Making History: The First World War
- March 5, 2021
- Factus Games
"Making History: The First World War" is a turn-based strategy game that simulates the events of WWI. Players manage their chosen nation's economy and military, with the goal of achieving global conquest. The game uses historic events to guide the gameplay along a WWI timeline, but ultimately allows players to shape history through their own decisions.
Reviews
- The game offers a comprehensive mix of economic, diplomatic, and military strategy, making it engaging for players who enjoy complex gameplay.
- Many players appreciate the improvements in AI and the addition of new events, which enhance the overall experience compared to its predecessor.
- The game has a high replayability factor, allowing players to explore different strategies and outcomes in various scenarios.
- The game suffers from frequent 'out of memory' errors and crashes, particularly after a certain number of turns, making it frustrating and often unplayable.
- Many users have reported issues with saving games, leading to lost progress and a lack of trust in the game's stability.
- The user interface and tutorial are criticized for being unintuitive and lacking sufficient guidance, which can make the learning curve steep for new players.
- music9 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 44 % negative mentions
The music in the game has been overwhelmingly criticized, with users describing it as painful, poorly chosen, and lacking coherence. Many reviewers express their frustration, stating that the soundtrack is torturous and a significant detractor from the overall experience, leading some to quit the game entirely. Overall, the consensus is that the music is a major flaw in the game's design.
“That guy is the one the developers have performing on this soundtrack.”
“The soundtrack is torture, and I don't mean poorly chosen music.”
“Music remains total crap and painful to hear.”
“I couldn't take the soundtrack anymore, so I quit to write this.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are generally described as colorful but not particularly impressive, with some users noting only slight improvements over previous versions. While some players appreciate the upgrades and new content, others find the graphics to be subpar or merely acceptable compared to other titles in the genre. Overall, the visual aspect seems to be a mixed bag, with some enhancements but not enough to stand out significantly.
“New units, graphics, events, make it worth the price.”
“For those that loved the Second World War, this is a great upgrade, with better graphics.”
“A wonderful upgrade to the previous 'The Great War', better graphics and new features like mines, techs, and events, so if you like any of the other games in the Making History series, this one is a very nice catch already.”
“Graphics - awful”
“If you have the old version, you don't need this one unless slightly (and I mean slightly) better graphics are worth $25 to you.”
- gameplay7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players praising the engaging mechanics and new events that enhance replayability, while others criticize the stability and stiffness of combat mechanics. Although the AI and overall mechanics are comparable to established titles like HOI4 and Civ, issues with bugs and an unintuitive GUI detract from the experience for some users. Overall, the game offers potential but requires further refinement to fully realize it.
“Longtime fan of the franchise, and I think this has been my favorite game yet. I got it before it was 'finished' and got a deal on it too. They've done a good job with all the new events, which makes it more interesting to play as there's a lot more random chance with how things play out. The mechanics work pretty well, and I still get some bugs now and again. I find it way too easy to get sucked in, and 'one more turn' turns into about 20, especially when in battle.”
“The graphics are okay, the AI is significantly better, and the mechanics are on par with games like HOI4 and Civ.”
“There is potential, but so far it's unstable. The combat and war mechanics feel too stiff and are not much more than Paradox-style meters going back and forth.”
“There is potential but so far it's unstable and the combat/war mechanics feel too stiff and not anything more than Paradox-style meters going back and forth.”
“The GUI is not very intuitive, but I did find that looking up the same questions asked about their previous iteration 'Making History: The Great War' answered the questions, as both games share the same GUI mechanics.”
“Same basic mechanics of gameplay.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game offers strong replayability due to its historical accuracy and the option to play as various factions, including historically neutral countries. However, players feel it could benefit from additional developer support to enhance the experience further.
“Having the ability to play many sides, or even historically neutral countries, makes this a far-reaching and ultimately replayable game.”
“Needs a bit more developer support, but it has replayability and historical accuracy down pretty solid.”
“The game lacks meaningful choices that would encourage me to replay it; once you've seen the story, there's little incentive to go back.”
“While the initial playthrough was enjoyable, I found that subsequent runs felt repetitive and uninspired.”
“The limited variety in gameplay mechanics means that after a few sessions, it becomes a chore rather than a fun experience.”
- story2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game lacks a narrative component, with users noting that there is no story present.
“There is no story to speak of.”
“The narrative is completely absent.”
“The game lacks any meaningful storyline.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is reported to be extremely unstable, with numerous bugs rendering it unplayable for many users.
“Unplayably buggy.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is praised for its unique blend of niche and grand strategy elements, creating a cohesive and immersive experience that enhances the overall gameplay. Reviewers appreciate the distinctive cosmetic effects that contribute to the game's atmospheric appeal, particularly within the Making History series.
“As I mentioned in my MHTSW review, these games are an excellent mix of niche strategy and grand strategy, put together in a way that complements each other well while providing a unique cosmetic and atmospheric effect that is distinctive to the Making History series.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players express that the grinding in the game is excessively time-consuming, suggesting that it requires an unrealistic amount of effort, akin to needing a second life to complete it.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“The grinding feels endless and tedious.”
“I spent hours grinding, and it felt like I made no progress.”