Holdfast: Nations At War

91%
Game Brain Score Based on 30,644 reviews
  • humor
  • gameplay
  • music
Holdfast: Nations At War Game Cover
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"Holdfast: Nations At War" is a multiplayer first- and third-person shooter set in the Napoleonic era. Join intense large-scale battles with up to 150 players, featuring infantry, cavalry, and naval warfare. Choose your role, work as a team, and master the historical weapons and tactics of the time. Immerse yourself in a realistic and immersive experience.

  • PC
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

91%
Audience ScoreBased on 30,644 reviews
humor2,066 positive mentions
optimization86 negative mentions
  • humor2,078 mentions

    The humor in "Holdfast: Nations at War" is a standout feature, with players frequently praising the game's vibrant and hilarious community. The proximity voice chat enhances the experience, leading to countless funny moments, chaotic interactions, and spontaneous role-playing that often results in laughter. While some players note that the humor can sometimes veer into childish or toxic territory, the overall sentiment is that the game's comedic elements and the absurdity of its gameplay create a uniquely entertaining atmosphere.

    • “The community has embraced the game's humor, creating an atmosphere that is both competitive and downright entertaining.”
    • “Whether it's witty banter, hilarious role-playing, or just the sheer absurdity of in-game conversations, Holdfast's chat is a delightful experience in itself.”
    • “The community is hilarious and the gameplay makes it even funnier.”
    • “Expect a lot of unfunny mic spam instead.”
    • “The only thing wrong is people mic spamming dead, unfunny memes every minute of the game.”
    • “Not funny like it is on YouTube.”
  • gameplay2,004 mentions

    The gameplay of "Holdfast: Nations at War" is characterized by a mix of chaotic fun and community-driven interactions, often overshadowing its mechanical shortcomings. While players appreciate the unique historical setting and the engaging multiplayer experience, many criticize the clunky melee mechanics, inconsistent shooting accuracy, and overall lack of polish, which can lead to frustration. Despite these issues, the vibrant community and humorous voice chat contribute significantly to the enjoyment, making it a game best experienced with friends or in organized regiments.

    • “Holdfast offers a unique blend of hilarity and intense gameplay that keeps you hooked from the first musket shot to the final bayonet charge.”
    • “The gameplay is incredibly fun and the community is one of the greatest.”
    • “The gameplay fully embraces the mechanics a slow firing weapon employs with charging and melee being surprisingly balanced, it rewards working together and can be very immersive with the artillery loading and bands.”
    • “Anvil game studios has made it clear that they would rather create 3,467,236 billion more maps than try to add any balancing mechanics or improvements into the game proper.”
    • “The melee and the shooting are the worst in the industry; even Concord has better gameplay than this.”
    • “The gameplay itself is pretty janky; the game is not much to look at, but it reminds me of the earlier days of the internet.”
  • music1,574 mentions

    The music aspect of "Holdfast: Nations at War" is characterized by a chaotic and humorous blend of player-generated audio, with many users mic-spamming a wide variety of songs, from classical pieces to modern pop and meme music. While this can enhance the game's atmosphere and provide comedic moments, it often leads to overwhelming noise that can detract from gameplay, prompting players to mute others frequently. Despite the annoyance of music spam, many players appreciate the unique role of musicians in the game, who provide buffs to teammates and contribute to the overall fun and immersive experience.

    • “Get immersed as you charge the enemy with classic 1806 songs such as the USSR national anthem, the YMCA, and of course the classic Britney Spears - Toxic.”
    • “The addition of in-game VoIP has led to quite the assortment of shrieks, moans, yells, music, and Oscar-worthy voiceovers playing out over the battlefield.”
    • “The support roles of flag bearers and musicians are especially fun, because playing your instrument or waving your flag will result in bonuses for all teammates nearby (like better accuracy).”
    • “I loved the actual gameplay, but unfortunately I was permanently muted on official servers (text & voice) for mic spamming annoying music.”
    • “That being said, it's hard to hear when there's another person near you with loud and god-awful music playing in your ear.”
    • “Most of the problems with this game seem to be because it attracts mostly teenagers that troll, spam music, spam 'god save the king' for an hour or role play as French talking constantly about baguette.”
  • graphics930 mentions

    The graphics of "Holdfast: Nations at War" have received mixed reviews, with many players noting significant improvements over its predecessor, "Mount & Blade: Napoleonic Wars." While some praise the game's visual fidelity and attention to detail, particularly in character models and environments, others criticize the graphics for being outdated or not optimized, leading to performance issues on lower-end systems. Overall, the game is seen as visually appealing but not cutting-edge, with gameplay often taking precedence over graphical quality.

