It Takes a War

About

It Takes a War is a single player tactical shooter game with drama and violence themes. It was developed by Thomas Mackinnon and was released on November 6, 2025. It received very positive reviews from players.

From the creator of THE CORRIDOR comes It Takes a War - a team-based shooter with VISCERAL gunplay and RELENTLESS action. Throw yourself into RELENTLESSLY VISCERAL combat where survival is entirely dependent on communication. There is no 'i' in 'team', but there is in VICTORY! A devastatingly real depiction of the battlefield. You won't believe your eyes (or ears)! Define your plays…

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94%

Audience ScoreBased on 673 reviews

story55 positive mentions

optimization3 negative mentions

Unique and emotionally impactful narrative about online friendships and social alienation that resonates with many players.
Innovative use of gameplay as a storytelling device with creative fourth wall breaks and meta elements.
Engaging multiplayer shooter atmosphere that captures nostalgic feelings of early 2000s FPS communities.

Gameplay and gun mechanics are clunky, simplistic, and can feel uninspired or frustrating.
The game is very short, often completed within an hour, leading some to question value for money.
Technical issues reported including crashes, optimization problems, and occasionally broken maps or frame drops.

story
177 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
65%
4%
The story is widely praised for its emotional depth, originality, and relatability, especially in exploring themes of friendship and social dynamics, often delivered through innovative storytelling within an FPS framework. While some find the narrative powerful and moving, others note it can feel disjointed or underdeveloped, with mixed reception on voice acting and abrupt or unclear endings. Overall, the story is regarded as the core strength and main reason to play, overshadowing the intentionally mediocre gameplay meant to spotlight the narrative.
- “The story is the main reason to play the game and it's damn good.”
- “There are few games that can make me walk around for an hour and then convince me what I just consumed was a masterpiece of storytelling, but this is definitely one of them.”
- “Proof that a videogame can tell a story like no other medium can.”
- “Some story bits were very effective and straight up felt crafted for me, other stuff felt undercooked and maybe straight up sending bad messages (especially ending stretch).”
- “Firstly, the story is kind of a mess; the characters are shown to have tensions in their friendship, and then strange elements occur in game which makes them go into an argument.”
- “I don't understand the point of this story and what it's trying to tell.”
gameplay
58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
46%
14%
Gameplay in this game is often described as intentionally rough, mediocre, or clunky, serving primarily as a backdrop to support the narrative rather than a standalone attraction. While the mechanics can be janky or simplistic, some players appreciate the retro vibe and thoughtful integration of gameplay flaws into the storytelling experience. Overall, the gameplay may not satisfy those seeking polished shooter mechanics but can enhance the game's unique, story-driven design.
- “The gameplay loop revolves around anticipating enemy actions, fortifying positions, and timing maneuvers carefully.”
- “A genuinely compelling and thoughtful narrative upheld by genuine tactics shooting, compelling if you're into source engine games with similar gameplay.”
- “There are also some fun twists on gameplay that will appear randomly at the starts of rounds (you'll never know what could happen next!), and a lot of cool easter eggs hidden around the game's iconic map, 'tdm_filth,' which you've probably seen in a montage or two!”
- “Screenshotting someone's desktop, recording their microphone with no prior notice or warning that this stuff would be collected, boring execution with an interesting concept, and atrocious gameplay.”
- “Gameplay is basically a walking simulator with bad gunplay.”
- “Rather than finish the game, I watched the rest in a gameplay video at 1.75 speed to get it over with.”
emotional
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game delivers a deeply emotional and heartfelt story that resonates with many players, often eliciting strong feelings such as nostalgia, sadness, and even tears. Its short but impactful narrative explores themes of human connection, loss, and introspection, making it both touching and thought-provoking. While some found its emotional weight heavy or uncomfortable, most appreciate its authenticity and clever storytelling.
- “Thoughtful and heartfelt, and has some fun tricks it pulls on the player; while it's short, it is sweet.”
- “It's a $5 game that tells a short, emotional story that might make you think, might make you cry, might make you evaluate your own relationships.”
- “My point is this story was very touching, and hit home in a lot of ways.”
graphics
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
50%
15%
The game's graphics evoke a strong retro aesthetic with a minimalist style that emphasizes readability and complements the storyline rather than realism. While some find the visuals immersive and fitting, pushing hardware to its limit, others consider them outdated or simplistic, comparable to early 2010s mobile games. Overall, the graphics are divisive but generally enhance the game's unique atmosphere and charm.
- “The game graphics are definitely not something I'm used to, but they were also a nice change of pace, and I think they paired really well with the storyline.”
- “It takes a war is a super good game that adverts expectations and pushes your PC to the max graphics.”
- “The best graphics, and the most immersive gameplay - it pushes my computer to its limit.”
- “The graphics look like some early 2010s ripoff mobile games, the ones that were under 100mb to run on crappy phones.”
- “Most of these could be quickly remade in Blender in about 20 minutes, and they would match the intended artstyle far more.”
