Men of War
- May 6, 2009
- Best Way
- 19h median play time
Get on Steam"Men of War" is a Real-Time Strategy game set in World War II, where players can command Soviet, Allied, or German forces across 19 single-player missions. The Direct Control feature allows for command of individual units, with the ability to change, upgrade, and repair equipment. The game features realistic models of armament and military vehicles, with highly detailed WWII environments and characters. Online multiplayer is also available.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Deep and engaging gameplay with a high level of micromanagement.
- Realistic mechanics, including individual soldier inventories and detailed tank combat.
- Challenging missions that require strategic thinking and planning.
- Poor AI behavior, often requiring players to manually control units to be effective.
- Steep learning curve with no proper tutorial, making it difficult for new players.
- Outdated graphics and terrible voice acting that detracts from the overall experience.
- story496 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 74 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The story in "Men of War" is generally well-received, featuring a variety of campaigns that explore the perspectives of Soviet, German, and Allied forces, each with unique missions and character backstories. While some players appreciate the depth and realism of the narrative, others find the voice acting lacking and the missions overly challenging, often requiring extensive trial and error. Overall, the game is praised for its engaging gameplay and strategic elements, despite criticisms regarding mission design and difficulty.
“The story and lore is also quite good.”
“Each set of characters has their own backstory and unique features, so if you're a lore guy, you will enjoy this game.”
“The game has several campaigns, but the most interesting one is a realistic story about the Eastern Front that shows the entire timeline of the war.”
“The Soviet campaign was okay for the most part, but after it ended the game became so boring for me that it took me months to finish the campaign for the Allies, and I finally gave up on the game after finishing the first mission of the German campaign - I just couldn't bear its nonsense anymore, not a second longer.”
“The game has straight-up cheap moments and the fact it gives you only a few men in a lot of the missions is pure garbage and makes the game extremely difficult to beat.”
“The stealth parts of some of the missions were tedious and honestly felt like they didn't belong in the game.”
- gameplay188 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this game is praised for its depth and complexity, offering a unique blend of tactical strategy and intense micromanagement that appeals to fans of the RTS genre. While the mechanics are generally well-received, some players find the learning curve steep and the controls convoluted, leading to a challenging experience that can feel overwhelming at times. Overall, the game provides hours of engaging content with a variety of scenarios and destructible environments, making it a solid choice for those who enjoy detailed and immersive gameplay.
“A great strategy-oriented RTS, with very interesting damage and combat mechanics with regards to both infantry and vehicles.”
“The sheer variety of mechanics that allow you to approach any mission however you wish make it a goddamned treat to play.”
“Excellent strategy game with innovative mechanics like real-world physics and fully destructible environments; troops can take cover almost anywhere and the tank-on-tank combat is very detailed, one of the best I have seen in a game.”
“The mechanics are garbage.”
“But the fact that the game's ambient difficulty is compounded by the clunky and convoluted gameplay control and lack of in-game tutorials coalesces to form a game that often feels unfair, and this combined with slow pacing in long missions was just too much for me to bear.”
“It ends up with very boring and frustrating gameplay that is mainly just managing ammo.”
- graphics171 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Men of War" are generally considered dated, reflecting its 2009 release, yet many players find them acceptable given the game's age. While some reviews highlight the high resolution and detail in certain aspects, such as explosions and destructible environments, others criticize the low-resolution textures and overall lack of polish compared to modern titles. Despite these shortcomings, the graphics do not significantly detract from the gameplay experience, which remains engaging for fans of the genre.
“It's a really quality game, it's got good graphics and nice gameplay.”
“Best WW2 RTS ever, no other RTS comes close to detail and accuracy that I have ever seen. The graphics and sounds are great and the detail is amazing, bullets ricochet, grenades bounce, and smash windows, fires spread, and they actually did the fire right.”
“The graphics are quite nice, considering the age; the only low-res textures are the faces on the individual units.”
“The outdated graphics and mechanics of this game really affect the experience.”
“For a title that was released in 2009, it left something to be desired; if you get this game for the graphics, then you'll be disappointed.”
“Graphically, the game is deplorable.”
- humor30 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is predominantly derived from its "hilariously bad" voice acting, which many players find amusing enough to enhance their overall experience. While the graphics and voice work may not be top-notch, the comedic elements, including funny accents and absurd character movements, contribute to a lighthearted atmosphere that players appreciate, making the game enjoyable despite its flaws. Overall, the humor is a standout feature that adds charm to the gameplay.
“The voice acting is so bad, it's funny.”
“Let me start off by saying, the voice acting in this is hilariously bad.”
“Hilarious voice acting but deep gameplay and loads of stuff to shoot once you master the controls.”
- music28 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its epic soundtrack that enhances the atmosphere and fits well with the gameplay, while others find it basic and unremarkable. Many players appreciate the variety of audio elements, including sound effects from units and weapons, which contribute to the overall experience. Overall, while the music may not be groundbreaking, it is generally considered enjoyable and complements the game's themes.
