Mud and Blood
- November 30, 2021
- urbgames
- 38h median play time
Get on Steam"Mud and Blood" is a real-time strategy game set in World War II. Lead a squad of soldiers behind enemy lines, using tactical planning and quick decisions to survive. Manage your squad's health, ammo, and morale while battling against enemy forces in a variety of challenging missions. With its unique blend of strategy and action, "Mud and Blood" offers a thrilling and immersive wartime experience.
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
Reviews
- The game captures the nostalgic feel of the original flash games while introducing new mechanics and improvements.
- The difficulty is challenging and rewarding, making victories feel satisfying after overcoming tough odds.
- The developer is responsive to community feedback and actively updates the game, showing dedication to its improvement.
- The controls can feel clunky and unintuitive, making unit management frustrating at times.
- The game can be excessively punishing, with random events leading to sudden and unfair losses.
- Some players may find the lack of balance in enemy strength and the 6-man squad limit frustrating, hindering strategic play.
- gameplay62 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 85 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay is described as deceptively complex, offering a mix of deep mechanics and strategic elements that cater to a niche audience who enjoy challenging experiences. While the game features a wealth of content and randomized events that enhance replayability, many players find the mechanics can be punishing and poorly explained, leading to frustration. Overall, it combines nostalgia with new features, but the balance between fairness and randomness remains a point of contention among players.
“Deceivingly complicated game; it seems simple at first, however, the mechanics, large amount of content, and randomized elements give it great depth.”
“Once you start to understand the basic mechanics, the tactics and strategy blossom, making it a very technical and even intellectual game.”
“Great game for those willing to take their time and develop an understanding of both the simple and intricate mechanics while recognizing that war is filled with both lucky and unlucky instances.”
“Most mechanics in the game are geared heavily towards punishing you while not affecting the German troops nearly the same (fire being a prime example. Not sure when US troops started bathing in gasoline to be able to burst into flames 5-6ft away from a bush that is on fire).”
“The excessive length of the map combined with how enemies are now only visible if a soldier has line of sight to them means the taunt mechanic is now only a last-ditch move to scrounge another tactical point instead of a means of adding to the action, since it will likely take the taunted wave several minutes to actually arrive at your soldiers' position.”
“You can get messed over in 50 different variants as you struggle through a cluster of issues, all the while you must go through poorly explained mechanics and pray to a deity of your choice just so that you don't lose a guy.”
- story28 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 79 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The story in the campaign of "Mud and Blood 3" revolves around commanding a small squad of six soldiers through challenging missions filled with unpredictable dangers, where the loss of experienced troops adds a layer of emotional weight and tension. Players experience a unique narrative shaped by their tactical decisions and the brutal realities of warfare, leading to a rewarding sense of achievement when successfully navigating missions despite the high risk of casualties. The sequel, "MNB: Recon," shifts focus to smaller, stealth-based operations, further enriching the franchise's storytelling through varied gameplay experiences.
“However, I'd rather petition that you play the game and have a story unfold unique to you.”
“Clearing a mission in the campaign feels like beating a boss.”
“Morale of the story, this game will give you an experience that you will have never seen the likes of before, so yes buy it and play at your own risk.”
“Unfair random brutality isn't just an advertising pitch boiling down to 'it's hard.' That's the game's mission statement.”
“I know it's supposed to be hard, but it's not fun losing all my dudes 6 missions in and then having to restart with recruits that are just gonna get killed.”
“You fall in love with your troops leveling them up mission after mission only to have the Germans scatter their guts across your screen with as much concern for your feelings as it would squashing an insect.”
- emotional6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by players' deep investment in their soldiers, often feeling a profound sense of loss when they fall in battle. The nostalgia of reliving childhood memories adds to the emotional weight, making the experience both heartwarming and painfully difficult as players navigate the consequences of their decisions.
“It is also an emotional game; your soldiers will fight, and die by your mistakes.”
“When my men are dropping left and right, and somehow I get a few guys to last a few patrols, I emotionally invest in them like they're my children.”
“Brutally difficult, and at times emotionally painful as you watch your troops who have stuck by you for so long eventually get blown up or mown down.”
- graphics6 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by their deceptively simple style, which has remained consistent throughout the series, contributing to its charm. Despite the simplicity, players appreciate the improvements made in the latest release, which enhance the overall experience while retaining the original feel. Overall, the graphics may not compete with high-end titles, but they effectively complement the game's mechanics and unique aesthetic.
