gameplay, while others criticize certain DLCs as cash grabs that should have been included in the base game. Many users express frustration over heavy monetization practices and the perceived lack of meaningful updates, suggesting that the game feels unfinished and primarily serves as a platform for future paid content. Overall, while some appreciate the absence of microtransactions and the modding support, the sentiment leans towards disappointment regarding the pricing and implementation of DLCs.
“In an industry where companies often overprice or release half-baked products with microtransactions as a measure of success, this DLC has been meticulously built and beautifully executed.”
“You'll also appreciate the friendliness to modding, absence of money-grabbing in the form of in-game stores or microtransactions.”
“They have a very fair monetization model.”
“Overall it seems very low effort and poorly implemented, and feels like a ripoff to have bought a DLC advertising Panzer-Lehr and Panzergrenadier and they are not even available in conquest mode.”
“The heavy monetization and the artificial difficulty in the gameplay is the biggest turn off, but if you have the patience to not rip off what's left of your hairline then this is for you; otherwise, avoid or buy it on sale.”
“This game just simply isn't finished and is an obvious cash grab.”
- emotional7 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players report a strong emotional connection to characters and events in the game, particularly highlighting moments of loss and sacrifice, such as losing a beloved squad and tank to artillery fire. The game's stunning visuals and historical accuracy enhance this emotional engagement, making the experience both intellectually stimulating and deeply affecting, despite some technical issues. Overall, the emotional depth is a significant aspect of the gameplay, resonating with players on a personal level.
“Creating an emotional attachment to a squad of men and a tank at the start of a conquest game only to lose them both to the same artillery shell three battles in.”
“Its stunning visuals, historical accuracy, and intricate gameplay mechanics create an experience that is both intellectually stimulating and emotionally engaging.”
“Shed a tear.”