“A true jewel in the RTS genre, with an excellent soundtrack for every battle.”
“Soundtrack is epic, and is a great game for lower-end PCs.”
“The game is old, and the graphics are slightly weird compared to the newer releases, but the music, atmosphere, voice acting, scripted events, and attention to detail do more than enough to make this game a masterpiece and a legend among the franchise.”
“Meh... I don't see the hype of this game... I mean I guess it isn't that bad but I just don't get any fun about it... I'll fail a mission 10 times and when I finally win, it just doesn't seem rewarding. It's just 'aghhh I gotta do that again?'... I mean it's not too bad... graphics are potato and music is very basic... but I mean... at least it functions?”
“I am muting all games so I can listen to music.”
“The rest of the game is a re-tooled version of Activision's Guitar Hero, but all of the songs are from Manowar.”
- stability16 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is frequently criticized for its instability, with numerous reports of glitches and bugs affecting gameplay, particularly in movement and AI behavior. While some players still find enjoyment despite these issues, the overall consensus highlights significant frustration with the game's technical performance.
“Of course I can rotate, but I can't move my camera from point A to B anymore. If there was a simple way of fixing that, nobody helped give me that information. I've just decided I was not going to bother with this game if 'movement' was going to be a buggy problem with zero info on.”
“AIs are stupid and the game is buggy as hell.”
“It consistently crashed and was extremely buggy.”
- replayability16 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players find it offers significant replay value through engaging single-player missions and extensive multiplayer options, others feel it lacks depth for repeated playthroughs. The inclusion of sandbox gameplay and creative elements enhances replayability for many, but some users note that the game can be completed quickly, leaving limited incentive for further attempts. Overall, it seems to cater well to those who enjoy multiplayer experiences and creative gameplay.
“There are quirks to this game, as expected with a dated game such as MOW, however the replayability and sense of accomplishment is there (especially with those nasty stealth missions).”
“Finished the game in about 2 days, but there is enough space for more playthroughs, a lot of replayable content.”
“So much fun and replayability, in single player and in multiplayer too, especially with friends (LAN).”
“This game offers minimal replayability.”
“I cannot say much about...replayability.”
“There are quirks to this game, as expected with a dated game such as MOW; however, the replayability and sense of accomplishment are there (especially with those nasty stealth missions).”
- optimization14 mentions
- 71 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is mixed; while it performs well on lower-end PCs and features a well-optimized user interface and smooth mechanics, some users report significant FPS drops during certain explosions. Despite these issues, many players find the performance satisfactory and commend the game's overall detail and smooth multiplayer experience.
“The user interface is well-optimized, with no bugs and well-synthesized information.”
“The mechanics are sophisticated, being pretty nice and everything moves well-optimized.”
“A great game, well detailed and magnificent performance.”
“Cons: unoptimized (huge FPS drops on certain explosions)”
“Cons: unoptimized (huge FPS drops on certain explosions)”
- grinding14 mentions
- 7 % positive mentions
- 21 % neutral mentions
- 71 % negative mentions
Players frequently describe the grinding aspect of the game as excessively tedious and frustrating, often requiring a significant time investment that feels overwhelming. While some find depth and enjoyment in the gameplay, the micromanagement of numerous soldiers and challenging campaign missions can detract from the overall experience.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“If you can look past this, there is depth and realism to be found, but it's difficult to appreciate when playing the game is an often tedious and frustrating experience.”
“When you have dozens of soldiers at your disposal (most of whom have moronic AI), it becomes tedious and frustrating to have to drag the camera all over the battlefield and micromanage them all.”
“I find the game to be rather tedious, though, and the campaign I find to be frustratingly difficult; maybe I just suck?”
- atmosphere12 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly immersive, effectively capturing the essence of World War II through realistic battles set in diverse environments such as open fields, villages, and cities. While the graphics may feel dated compared to modern titles, the music, voice acting, and meticulous attention to detail contribute significantly to its legendary status within the franchise. Overall, players appreciate the engaging atmosphere that enhances their gaming experience.
“The atmosphere is immersive.”
“Really realistic battles with a World War II atmosphere.”
“The atmosphere mostly happens in open fields, villages, cities, forests, and even other environments.”
“The game is old, and the graphics are slightly weird compared to the newer releases, but the music, atmosphere, voice acting, scripted events, and attention to detail do more than enough to make this game a masterpiece and a legend among the franchise.”
“Really realistic battles with WWII atmosphere.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the cinematic experience of the Call of Duty WWII games, but many feel that the emotional impact is lacking, often comparing the experience to a hardcore shooter rather than a genuine portrayal of war. Despite the engaging gameplay, the sense of immersion and emotional connection to the role of a squad leader is not fully realized.