“I was delighted when I found out MNB had been released on Steam (following the death of Flash), and I love the improvements made to the game in terms of the graphics, and it still really has the 'MNB' feel to it.”
“The graphics haven't changed since the very beginning of the series; that is to say, they're deceptively simple.”
“The graphics are incredibly simple, but that's part of the charm.”
“I remember being fascinated with the mechanics of the game because while the graphics weren't anything like Call of Duty, the actual mechanics of the game went much further than any game I had ever played before.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability, with players noting the potential for thousands of hours of gameplay due to its challenging difficulty and random elements. However, some feel that certain mechanics, like how medics function, could be improved to enhance the overall experience. Despite these concerns, many players find themselves returning to the game repeatedly for its rewarding nature.
“Enough replayability for thousands of hours.”
“The replayability is insane.”
“I still come back and play this game again and again because its difficulty is what makes winning rewarding, and its randomness is what makes the game replayable.”
“The campaign is also very long, being around 333 days (assuming all 333 days are playable).”
“If there was one thing that needed to be changed to make the campaign more playable, it would be how medics work.”
“However, despite all those moments, I still come back and play this game again and again because its difficulty is what makes winning rewarding, and its randomness is what makes the game replayable.”
- humor5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by the amusing antics of the gubbins and the lighthearted reactions players have, though it can also be overshadowed by frustrating gameplay moments, such as ineffective defenses and overwhelming artillery. Overall, while there are funny elements, the humor is mixed with instances of player frustration.
“The gubbins are always funny to watch fly around the map.”
“This game makes my tummy feel funny.”
“Isn't that funny?”
“It's not funny when your 16 TP bunker (12 for the bunker and 4 for the first engineer) shatters like paper mache 3 minutes later.”
“It's not funny when your boys cannot even fight back when they are hammered by an artillery piece that they cannot hit.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Overall, "Mud and Blood" demonstrates significant optimization improvements over its flash predecessor, offering better performance and a smoother experience on modern hardware. The new engine enhances gameplay with adaptive AI and additional content, while some features, like gold ribbons, require players to maintain a high level of performance over time.
“Mud and Blood has it in spades, and doesn't run into the performance issues that tended to plague the Flash version.”
“New engine, better performance, more content, very smart and adaptive tactical AI.”
“First to note is the massive performance improvement over the Flash version, which runs poorly on modern hardware, and that's always a plus.”
“Ribbons are also locked behind performance; you need to be 7+ days ahead for a majority of gold ribbons on each map, which requires beating the level in one try, adding a day +1 ahead.”
“First to note is the massive performance improvement over the flash version, which runs poorly on modern hardware, and that is always a plus.”
“Mud and Blood has it in spades and doesn't run into the performance issues that tended to plague the flash version.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a slow and challenging experience that evokes nostalgia, combining intense firefights with strategic elements. However, the lengthy wait times for troops to fight and heal can become tedious, leading some to suggest the addition of a speedup button for improved pacing.
“It can become quite tedious waiting for troops to fight and heal, so one thing I would like to see is a speedup button.”
“It's a slow, tedious, and highly challenging game mode that I wouldn't have any other way.”
“Just like the old days mixed in with Flash MNB 3, MNB Steam is nothing short of surprises, intense and tedious firefights, and strategy.”
- music3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The music in the game elicits strong emotional responses, with some users finding it nostalgic and enjoyable, particularly the menu music. However, there are mixed feelings about the in-game patriotic music, which some find overwhelming. Overall, the soundtrack contributes positively to the gaming experience.
“Apart from gameplay, I have also found the menu music to be really good.”
“Just as fun as it ever was, plus the nostalgia hits very hard. The music hits deep and overall it's a fun experience.”
“My desktop just blares patriotic music and I have to close it.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Overall, the stability of "mnb: steam edition" is commendable, with developers actively addressing bugs and glitches shortly after release. While some users have reported minor audio issues, the game generally runs smoothly, reflecting a strong commitment to ongoing support and improvement.
“After 12 years of development, this game feels like a newborn child of much work and love. However, despite the community's feedback being taken into account, there are still numerous bugs and glitches that persist even after the official release.”
“While the game has potential and reminds me of old classics, I have encountered several audio glitches that detract from the overall experience.”
“Despite the developers' quick response to feedback, the game still suffers from stability issues that can disrupt gameplay.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that the game's monetization strategy is perceived as exploitative, with players feeling that the difficulty and randomness are designed to encourage spending rather than enhance gameplay.
