Gates of Hell
- June 11, 2021
- Barbedwire Studios
- 84h 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
- story1,991 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 78 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The game's story aspect is characterized by a series of historically inspired missions that span the Eastern Front, offering a mix of challenging scenarios and dynamic campaigns. While many players appreciate the attention to detail and the immersive atmosphere, criticisms arise regarding mission design, particularly with frustrating stealth elements and unclear objectives. Overall, the campaign is seen as a mixed bag, with some missions being engaging and well-crafted, while others suffer from bugs and poor balance, leading to a less satisfying experience.
“The single-player campaign is a standout feature, offering a series of challenging and historically inspired missions.”
“You’ll experience pivotal battles between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, with each mission designed to test your strategic skills and adaptability.”
“The campaign is well-crafted, immersing players in the evolving storyline as they progress through various scenarios.”
“The core game is great but the missions are so bad, very disappointing and just not fun.”
“My main gripe with this game is the mission design.”
“The campaign missions are extensive, and really make you feel like you are in some deep WWII scenarios.”
- gameplay1,270 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay in "Gates of Hell: Ostfront" is characterized by its blend of tactical depth and action, featuring realistic mechanics such as armor penetration and unit control in both RTS and third-person perspectives. While many players appreciate the intricate strategies and historical accuracy, the game suffers from issues like clunky controls, AI shortcomings, and optimization problems, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite these drawbacks, the game offers a rich and engaging experience for fans of WWII strategy games, especially with its dynamic gameplay modes and extensive modding support.
“The gameplay in 'Gates of Hell: Ostfront' excels at combining tactical depth with action-packed moments, the game's mechanics emphasize 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.”
“This game stands out for its commitment to historical accuracy, deep mechanics, and immersive gameplay, making it a must-play for strategy enthusiasts and history buffs alike.”
“Frequently the combination of maps and gameplay don't work well together.”
“#1 issue hands down is the enemy AI, but I guess the sounds of the competitive multiplayer kids crying their heads off makes them hesitant to do anything productive at all outside of adding unfinished game modes and niche mechanics that 99% of the player base will ever utilize.”
“As much as I love the gameplay, the constant crashes and poor optimization detract from what would have been an excellent experience.”
- graphics1,031 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics in "Call to Arms - Gates of Hell: Ostfront" have received generally positive feedback, with many players praising the detailed environments, realistic unit models, and immersive sound design that enhance the WWII experience. While some users noted that the graphics are not groundbreaking compared to other recent titles, they still appreciate the aesthetic quality and historical accuracy. However, performance issues and optimization concerns were frequently mentioned, particularly for lower-end systems, indicating that while the visuals are impressive, they can be demanding on hardware.
“The amazing models and sounds create an aesthetically pleasing and authentic feeling WW2 RTS experience.”
“The sound design and visuals are top-notch, with authentic battle sounds and beautifully rendered environments that bring the eastern front to life.”
“Visually, Gates of Hell: Ostfront impresses with its detailed environments, outstanding looking graphics and meticulously modeled units.”
“The graphics are not that good, there is no excuse for how bad the performance is.”
“The graphics are subpar and comparing this to COH 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 so they tie their shoelaces in the right order by manufacturing date.”
“Graphics are terrible for a 2021 game, no cap.”
- optimization395 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 28 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with players reporting frequent performance issues such as low frame rates, stuttering, and long loading times, even on high-end systems. While some improvements have been noted, particularly in comparison to previous titles, many users still find the game poorly optimized, especially during larger battles and in multiplayer modes. Overall, the consensus is that substantial work is needed to enhance the game's performance and stability.
“This technical advancement ensures a smoother gaming experience with fewer crashes and better performance, accommodating the complex scenarios typical of large-scale RTS games.”
“Aside from performance issues (which is being actively worked on & has seen huge improvements), this game is everything I've ever wanted in a WWII RTS game.”
“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 game's performance has been terrible for a while, getting low FPS, freezes, crashes, and very long loading times.”
“As much as I love the gameplay, the constant crashes and poor optimization detract from what would have been an excellent experience.”
“This game is frankly one of my favorites but with how optimized it is for multiplayer, it just isn't worth it.”
- stability345 mentions
- 2 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 98 % negative mentions
The game's stability is widely criticized, with players reporting frequent crashes, low frame rates, and numerous bugs affecting gameplay, particularly in AI pathfinding and multiplayer modes. Many users express frustration over the game's performance issues, including long loading times and glitches that can render it unplayable. Despite its entertaining core mechanics, the overwhelming instability detracts significantly from the overall experience, leading to a consensus that it requires substantial improvements before being recommended for purchase.
“This game is highly polished, runs great even on my midspec laptop, and has completely surpassed my expectations.”
“It's a quality piece with an excellent campaign mode, and even the multiplayer isn't too buggy.”
“It's still in the works but runs great for me, and I have been following it since its announcement a while back and have loved it since playing, especially with the content coming from the devs.”
“The game's performance has been terrible for a while, getting low fps, freezes, crashes, and very long loading times.”
“The game has so many glitches that it's unplayable... soldiers get stuck in the middle of the field, they don't respond to commands, once they enter a building they get stuck in it, they can't get out.”