    • “The graphics overhaul makes first person look great, and the learning curve is completely bearable.”
    • “The maps are meticulously designed to recreate the battlefields of the 18th century, and the graphics and sound effects are stunningly realistic.”
    • “The graphics are beautiful, the gameplay enjoyable and the vision for the future exciting.”
    • “The graphics are bad and the game feels decent.”
    • “Graphics and avatars are shoddy too.”
    • “The character models are to contemporary graphics what TES III: Morrowind’s character models were to its contemporaries, ugly; however, TES III was actually an enjoyable game whereas Holdfast: Nations at War is not.”
  • optimization348 mentions

    The game's optimization has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many players reporting significant performance issues such as frame drops, lag spikes, and inconsistent FPS even on high-end systems. While some updates have aimed to improve performance, many users still find the game poorly optimized, leading to frustration and a less enjoyable experience. Overall, there is a strong consensus that the game requires further optimization to enhance gameplay stability and performance.

    • “The gameplay isn't even all that good, but the engine is impressive to handle so many players and all the voice chatting, especially after this latest update which shrunk the game, improved performance, and improved visuals.”
    • “Very fun, they also just optimized it for low-end PCs, so all my potato PC brothers out there can also enjoy the satisfaction of mic spam and Napoleonic chaos.”
    • “The game has had a huge boost to performance.”
    • “The game on its own could be described as, and I quote, "the biggest piece of dogshit." For a game of less than 50 GB, its optimization is nonexistent, meaning that a decent PC will not give you 60 FPS on high settings.”
    • “Performance is quite bad, with frame drops everywhere and sound clipping in some maps.”
    • “The biggest problem with the game as of now is the absolute dogshit servers and terrible optimization.”
  • stability198 mentions

    The game's stability is frequently criticized, with many players reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and performance issues that detract from the overall experience. While some find the comedic nature of the glitches adds charm, others express frustration over unreliable mechanics, particularly in melee combat and hit detection. Overall, the game is seen as a fun but flawed experience, heavily reliant on patches and community engagement to address its ongoing stability problems.

    • “The game feels very polished, it runs great, looks good and the firefights can get intense.”
    • “Game runs great with little lag issues, which is surprising, given how most early access games struggle in that regard.”
    • “I liked everything, the game is perfect, no bugs, no glitches so far.”
    • “Today, Holdfast has regressed into a buggy, bloated, unoptimized mess.”
    • “Game is pretty fun but mechanically it's a nightmare; weapons are completely unreliable, movement is buggy as hell, the maps are buggy, and hitboxes are really janky.”
    • “This game is going to my uninstalled list until the devs wake up and deal with the hacks and glitch abusers and patch the maps to prevent glitches.”
  • story166 mentions

    The reviews for the game's story aspect are mixed, with many users noting a lack of a traditional narrative or campaign. Some players appreciate the organic storytelling that emerges from gameplay interactions, while others highlight humorous or absurd anecdotes shared among players. Overall, the game seems to prioritize fun and mission objectives over a structured storyline.

    • “With an amazing plot, great characters, and a compelling storyline, I can say that this game is the best Steam game I've ever played.”
    • “The game's amazing; you'll load in and music is being blasted into your ears as someone tells a story with cannonballs flying over your head.”
    • “It's one of the few games to tell an organic story that is completely told by its players.”
    • “Very historically accurate from the deep-fried mic spam to the guy sitting by the fire literally telling a story of how he date-raped a girl in college, got away with it, and now has an addiction to it 16 years later and has done it to numerous girls since.”
    • “No leveling up, story line, or much else.”
    • “Support the game and join us - just don't expect a story line or any type of campaign!”
  • atmosphere142 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its authenticity and immersive qualities, effectively capturing the essence of the Napoleonic era through detailed graphics, sound design, and community engagement. Players appreciate the blend of humor and competitive spirit, which fosters a lively and entertaining environment, while the game's emphasis on teamwork and historical accuracy enhances the overall experience. Despite some criticisms regarding player behavior and mechanics, the game's atmosphere remains a standout feature that draws players in.

