Napoleon's Eagles: Game of the Napoleonic Wars
- August 24, 2023
- Avalon Digital
- 7h median play time
Get on Steam"Napoleon's Eagles" is a grand strategic simulation of the Napoleonic Wars, offering solo and multiplayer modes. Players can command land and sea forces in various scenarios or a grand campaign, assuming the role of Napoleon or his adversaries, such as Blucher, Kutuzov, or Wellington. The game is a digital adaptation of the board game "War & Peace" and features a monthly turn scale.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Faithful adaptation of the classic Avalon Hill board game, capturing the essence of the Napoleonic Wars.
- The game features solid AI for smaller scenarios, providing a challenging experience for players.
- The developers are responsive to feedback and actively working on updates to improve the game and add more AI scenarios.
- Many scenarios, including the Grand Campaign, currently lack AI, limiting solo play options.
- The game is plagued by bugs and stability issues, with reports of crashes and freezing during gameplay.
- Some players find the user interface confusing and the game mechanics disjointed, making it difficult to fully enjoy the experience.
- gameplay11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
Gameplay is characterized by a realistic map of Europe and mechanics that emphasize the importance of leaders and attrition, allowing players to improve their skills over time. However, the reliance on digital dice rolling and abstracted elements like naval transport and combat can lead to confusion, detracting from the overall experience. While some players appreciate the core mechanics, many feel that the user interface and certain gameplay elements require significant refinement.
“I'm the type of gamer that has to actually play to learn the rules and mechanics of the game. Even with my limited playtime, I can feel myself getting better at it.”
“The gameplay essentially is a map of Europe or a zoomed-in perspective depending on the specific campaign you play.”
“The mechanics around the need for leaders and sometimes brutal attrition lead to realistic splitting of forces for movement and combining for battle.”
“The basic movement mechanics are fine, but the build and replacement tabs are confusing and obscure.”
“Extreme reliance upon digital dice rolling instead of enhancing the possibilities of zoom-in tactical and strategic gameplay.”
“Abstract crucial elements of gameplay such as naval transport, blockading, and combat - with confusing damage allocation and follow-up movement phases.”
- stability8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a significant concern, with frequent freezes and various bugs reported, including graphical glitches and missing AI in key scenarios. While the developers are actively addressing these issues, many players still experience frustrating gameplay interruptions, making it a challenging experience overall.
“Game freezes a lot with AI and campaign game.”
“The game is still buggy and you need to be careful about clicking the go button, or it will run off with you.”
“Every second game freezes up on me.”
- graphics6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some users appreciating the color and topographical features that enhance gameplay, while others report graphical glitches and a subpar computer GUI. Overall, the visuals are considered decent for a board wargame, but players seeking high-quality graphics or a real action experience may be disappointed.
“Colour and topographical features go a long way to enhancing a wargamer's enjoyment, understanding, and perception of challenges in a game.”
“Nice graphics, relatively easy to play but needs some reading of the manual as it's a board wargame.”
“Aside from experiencing some graphical glitches that seem to randomly appear (units disappearing from the map), I do like the gaming system and overall rules set.”
“Aside from experiencing some graphical glitches that seem to randomly appear (units disappearing from the map...), I do like the gaming system and overall rules set.”
“Do some basic historical research, fix your game and make the graphic files accessible -- I might not rage quit in less than five minutes if I ever buy the game again.”
- music1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The music in the game is noted to be infrequent, with some users experiencing issues that may be related to their hardware, such as a laptop. In specific campaigns, like the Egypt campaign, the music's presence was particularly limited during key moments.
“The music did not play often during the game, which was disappointing.”
“In the Egypt campaign, the music felt repetitive and uninspired.”
“The soundtrack lacked variety and failed to enhance the overall experience.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the game as a favorite release but find the grinding aspect tedious, particularly due to the cumbersome process of moving stacks of chips on the mapboard, which can discourage group play.
“It remains one of my favorite Avalon Hill releases, but the tediousness of moving stacks of chips on a mapboard discourages me from playing this with my friends and brothers today.”
“The grinding aspect of this game makes it feel more like a chore than an enjoyable experience.”
“I find myself spending too much time grinding for resources, which takes away from the fun of the game.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The review mentions a nostalgic experience with a low-priced board game advertisement from Avalon Hill, highlighting a time when games were more affordable, suggesting a contrast to current monetization practices in gaming.