“After seeing how buggy and broken the game is with units not responding to commands to move or fire and the game constantly freezing and crashing, it's no wonder why it was on sale for so cheap.”
- replayability185 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 51 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with many players praising the dynamic conquest mode and extensive modding support that offer near-infinite replay value. However, some users express disappointment over the limited number of factions and customization options, which can hinder the overall experience. While the dynamic campaigns and skirmishes provide significant replay potential, the base game is criticized for lacking content, impacting its long-term appeal.
“From meticulously recreated historical single-player campaigns to the dynamic campaign mode, which allows you to shape your own war experience, the game offers endless replayability and strategic variety.”
“The dynamic campaigns in the game lead to near infinite replayability and you can do them co-op with friends.”
“The dynamic campaign gives this game infinite replayability which was something that was missing from the Men of War predecessors.”
“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.”
“Because of this, its replayability is quite short-lived.”
- grinding112 mentions
- 3 % positive mentions
- 22 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is frequently criticized for being tedious and overly reliant on micromanagement, with players expressing frustration over repetitive tasks and cumbersome UI interactions. Many reviews highlight that while the game has potential and enjoyable moments, the excessive need for detailed control and the lack of streamlined mechanics can make gameplay feel laborious and unfulfilling. Overall, players suggest that significant improvements are needed to reduce the grind and enhance the overall experience.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“A bit grindy sometimes.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Campaigns can be tedious, buggy, and kind of boring at times, though occasionally, they'll just randomly throw at you insane numbers of tanks to overrun you, when you have nothing anti-tank.”
“The single player missions are unsatisfying and tedious.”
“The only other issue I have with the game is the UI, which just feels heavy. It sometimes feels like it has too many steps for issuing orders, and it can get tedious micro-managing every single soldier's foxhole.”
- humor95 mentions
- 87 % positive mentions
- 2 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is often derived from its broken AI and absurd gameplay mechanics, leading to unintentionally funny moments such as troops running blindly into enemy fire or tanks flipping for no reason. Players find the combination of frustrating bugs and chaotic scenarios amusing, especially when playing with friends, although some express that the humor can wear thin due to the game's ongoing issues. Overall, while the game has potential for hilarity, its flaws can detract from the fun, leaving a mixed impression on players.
“Playing this game with friends and going against people is hilariously fun, especially if you have no idea what you're doing.”
“Hilariously, there is a secret objective on that mission but it doesn't tell you what it is once you reveal it, the camera just zooms in on a part of the road with some crates, and when you fail, it zooms in on the road even further.”
“Ai is downright jank - troops run blindly into enemy fire, resulting in hilarious queues of running soldiers being popped off by a single rifleman standing in the open in the courtyard you've just ordered them to assault.”
“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.”
- atmosphere81 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive sound design, realistic visuals, and attention to detail, effectively capturing the gritty and intense experience of WWII. Players appreciate the dark and dramatic musical score, alongside the impressive environmental effects that enhance the overall feeling of being in a war zone. While some critiques mention bland terrain and clunky unit controls, the game's ability to evoke a sense of realism and emotional weight is consistently highlighted as a standout feature.
“The sound design is equally impressive, with realistic weapon sounds, explosions, and atmospheric effects that bring the battlefield to life.”
“The audio is incredible, the atmosphere is so dark and awesome... this game feels like war and they did an amazing job with it.”
“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?”
“It's an absolute dismay and unforgivable shame that they did not hire a developer to bring the unit AI to the breakthrough level of graphics, atmosphere, and immersion that this game has achieved.”
- music69 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it generic and uninspired, suggesting it be turned off for a better experience. However, others appreciate the soundtrack for its ability to enhance immersion and match the game's intense atmosphere, noting that it can be complemented by mods for those seeking a different auditory experience. Overall, while the music may not stand out for everyone, it contributes to the game's dramatic and immersive qualities.
“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.”
- monetization56 mentions
- 7 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 68 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players viewing the DLCs as thoughtful expansions that enhance gameplay, while others criticize them as cash grabs that exploit players with content that should have been included in the base game. Concerns about heavy monetization, artificial difficulty, and a lack of meaningful updates have been prevalent, leading to recommendations to purchase the game on sale or avoid it altogether. Overall, while some appreciate the absence of microtransactions and the modding support, many feel the monetization model detracts from the overall experience.
“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.”
“The heavy monetization and the artificial difficulty in the gameplay is the biggest turn offs, 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 looks to be a cash grab, since the initial $30 you spent is essentially just a platform for future DLC, which the devs admitted to starting work on before the game was even released.”
“Not only me, but the community as well has expressed concerns about these developers’ focus on monetization through DLCs rather than meaningful updates.”
- emotional14 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players report a strong emotional connection to the game, particularly through the poignant experiences of losing beloved characters and units during intense battles. The combination of stunning visuals, historical accuracy, and intricate gameplay fosters a deeply engaging atmosphere, though some feel the game still has room for improvement. Overall, the emotional impact is significant, making the gameplay experience memorable and thought-provoking.
“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 3 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”
