RAID: World War II

Raid: WWII is a monotonous, dated co-op shooter. It can be fun with a crew of friends, but there are better options.

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"RAID: World War II is a intense 4-player co-op shooter set in WWII, where players work together to thwart the Nazi regime and steal their gold. As prisoners of war, players must fight without mercy in various missions across Europe. Comedy legend John Cleese plays Control, a British Intelligence Agent assisting the team."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

51%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,727 reviews

story111 positive mentions

graphics119 negative mentions

Fun gameplay reminiscent of Payday 2, with a unique World War II setting.
Engaging character interactions and humorous cutscenes featuring John Cleese.
Passionate developers who are responsive to community feedback and have made significant improvements since launch.

Lack of content and variety in missions, leading to repetitive gameplay.
Poor AI behavior for both enemies and teammates, making solo play frustrating.
Grindy progression system that requires excessive time to level up characters and unlock weapons.

story
775 mentions
14 % positive mentions
78 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The story in "Raid: World War II" is minimal and largely revolves around a group of mercenaries tasked with sabotaging the Third Reich while stealing Nazi gold, with humorous cutscenes featuring Hitler's exaggerated reactions after missions. While the game offers a variety of missions, many players find them repetitive and lacking in depth, often comparing them unfavorably to the more complex mission structures of "Payday 2." Overall, the narrative feels disjointed, serving primarily as a backdrop for the gameplay rather than a compelling story.
- “Their mission is simple, to play dirty and stop the Third Reich at all costs, and pissing off Hitler is just a bonus (also all the Nazi gold you can steal).”
- “After every mission, you get an FMV cutscene showing Hitler's reaction to the heist you just pulled, and him overreacting is absolute gold.”
- “The missions that really shine for me are the ones that have a passable story for me, a good atmosphere, like Wiretap and Odin's Fall for example.”
- “The game lacks any real story besides short cutscenes.”
- “The characters are boring, the enemies are boring - with bad AI and bullet sponginess, the missions are boring, the progression is boring, and no other humans play this game.”
- “The missions themselves are rather boring; it usually ranges from going into a location and killing someone, destroying something, or stealing something.”
gameplay
504 mentions
20 % positive mentions
66 % neutral mentions
14 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Raid: WWII" is often compared to "Payday 2," with many reviewers noting that it shares similar mechanics but lacks the depth and polish of its predecessor. While some players appreciate the game's unique elements and cooperative aspects, others criticize it for being repetitive, poorly optimized, and plagued by bugs, leading to a less satisfying experience overall. Despite its flaws, the game can be enjoyable in a group setting, especially for fans of the heist genre, but it may not meet the expectations set by "Payday 2."
- “The skill system has been overhauled and makes a lot more sense now, you don't need a million mods in order to have a stable game, and the overall gameplay is wonderful.”
- “The gameplay has the payday DNA, but it's different enough to be its own thing.”
- “I enjoy the gameplay this game offers, it will punish those who are careless and rewards the careful strategic people.”
- “The gameplay is boring and uninspired; it's like a modding team with no experience tried to make a full conversion of payday 2 into a WW2 shooter and then gave up halfway through.”
- “The gameplay is lackluster and the AI is terrible.”
- “The gameplay gets tiresome after a while.”
graphics
423 mentions
14 % positive mentions
58 % neutral mentions
28 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have been widely criticized as outdated and subpar, often compared to titles from the early 2000s, with many reviewers noting that they fall short of even previous entries in the Payday series. While some players appreciate the game's aesthetic and animations, the general consensus is that the visuals are a significant drawback, detracting from the overall experience. Despite the dated graphics, a few players argue that the gameplay can still be enjoyable if one can overlook the visual shortcomings.
- “The game has very good graphics and it's fun to play.”
- “A very underrated game in my opinion, this is a fast-paced FPS shooter with pretty decent graphics and many hours of fun.”
- “It's graphically better looking than Payday 2 (one of the reasons I bought it).”
- “The graphics are atrocious with crappy textures, horrible animations, a blurry (thanks to just FXAA being available) ugly mess.”
- “The graphics are a major downfall for it, and the amount of content currently available, with the current tier of graphics (HL2 era), does not make it worth the price.”
- “The graphics look like they are 15 years out of date, and that is just not any good, the camera angle is locked straight in the middle of the chest, so much in fact that if you play with a buddy and go real close in for a look at him you can actually see the underside of his chin above you.”
