ICBM: Escalation

91%
Game Brain Score Based on 480 reviews
  • gameplay
  • optimization
  • story
ICBM: Escalation Game Cover
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In "ICBM: Escalation," players command a faction and build a military force to engage in both conventional and nuclear warfare. Construct a nuclear stockpile, research advanced technology, and deploy various military units, with the goal of crippling adversaries or invading enemy territory for a conventional victory. The game offers new victory conditions, adding depth to the global warfare experience.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

91%
Audience ScoreBased on 480 reviews
gameplay12 positive mentions
optimization4 negative mentions
  • The game is a significant improvement over the original ICBM, with expanded gameplay options including conventional warfare and a deeper tech tree.
  • The campaign is engaging and offers a variety of scenarios, making it fun to play through multiple times.
  • The game provides a unique blend of strategy and chaos, allowing players to experience the complexities of nuclear warfare while also managing conventional forces.
  • The AI is often described as braindead, leading to predictable gameplay and a lack of challenge in single-player modes.
  • The game suffers from frequent crashes and performance issues, particularly during multiplayer sessions, which can be frustrating for players.
  • The tutorial is poorly designed and can be confusing, making it difficult for new players to grasp the game's mechanics effectively.
  • gameplay27 mentions

    The gameplay is generally praised for its depth and variety, with many players appreciating the expanded mechanics and strategic options that enhance the experience beyond traditional wargames. However, some users have noted issues with multiplayer balance due to exploitable mechanics, a steep learning curve, and a poorly optimized user interface. Overall, while the game offers a rewarding and complex gameplay loop, there are areas for improvement, particularly in AI behavior and certain gameplay decisions.

    • “The mechanics are fresh and balanced, good AI, and has diversity of play styles.”
    • “Great game, long and rewarding gameplay loop.”
    • “The game is really good, systems are complex yet intuitive and the gameplay is satisfying.”
    • “Simple, simple, simple mechanics that apparently are not in the game.”
    • “- Easily abusable mechanics in player votes make multiplayer unplayable. Often you'll find prearranged teams come in and ally up at the start, giving instant tech to each other as they go. They will then proceed to vote for world peace, ban techs, etc., if the odds fall out of their favor.”
    • “On the other hand, the UI is still pretty bad, and some gameplay decisions are very strange. For example, why do I need to select the air transport plane that I just sent to tell it to drop the army division instead of it doing so by default? This adds unnecessary micro-management for zero good reason.”
  • optimization17 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing significant performance issues, including stuttering and crashes, particularly on older hardware. However, others have noted improvements since the beta phase, highlighting effective bug fixes and better performance in recent updates. While many find the game enjoyable, there is a consensus that further optimization and bug fixes are still needed for a smoother experience.

    • “Within several days they fixed the bug that caused any performance issues, great customer service in this regard!”
    • “They've really optimized the game since beta since I didn't have any issues with performance!”
    • “More units, better AI, and much improved performance.”
    • “It's a great game but poorly optimized.”
    • “I am disappointed, as I would have thought the game at full release would be better optimized and more playable.”
    • “So far the game looks very fun but I've played for a solid hour or two now and it's ground itself to an almost unplayable state with constant stuttering, randomly flinging me around the map, eating up like 89% of my available RAM, and then crashing halfway into a war with Mexico.”
  • story15 mentions

    The game's story is engaging, featuring a campaign with over 10 hours of missions that offer a mix of challenge and strategic depth, including notable scenarios like a mission to hunt down bin Laden. While the campaign shows great potential and provides a sense of accomplishment upon overcoming difficult missions, some players found the tutorial and certain mission designs frustrating. Overall, the narrative elements and mission variety contribute positively to the gameplay experience.

    • “Fun campaign with 10+ hours of missions to do and master.”
    • “I also found the AI pretty competent for the most part, and the campaign missions are fun as well!”
    • “The campaign by itself has a lot of potential that could be used to its full extent in future missions.”
    • “Spec ops missions such as 1991 are absurdly difficult for the wrong reasons.”
    • “The tutorial requires you to do exactly the same thing at exactly the same time—I had to replay two tutorial missions because I got stuck.”
  • graphics13 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising their realism and aesthetic appeal, while others criticize the optimization and performance issues, especially on older hardware. Although some users noted that the graphics are relatively basic, they appreciated the overall presentation and user interface improvements. Overall, the visuals contribute positively to the gameplay experience, despite some concerns about the game's optimization.

    • “It is enjoyable to look at and has an aesthetic look reminiscent of wargames.”
    • “The graphics are better and there are many quality of life upgrades, some of which are more subtle yet still create an objectively better play experience.”
    • “Graphics are well made for such a game and the UI is easy to use in my opinion.”
    • “This game is incredibly poorly optimized, especially considering its minimal graphics.”
    • “Depending on the graphics and require several DLC.”
    • “- No graphical settings at all except for the resolution.”
  • replayability7 mentions

    Replayability in the game is mixed; while some players find it high due to varying strategies based on starting nations, others criticize the AI's randomness and repetitive ground combat, which diminishes the overall experience. Overall, the game's potential for replayability is hampered by AI limitations, despite some solid gameplay elements.

    • “Replayability is high, as changing the starting nation changes the strategy required.”
    • “It's definitely a step forward; AI still needs some behavior work, but the gameplay is solid, with a lot of replayability.”
    • “After playing just one and a half games, there is no replayability because the AI just randomly nukes cities, so all games feel the same.”
    • “Bad AI limits offline replayability.”
    • “This reduces the replayability from nation to nation because all ground combat feels the same.”
  • music4 mentions

    The game features an amazing and fitting soundtrack that enhances the experience, particularly with its dynamic music that intensifies during key moments like launching nukes. However, some users feel that the overall user interface and experience do not match the high quality of the music.

    • “This game has an amazing soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.”
    • “The in-game music is super enjoyable, even when facing overwhelming challenges.”
    • “The music ramps up whenever you launch your nukes, adding excitement to the gameplay.”
  • stability2 mentions

    Overall, users find the game enjoyable and worth the investment, though they report significant bugs, particularly on Linux systems. Despite these stability issues, the fun factor remains high, especially when playing with friends.

    • “Great game and really fun with friends, but it's buggy as hell and affects the overall experience.”
    • “Exquisite game, but it's a little buggy, especially since I'm running it on Linux with no ProtonDB reports available.”
  • atmosphere1 mentions

    The atmosphere in the game is marked by a sense of foreboding and tension, highlighted by the rare appearance of the ominous red UGC beanie, which evokes memories of a catastrophic event linked to human error. This creates a unique and immersive environment that enhances the overall gaming experience.

    • “The atmosphere in this game is incredibly immersive, making you feel like you're truly part of another world.”
    • “Every sound and visual detail contributes to a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere that keeps you on the edge of your seat.”
    • “The game's atmosphere is rich and layered, drawing you in with its unique blend of tension and wonder.”
    • “The dreaded red UGC beanie has been donned by an eschaton game master only once before, and that was over three years ago, when human input error on end stat tallies of aggregate suffdir during a three-way sacpop free-for-all yielded an apparent ignition of the earth’s atmosphere.”
  • emotional1 mentions

    Reviews indicate that while the game's technology is commendable, there is a desire for more heartwarming and uplifting elements to enhance the emotional experience.

  • grinding1 mentions

    Players express a desire for an option to disable divisions or ground war, as these elements can slow down gameplay and contribute to a tedious experience.

    • “There should be an option to disable divisions/ground war, as these often make the game slow and tedious.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

5hMedian play time
8hAverage play time
3-21hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

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