Graviteam Tactics: Mius-Front
- March 4, 2016
- Graviteam
- 27h median play time
"Graviteam Tactics: Mius-Front" is a tactical combat simulation game with turn-based and real-time modes, focusing on the Eastern Front of World War II. The game offers four large-scale operations for the Red Army and Wehrmacht, featuring over 100 detailed vehicles and 140 sq. km of realistic landscapes. It serves as a sequel to "Graviteam Tactics: Operation Star" and "Achtung Panzer: Kharkov 1943."
Reviews
- Incredibly detailed and realistic simulation of WWII combat, particularly on the Eastern Front.
- Offers a unique blend of operational and tactical gameplay, allowing players to command large forces and watch battles unfold in real-time.
- Active developer support with regular updates and a commitment to historical accuracy, enhancing the overall experience.
- Steep learning curve with a confusing user interface that can be overwhelming for new players.
- Lack of comprehensive tutorials and documentation, making it difficult to understand game mechanics.
- AI behavior can be inconsistent, leading to frustrating moments during gameplay.
- gameplay124 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 76 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Graviteam Tactics is characterized by its deep and complex mechanics, requiring significant dedication to master, with many players noting a steep learning curve exacerbated by a lack of comprehensive tutorials. While the user interface can be challenging and sometimes confusing, the attention to detail in mechanics such as line of sight, morale, and realistic ballistics contributes to a highly immersive and rewarding experience once players overcome initial hurdles. Overall, the game offers extensive replayability and a unique simulation of World War II tactics, making it a must-try for strategy enthusiasts willing to invest the time to learn its intricacies.
“Graviteam Tactics is worth investing at least 50 hours just to learn the mechanics.”
“Excellent simulation - the combat mechanics and AI allow you to get realistic results using real-world tactics and procedures, and in combination with the expansive scenarios, there is endless replayability.”
“Once learned, the gameplay loop is extremely rewarding, but would benefit from deeper attention to continuity, like longer campaigns with the same troops.”
“However, this game falls short on tutorials and has quite a huge learning curve on the game mechanics.”
“In summary, the game mechanics are buried behind an obtuse, largely undocumented UI that doesn't follow its own conventions.”
“The gameplay is terribly deep, and along with that depth there come a lot of confusing mechanics and questionable player friendliness.”
- story101 mentions
- 6 % positive mentions
- 91 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The game lacks a traditional narrative, focusing instead on mission briefings that provide historical context for battles. Players appreciate the dynamic campaign and the tactical depth, where each battle unfolds with unique stories driven by player decisions and unit interactions. While some find the learning curve steep, many agree that the game offers a compelling wargaming experience reminiscent of the Combat Mission series, with a greater emphasis on operational strategy rather than micromanagement.
“Every battle is a story, and due to its 'physics sandbox' style, it's never over until it's over!”
“Every loss and victory has at least two memorable moments in that conflict, as every burning hulk of metal or fallen soldier has a story that cannot be recreated in any other game.”
“Great WWII eastern front simulator at the company and higher level, with a separate and detailed operational layer giving each battle a purpose and story within the wider campaign.”
“Graviteam Tactics: Mius Front doesn't have a story as such, so instead I'll cover the mission briefings here, such as they are.”
“Crucial mechanics, like the game's overly literal interpretation of how artillery fire missions were called in, are poorly explained and remain topics of confusing claim and counter-claim on the forum pages.”
“Every loss and victory has at least two memorable moments in that conflict, and I say at least two because every burning hulk of metal or fallen soldiers has a story that cannot be recreated in any other game.”
- graphics59 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics in "Graviteam Tactics: Mius Front" are generally praised for their attention to detail and immersive battlefield experience, showcasing vast, topographically accurate environments and realistic effects. While some users note that the graphics may feel dated compared to modern AAA titles, they still hold up well within the strategy genre, offering significant improvements over previous games in the series. Overall, the visuals contribute positively to the game's realism and historical authenticity, making it a standout in its category.
“One of the things that stands out about Graviteam Tactics: Mius-Front is the attention to detail in the game's graphics and mechanics.”
“The graphics are beautiful, the historical information is interesting, the simulations are realistic and detailed, and the gameplay is intriguing and challenging.”
“Tracers illuminate the sky, vehicles get crippled and show damage depending on where they were hit, and the attention to detail is astonishing.”
“Graphics seem dated at first, but it's a massive improvement over Combat Mission, and you'll adapt to it.”
“The graphics would have been cutting edge 10 years ago; today they are passable.”
“Graphics are a little dated but provide massive scale and effects that really put you into the battle.”
- replayability19 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The game boasts exceptional replayability, driven by its unscripted AI, diverse battle scenarios, and a robust battle editor that allows players to create and share custom battles. With multiple operations and the ability to import/export campaigns, each playthrough offers a unique experience, ensuring that no two battles are the same. Players appreciate the depth and complexity of the game, which, despite its learning curve, provides countless memorable moments and high replay value.
“The operational layer of the game adds another level of replayability and nicely brings your tactical battles into the context of the broader battlefield.”
“Ai behaves differently every battle, so the replayability is insane.”
“If you finished the campaigns, you are able to create your own battles with all different types of units, which gives the game a high replayability.”
“The game comes with like 4 individual operations but all the operations are replayable and you won't get the same battle twice.”
