Heroes of Normandie

About

"Heroes of Normandie" is a steam game adaptation of a popular board game, known for its humor, tactical depth, and engaging strategy. Players command small squads in D-Day campaigns, with numerous units, equipment, and abilities to utilize. The game offers single-player campaigns, skirmishes, a rogue-like mode, and multiplayer, promising tons of content and future updates.

Genres & Tags

Strategy

Play Modes

70%

Audience ScoreBased on 127 reviews

story4 positive mentions

stability7 negative mentions

Fun and simple game with good mechanics that captures the essence of the original board game.
Engaging gameplay with puzzle-like characteristics, requiring strategic thinking in skirmishes.
Great for fans of the physical board game, providing a humorous and enjoyable experience.

Game is plagued by bugs and technical issues, including crashes and unresponsive UI elements.
Dice rolls can feel unfair, often favoring the AI and leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
Lack of content and expansions, with many features from the board game missing or poorly implemented.

story
41 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
83%
7%
The game's story is described as simple and uninteresting, with 36 missions across three factions that often feel repetitive after the initial stages. While the missions are designed to be quick and provide tactical training, players may find the gameplay lacks depth and variety, leading to a sense of monotony. However, the inclusion of a mission editor and various modes, such as skirmishes and rogue-like missions, offers some creative freedom and additional content for players seeking more engagement.
- “The tutorial missions work well to teach players the concepts, and the single-player missions provide a good deal of tactical training and hours of play.”
- “Every mission is carefully designed and balanced to provide both challenge and fun.”
- “There are a lot of funny moments in the campaign mission briefings, playing on WWII movie characters and stereotypes.”
- “After 10 missions, you feel the same gameplay over and over again; I doubt you have the passion to finish 36 missions.”
- “The missions guide the player through a simple and uninteresting story.”
- “What is worse, a lot of the missions can be beaten by simply moving a unit across the map and grabbing the objective, does it matter that it's still guarded by two MG42 nests and a Panzer VI?”
gameplay
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
65%
9%
The gameplay is generally praised for its engaging mechanics and tactical depth, appealing to fans of strategy games. However, some players find it repetitive after a limited number of missions, with certain mechanics poorly explained or underwhelming. While the game captures the essence of the original board game, it has been criticized for balance issues and a lack of comprehensive tutorials for new players.
- “Great tactical board wargame - superb art and visuals and engaging gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is exactly what I've been looking for to scratch the 'Advance Wars' and 'European Battlefield' itch from my childhood.”
- “Gameplay is pretty tight and there are enough units and builds to keep things interesting until the expanded content starts to appear.”
- “Cons: after 10 missions you feel the same gameplay over and over again, I doubt you have the passion to finish 36 missions.”
- “Kind of underwhelming, some of the mechanics are kind of useless, others are poorly explained, and after a while the art style loses its novelty.”
- “Poor game mechanics, results based on dice, totally unbalanced scenarios...”
graphics
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
32%
12%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the beautiful artwork and faithful representation of the board game, while others find them underwhelming and lacking in technical polish. Many users appreciate the charming visuals and comic style, which enhance the lighthearted gameplay, though some note that the novelty may wear off over time. Overall, the graphics are generally considered decent and fitting for a digital board game, but not groundbreaking.
- “Great tactical board wargame - superb art and visuals and engaging gameplay.”
- “Graphically impressive.”
- “Graphics are amazing, capturing the tabletop look perfectly with square chits covered in unit stats and great looking artwork of the many different unit types.”
- “Kind of underwhelming, some of the mechanics are kind of useless, others are poorly explained, and after a while the art style loses its novelty.”
- “This is a digital board game, so don't expect flashy graphics and mind-blowing effects.”
- “There is no way to control graphics or sound through the use of a settings or options menu.”
humor
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as lighthearted and entertaining, featuring lowbrow cartoons and funny moments that play on WWII movie stereotypes. While it maintains a colorful and humorous atmosphere, it also offers a legitimate tactical challenge, blending fun with engaging gameplay. Overall, players appreciate the game's personality and comedic elements, which enhance the enjoyment of both solo and multiplayer experiences.
- “The board game itself seems like it would be fairly amusing, a lightweight but rather humorous WWII tactical game somewhere between Panzer Pranks and Memoir '44.”
- “There are a lot of funny moments in the campaign mission briefings, playing on WWII movie characters and stereotypes.”
- “It's a quick, fun play with a great sense of humor and gorgeous board game design.”
stability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
88%
The game's stability is frequently criticized due to numerous bugs and glitches, leading to freezing issues and an overall unpolished experience. While it runs well on certain systems, many players report significant problems, particularly on specific display settings. Despite these issues, some users appreciate the developers' engagement with the community and their commitment to addressing these concerns.
- “Runs great on Windows 8 with an NVIDIA card at 1920 x 1080 resolution.”
- “The game maintains a steady frame rate, providing a smooth experience throughout.”
- “I haven't encountered any crashes or bugs, which makes for a very stable gameplay.”
- “However, it's just too buggy.”
- “In this game, there are a few instances where the game just won't let you progress or it freezes.”
- “A very casual game that does not live up to the original, with poor content, many annoying bugs and glitches, unpolished, and as it seems abandoned by its developers.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The game's replayability is significantly enhanced by the Steam PC version, which simplifies understanding and gameplay, along with the introduction of an editor for creating and sharing custom battles. While some users express concerns about potentially low replay value, the overall consensus is that the game offers a high level of fun and replayability.
- “Now that they have released the editor, the game has even more added replay value with being able to create my own battles and play those created by others.”
- “All in all, this game is actually really fun and has a ton of replayability.”
- “I have a feeling that the replay value will be pretty low as well.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
100%
The music in the game is generally considered generic, lacking distinctiveness, but it effectively complements the sound effects, creating an immersive audio experience that enhances the intensity of the battlefield.
- “Sound effects and music come together as an explosive union of audio majesty, with thundering tank fire from cannons shaking the battlefield and infantry rifle fire zigging across tree lines to hit their targets.”
- “The music is a bit generic.”
- “Music is put together by a couple of generic tracks.”
- “Sound effects and music come together as an explosive union of audio majesty, but the overall experience feels lacking.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
150%
The game's optimization is praised for its dynamic map design, which features varied terrain that influences unit performance and strategy. Players appreciate the detailed unit types, each with unique stats and abilities, enhancing the tactical depth of battles. Additionally, the progression system rewards players with gold based on performance, allowing for continuous army development.
- “A map with varying terrain that affects unit performance, including unit tiles ranging from simple infantry and specialized infantry to light, medium, and heavy armor, each with different stats, traits, and abilities.”
- “After each battle, you gain more gold based on your performance, allowing you to continuously build and optimize your army.”
- “The optimization of unit performance based on varying terrain is poorly implemented, leading to frustrating gameplay.”
- “The game lacks proper balancing in unit stats and abilities, making some units feel overpowered while others are nearly useless.”
- “The overall optimization of the game feels rushed, resulting in frequent performance issues and a lack of polish.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
300%
The atmosphere of the game is characterized by a lighthearted and humorous tone, creating an enjoyable experience that doesn't take itself too seriously.
- “The atmosphere is slightly humorous and doesn't take itself too seriously.”
- “The atmosphere feels disjointed and lacks a cohesive theme.”
- “The game tries to create a dark atmosphere, but it ends up feeling bland and uninspired.”
- “Despite its attempts at immersion, the atmosphere is often interrupted by jarring transitions.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game is not directly addressed in the provided text, which focuses more on the nostalgic and explosive gameplay elements reminiscent of classic wargames. Therefore, no specific insights on monetization can be drawn from this review.