- “But where it doesn't work is when it rips the control from the player and 'kills' the game by removing all players, or teleporting you, or making you go through a door that is a portal to an area with a completely different artstyle to what you just played.”
humor
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
92%
8%
The game's humor is a mix of nostalgic, cheesy, and self-aware moments that often contrast with its emotional and serious themes, creating a unique blend of laughs and heartfelt reactions. While some tropes feel worn and the gameplay humorously bad by design, many players appreciate the developer’s distinct comedic style and the way humor is integrated into the narrative. Overall, the humor adds charm and depth, despite the game's simplicity and occasional rough edges.
- “It takes a war is a simple FPS game plain and simple, best experienced with a beer next to you because sometimes the game lags out and you think you're tripping, and honestly, it's pretty funny.”
- “I kinda felt something during the maze segment where the characters are having the big argument, but the overwrought sad music behind it made the scene feel cheesy, and looking up to see the giant crucified soldiers made me laugh; same thing with the end of the museum bit where I predicted the final display would read something like 'moon pie: last online 100 years ago'—and it was almost exactly that.”
- “There is an important message that really is what this game is all about, but within that, there are a lot of funny moments, and I quite appreciated Thomas's approach to this game a lot.”
- “Poor quality game, it's not funny and very short on content.”
optimization
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
55%
27%
The game suffers from notable optimization issues, including significant frame rate drops and occasional missing textures or assets, which hamper the overall experience. While some voice performances are praised, technical shortcomings like poor performance and awkward controls detract from immersion and gameplay fluidity.
- “Was surprised to see some performance issues, but a bunch of missing textures and assets at some point - not sure if it was intentional or a glitch.”
- “The fact my PC wasn't maximally optimized for this game, especially in the penultimate scene, really made me wish I played it under better conditions.”
- “The game's optimization is lacking, with my fps dropping from around 160 fps to just 20 in certain situations.”
- “It's a bit amateurish overall - there's some pretty bad optimization issues, and the writing and voice acting leaves a lot to be desired.”
- “Framerate suffered at times, I imagine certain scenes are just a little unoptimized.”
music
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The music received mixed reactions, with some players finding certain tracks, especially during emotional scenes, overly dramatic or cheesy, while others praised the credits song as a standout and memorable highlight. Additionally, a recurring in-game song was criticized for being repetitive and unpleasant. Overall, the soundtrack contributed to an emotional experience despite occasional missteps.
- “Credit song is worth it alone.”
- “Plus, the ending song is a banger.”
- “Great voice cast and a cracking credits song from a band I wasn't familiar with before but will definitely look into.”
- “Ends on a millennial pop song that completely took me out of it by the end.”
- “I kinda felt something during the maze segment where the characters are having the big argument, but the overwrought sad music behind it made the scene feel cheesy.”
- “All throughout, you're forced to listen to a terrible song (likely the dev or his friend's band) that drones on and on.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The game offers limited replayability due to its short, linear, and cohesive story, making multiple playthroughs less compelling. However, some players find value in discovering hidden easter eggs and achievements on repeated plays, despite the overall low incentive for replay.
- “This game's replay value is incredibly low because it tells one cohesive and linear story throughout around an hour of playtime, which concerns me not because I think the game is "too short", but because by nature of Steam's refund policy, any game that you have under 2 hours of playtime of, can be refunded, no questions asked.”
- “I don't mean to be harsh but even thirty flights of loving has more replay value than this.”
- “It's a relatively short game without much replay value, unless you're like me and don't pay attention on your first or fourth playthrough and miss some of the easter eggs that spark achievements.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users have mixed feelings about grinding; some find it enjoyable and satisfying, while others feel it becomes monotonous and overly repetitive.
- “Feels monotonous and grindy.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere is highly praised for its authentic recreation of a nostalgic, nearly abandoned FPS community, enhanced by outstanding audiovisual elements that immerse players in the game's unique environment.
- “The gunplay is a bit meh and there's only three classes, but the atmosphere and the audiovisual elements are outstanding.”
- “It nails the feel of an old, nearly abandoned FPS community — the banter, the atmosphere, the handful of players keeping the game alive.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game experiences occasional glitches and bugs, such as map texture loading issues, but these are generally resolved with a quick restart. Some strange in-game events are intentionally tied to the story’s unfolding tensions, blending narrative with technical quirks. Overall, stability is mostly reliable but has minor technical hiccups.
- “A bit buggy where the map textures didn't load at first but a quick restart seemed to fix it.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users appreciate that the game focuses on genuine dedication to the gaming experience rather than relying heavily on microtransactions or aggressive monetization.