“Can't wait for them to add multiplayer, that would make this one of my favorite RTS games to date as multiplayer adds much more replayability.”
“I have played tons of wargames in the last 30 years and this is really one of the best, and thanks to the battle editor it appears to have a lot of replay value.”
- atmosphere15 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in the game is widely praised for its incredible detail and immersive quality, effectively capturing the horror and chaos of World War II's Eastern Front. Players commend the evocative graphics, sound effects, and the overall tension during battles, particularly in winter settings, making it a standout simulation that combines realism with historical accuracy. Despite some minor sound issues, the game's atmosphere is considered unparalleled in its ability to draw players into the experience.
“Absolutely dripping with atmosphere and detail, and the best simulation/wargame I've seen that conveys the horror, terror, and confusion amidst the slaughter that took place on the Eastern Front in WWII.”
“Incredibly kino, manages to conjure atmosphere like no other game out there; from the lighting to the landscape, it's a wonderfully evocative representation of man killing man in the natural world.”
“But the AI accomplishes mostly their duty here; without being a military genius, the AI doesn't break the atmosphere the game creates for you.”
“The surroundings, the atmosphere, the tension during night battles with tracers flying everywhere.”
“Graviteam Tactics: Mius-Front along with Graviteam Tactics: Operation Star & expansions create a WWII atmosphere that is both operational and very tactical.”
- optimization12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while many players report significant improvements and stability, particularly in newer updates, performance can still be demanding and heavily reliant on CPU capabilities. Some users experience frame rate drops in intense scenarios, and those below recommended specs may struggle with performance. However, many agree that it is generally well-optimized for its complexity, especially compared to its predecessor.
“While the game is demanding performance-wise, from my naive view it is nicely optimized for what it's doing under the hood.”
“There may be still some hiccups here and there, but performance has been vastly improved.”
“Fun game, a lot more improved over GTOS, way more optimized, has a better UI, and can run on max settings without dipping frames with many units on screen.”
“Its both great and frustrating at the same time and has so many dichotomies in its performance.”
“Performance is highly dependent on your CPU.”
“Updated review: I had a no recommendation because I was below the recommended specs and the game suffered hard on performance.”
- grinding10 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 90 % negative mentions
Reviews highlight a mixed experience with grinding in the game, noting that while it offers a realistic and strategic depth, the learning curve can be tedious and filled with roadblocks. The game minimizes micromanagement through effective AI, allowing players to enjoy the spectacle of battles rather than getting bogged down in details, though some players may still find the initial learning process frustratingly complex. Overall, it balances between providing engaging battlefield action and the potential for tedium in mastering its systems.
“There is a huge amount of depth and technical detail, but this is largely automated, so there's no tedious RTS-style micromanagement. You spend most of your time supervising and enjoying the spectacle, intervening to make key decisions here and there.”
“Listen, I get that this game is a passion project, and in terms of creating cool looking battles that are very authentic in terms of weaponry, unit modeling, ballistics, armaments, etc., it absolutely delivers, but once you actually figure out how to play the game, it throws in every conceivable roadblock to make this process as tedious as possible.”
“Sometimes, it's a boring game, even tedious.”
“What's amazing is how tedious learning this game is going to be, because it doesn't have to be.”
- humor5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is well-received, with players appreciating the developer's entertaining engagement in discussions and finding comedic moments in animations, such as characters running on fire. While some AI behaviors can be amusingly odd, the overall experience is described as humorously enjoyable, with instances of soldiers laughing adding to the comedic atmosphere.
“Plus, the dev is active in the discussions, and his sense of humor is quite entertaining.”
“Then I laughed because the running around on fire animation is pretty funny.”
“This game is so good it's funny.”
- stability5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is frequently criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs, frustrating AI movement, and frequent crashes that hinder gameplay. Many players have experienced issues with the game failing to launch, leading to wasted hours troubleshooting, and some recommend seeking refunds if initial problems arise. Overall, the game appears to be crude and unpolished, significantly impacting the user experience.
“Simulations can be buggy, and AI movement can be confusing and frustrating.”
“Crude, unpolished, and buggy as hell.”
“Game just constantly freezes mid-play and nothing I have tried works.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the emotional aspect of the game deeply impactful, highlighting feelings of heartbreak and hopelessness as they experience the weight of historical events and the tragic consequences of warfare. The latest DLC enhances this emotional engagement, evoking empathy for soldiers on both sides and creating a poignant atmosphere amidst the chaos of battle.
“It is heartbreaking to witness history being repeated.”
“The hopelessness of 10 T-34s rushing your entrenched units and seeing from the commander's view that you can't do anything about it is something no strategy game has ever made me feel.”
“Mistakes sometimes make this a strange, emotional viewing of a tragic bloodbath.”
- music2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received largely negative feedback, with many players finding it unappealing or even unbearable, leading some to turn it off entirely. However, a few players have opted to listen to their own music while playing instead.
“The music is awful and I had to turn it off within minutes of playing my first scenario.”
“Music is meh, but I listen to Sabaton while playing.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy for the game has received criticism, with players expressing frustration over the developer's approach to DLC, which they find to be excessive or poorly implemented despite enjoying the game itself.
“Good game, but the developer's monetization strategy for DLC is frustrating.”
“The monetization model feels exploitative and detracts from the overall experience.”
“I enjoy the gameplay, but the constant push for in-game purchases is overwhelming.”