humor
156 mentions
97 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its campy and dark comedic elements, particularly through the inclusion of humorous cutscenes featuring Hitler and witty character banter. Players appreciate the game's lighthearted approach to serious themes, with many finding the dialogue and interactions genuinely funny, although some note that the humor can become repetitive. Overall, the game successfully blends absurdity with its WWII setting, making it an entertaining experience for those who enjoy a comedic twist in gameplay.
- “The dialogue and interactions between characters are fun, and the game has a great sense of humor that came as an enjoyable surprise to me!”
- “Also, John Cleese and the general humor of this game can be spot-on; it definitely got some laughs out of me and the characters really have some personality to them.”
- “The end of raid Hitler cut scenes are always hilarious, John Cleese is a gem to have around and all.”
- “After every mission (and no, you can't turn it off) the game loads an incredibly cringy, terribly unfunny, horrendously 'acted' video where Adolf does something.”
grinding
137 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with players finding the leveling and weapon upgrade systems excessively tedious and time-consuming. Many reviews highlight that the grind becomes particularly frustrating at higher levels, often requiring players to repeat missions and challenges for minimal rewards, which detracts from the overall enjoyment. While some acknowledge potential improvements from ongoing updates, the current state of grinding is seen as a significant barrier to a satisfying gameplay experience.
- “It's fucking absurd how grindy it is and rivals free-to-play titles in that regard.”
- “It becomes really tedious to level up as you get later on in the game, meaning you'll get the first handful of weapons really quickly, then you'll be grinding for a while to get the rest.”
- “In short, the game's system of progress has too much of a grinding formula that rewards are little with gameplay that starts becoming repetitive and functions worse than games that are older but with the same graphics and engine.”
stability
107 mentions
2 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
98 % negative mentions
The stability of "Raid: World War II" is widely criticized, with players reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and crashes that significantly impact gameplay. While some improvements have been noted since its launch, many still experience issues such as freezing, desyncing in multiplayer, and AI problems, leading to a consensus that the game remains quite unstable. Overall, while there are signs of progress, the game is still considered a buggy mess reminiscent of its predecessor, "Payday 2," at launch.
- “For me, the game runs great on the highest settings.”
- “Very buggy, likes to freeze and crash on occasion, some multiplayer syncing issues, and there have been instances of player progression resetting.”
- “Broken on launch, low performance, incredibly buggy and unplayable.”
- “The game essentially takes all the bad things from both the original and sequel payday games, mixes them together, and produces a buggy mess of a game that plays very choppy and flows as well as a dam blocked stream.”
music
106 mentions
23 % positive mentions
66 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it bland, generic, and repetitive, lacking the high-energy feel that characterizes soundtracks in similar titles like Payday 2. While some appreciate the orchestral elements that evoke a classic war movie atmosphere, others feel it fails to enhance the gameplay experience, often becoming forgettable and uninspiring. Overall, the soundtrack does not meet the expectations set by its predecessors, leaving players wanting more variety and excitement.
- “The operations have an old-fashioned war movie atmosphere that, coupled with the orchestral soundtrack, make them feel straight out of films like The Dirty Dozen and Kelly's Heroes.”
- “If you and a friend get it on sale for around $5 it's an easy recommend, all it's missing is slightly faster leveling and a few quality of life updates for bots, better than Payday 3, the soundtrack is unbelievably good.”
- “This game is very fun, has a great soundtrack and very fun missions, can't wait for future updates!”
- “First mission is already boring as hell, and the music is repetitive in the worst kind of way with bad looping.”
- “It's the most bland, uninspired, and boring music ever found in a war game.”
- “The payday 2 soundtrack would hype you up for the heist, whereas this soundtrack puts you to sleep and is very repetitive.”
optimization
96 mentions
17 % positive mentions
42 % neutral mentions
42 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has seen significant improvements since its rocky launch nearly seven years ago, with recent updates addressing many performance issues and stuttering. However, players still report ongoing problems such as crashes, long loading times, and inconsistent performance across different hardware setups, leading to mixed opinions on its overall optimization quality. While some users find it runs smoothly now, others continue to experience severe optimization issues that detract from the gameplay experience.