    • “The thunderous roar of muskets, the clash of steel, the frantic commands of officers - it all combines to create a battlefield atmosphere unlike any other.”
    • “Authentic atmosphere: Holdfast captures the essence of the Napoleonic era with meticulous attention to detail, from environments to uniforms, creating a rich and immersive experience.”
    • “The atmosphere is captivating and you will really get a sense of fighting in the Napoleonic era, whether it's on land, the sea, or a combination of both.”
    • “Even the most innocuous of usernames can lead to punitive actions, creating an atmosphere of fear and self-censorship.”
    • “The atmosphere of the musicians playing period piece music would be great, to match the buffs to players that they confer, but this is always drowned out by modern pop music being played through players' microphones, let alone ISIS anthems.”
    • “Only negative is the people that seem to have to play really loud music over their microphone spoiling the atmosphere.”
  • grinding104 mentions

    Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and monotonous, often requiring a significant time investment to enjoy. While some appreciate the lack of traditional grinding mechanics, others note that gameplay can still feel repetitive and slow, particularly when playing solo. However, there are positive mentions of the game being casual and enjoyable without the need for extensive grinding or gear farming.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “No grinding or unlocking, no insane learning curve, no pay to win. I was able to hold my own and do well even with less than 10 hours in the game against players with hundreds of hours. That, to me, is how a game should be.”
    • “There are no goals, no grinding yet, and some of the roleplay is the funniest I've seen.”
    • “Rounds seem grindy and not tactical at all.”
    • “Everything is so slow and tedious.”
    • “The result are tedious, boring matches that all play out exactly the same.”
  • replayability46 mentions

    Overall, the game boasts high replayability due to its diverse maps, game modes, and balanced gameplay, making each match feel fresh and engaging. While many players find it infinitely replayable and enjoyable, some express a desire for additional content, such as more factions and progression systems, to enhance long-term interest. The community aspect also plays a significant role in maintaining the game's replay value, despite occasional bugs and content limitations.

    • “The diverse range of maps and game modes further adds to the replayability, ensuring that each match brings a fresh and unique experience.”
    • “Genuinely the most fun I've had in a game for a while; it's infinitely replayable and hilarious.”
    • “For the price, even in early access, it's great value for money, and it has excellent replayability.”
    • “More maps, game modes, and historical periods would add much-needed variety and replayability.”
    • “This is the successor of Mount & Blade: Napoleonic War; it needs more persistent progression, like experience points, levels, loadouts, and character customization to offer real replayability and keep the interest at its maximum.”
    • “It's in alpha, so it does lack content, but it's surprisingly polished for an alpha (no game-breaking bugs!) with a lot of replayability.”
  • emotional38 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a strong sense of community and wholesome interactions among players, often leading to laughter and heartfelt moments. Many users highlight the game's ability to evoke deep emotions, ranging from joy to nostalgia, while also providing a unique blend of humor and camaraderie. Despite some criticisms regarding gameplay, the overall sentiment reflects a positive emotional experience tied to the community and shared moments within the game.

    • “10/10 emotional ride, sadder than the Titanic.”
    • “It feels more like a deep emotional exhibition to the fullest extent.”
    • “Play Holdfast... because just like childhood friends, at the end of the day you can commit war crimes without consequences and shed a tear as you watch the empire fall to a lone bagpiper.”
  • monetization36 mentions

    The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized as a cash grab, with players noting a lack of microtransactions and tedious grinds, but also highlighting an overwhelming presence of clan recruitment advertisements in chat. While some enjoy the gameplay, many feel misled by the marketing and find the clan-centric approach contributes to a fragmented community experience. Overall, the monetization practices seem to detract from the game's potential enjoyment.

    • “This game has a monetization scheme that is comparable to Roblox, making it accessible and engaging for players.”
    • “The game is enjoyable and features no ads, which enhances the overall experience.”
    • “As far as I'm concerned, this came out of nowhere and just seems like a cash grab to increase player base.”
    • “It blows, another early release cash grab piece of trash that started as a bar-fueled fever dream and ended as a limp stillbirth on Steam.”
    • “Legit, it's a cash grab.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

34hMedian play time
181hAverage play time
8-170hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 100 analyzed playthroughs

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