- “Released almost 7 years ago, this game continues to receive updates and improvements from the devs. While it had a rocky start, the performance has vastly improved, and it runs smoothly now.”
- “There have been a few performance and quality of life updates rather recently (17/07/23), which is always a plus.”
- “[*] Optimization has been improved drastically.”
- “Ugly-ass graphics, infinite loading screens, constant crashes, bad optimization, bag moving simulator, no steam cloud.”
- “Literally, the game is not optimized when there are paydays; every mechanic of this game is from Payday, but just worse with graphics and gameplay. Holy shit, the game is badly optimized; this should be free for Payday 2 owners.”
- “I will never recommend this game since it runs like shit on an old engine, and there are a lot of bugs and stuttering which I don't expect from an old game developer.”
replayability
45 mentions
27 % positive mentions
56 % neutral mentions
18 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with some players praising the revamped skill system, diverse classes, and unique weapons that encourage experimentation and replay. However, others criticize the lack of challenge in raids and limited mission variety, leading to a perception of diminished replay value compared to similar games like Payday. Overall, while there are elements that support replayability, many feel it falls short in providing sustained engagement.
- “With the revamped skill system that is flexible enough to allow for experimentation, the different classes, the solid array of guns (all of which feel unique and viable), and the amount of stuff that can be obtained with gold, the game is certainly not lacking for some replayability.”
- “All content is designed to be thoroughly replayable.”
- “Cards give a ton of replayability value to the game, and can result in some extremely fun situations.”
- “Sadly lacking in replayability, though I'd still recommend you pick this up when it's on sale.”
- “This game is really bad; there is close to no replayability to most of the missions in this and there are like 10 of them.”
- “However, comparing to Payday, replayability is cut by half.”
monetization
36 mentions
3 % positive mentions
8 % neutral mentions
89 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has been criticized for its perceived cash grab nature, with players feeling misled by inadequate advertising and a lack of communication at launch. Many reviewers express disappointment over the absence of microtransactions at release, while also highlighting the game's failure to attract a broader audience beyond the Payday 2 community. Overall, the sentiment suggests that poor marketing strategies and execution have contributed to a negative perception of the game's monetization approach.
- “+ no microtransactions at time of release”
- “Raid: World War II feels like a low-effort cash grab.”
- “They want you to join their group so they can use it to spam advertisements for their next cash grab title, like they used the Payday 2 group to advertise this rubbish.”
- “Discover the origin story of a cash grab and begin to unravel the plot of the legendary Starbreeze/LGL money laundering scheme.”
atmosphere
18 mentions
44 % positive mentions
39 % neutral mentions
17 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is praised for its old-fashioned war movie vibe, enhanced by a fitting orchestral soundtrack and strong voice acting that adds distinct personalities to characters. While some missions create a compelling sense of panic and immersion, others suffer from outdated graphics and a lack of overall atmosphere, leading to mixed feelings about the game's ability to evoke a sense of achievement. Overall, the game successfully captures a unique and humorous WWII ambiance, though inconsistencies in execution can detract from the experience.
- “The operations have an old-fashioned war movie atmosphere that, coupled with the orchestral soundtrack, makes them feel straight out of films like The Dirty Dozen and Kelly's Heroes.”
- “Unique atmosphere and personality, with a lovely and funny WWII ambience.”
- “The graphics feel outdated, the game lacks atmosphere and overall, I've yet to feel any sense of achievement for finishing a raid.”
- “The operations have an old-fashioned war movie atmosphere that, coupled with the orchestral soundtrack, make them feel straight out of films like The Dirty Dozen and Kelly's Heroes.”
- “The voice acting of the playable characters is consistently good, and unlike PD2, they all have distinct and consistent personalities that help maintain a self-aware, overdramatic atmosphere that, when it isn't overshadowed by something else, is well done.”
emotional
6 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional responses to the game are mixed, with some players feeling heartened by its growth from a low player count to a more stable community, while others express deep disappointment, describing the game as "awful" and "soulless." This dichotomy highlights a sense of nostalgia and longing for improvement amidst feelings of frustration and sadness.
- “It may not be much, but seeing the game go from peaking at 5 players to holding a modest player base of 100-150 players off the update is kind of heartwarming, in a way.”
- “Incessantly, I played Payday 2, reminding myself that even a spectacular and mentally wholesome game such as Raid: World War II has to undergo production from time to time, and maybe I also didn't know about it for several years.”