Second Front
- January 31, 2023
- Hexdraw
- 2h median play time
Get on Steam"Second Front" is a tactical World War II shooter that focuses on realism and teamwork. Players can engage in large-scale battles with up to 150 players per side, using authentic weapons and vehicles. The game also features a hex-based tactical map for strategic planning and coordination.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Captures the essence of Advanced Squad Leader with a modern twist, making it accessible for both veterans and newcomers.
- Offers a robust scenario and campaign editor, allowing for endless replayability and community-generated content.
- The AI provides a challenging experience, requiring players to think strategically and adapt their tactics.
- Heavy reliance on RNG can lead to frustrating outcomes, where well-planned strategies can be undone by poor dice rolls.
- Lacks multiplayer options, which limits the game's replayability for those who enjoy competitive play.
- Some mechanics, such as the need for line of sight for mortars and the handling of routing, feel unrealistic and can detract from the overall experience.
- graphics84 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the charming, cartoonish style that enhances gameplay clarity and accessibility, while others find them simplistic or unappealing. Despite some initial skepticism, many users have come to enjoy the graphics for their practical design and the nostalgic feel of tabletop miniatures, although some still wish for more realistic visuals. Overall, the graphics serve their purpose well in supporting the game's mechanics, even if they may not satisfy everyone’s aesthetic preferences.
“The graphics may not please everyone, but it has a very cool feel of tabletop miniatures where a lot of love has been put into details (cars in the streets, flags and posters on the wall, etc.).”
“The graphics, while 'cartoony', have vehicles with incredible detail and terrain that is easy to evaluate even in built-up areas.”
“I really like the graphics and the gameplay is extremely challenging while remaining engaging.”
“Casual graphics with extremely 'hardcore' wargame rules is a bad mix.”
“If you can get past the clunky visuals, the gameplay is quite solid.”
“There are a few interface issues where the cartoonish 3D graphics make it difficult to figure out where exactly a unit is sitting, particularly in urban areas.”
- gameplay83 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 72 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is a blend of classic ASL mechanics and modern adaptations, offering a challenging yet engaging experience for players familiar with tabletop wargames. While many appreciate the depth and realism of the mechanics, some find the gameplay clunky and frustrating, particularly due to issues like luck-based combat outcomes and a steep learning curve for newcomers. Overall, the game has potential but requires further polish and adjustments to enhance player experience.
“I really like the graphics and the gameplay is extremely challenging while remaining engaging.”
“The game should appeal to anyone who likes realistic (or over complicated) military games, you have deep mechanics like morale, cover and concealment, melee combat, artillery and support weapons that can be abandoned or captured, different movement types, the works.”
“Great hex-based war game that scratches the itch of counter-based tabletop games, with a fun art style and strong mechanics.”
“Hey devs, seriously, parts of this game and its mechanics need some serious rework.”
“Seems like it has a lot of content, but I found the core gameplay clunky and not very fun.”
“The combat mechanics leave much to be desired and the game feels very unpolished.”
- story56 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 84 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The game's story and mission structure receive mixed reviews, with players appreciating the detailed tutorials and mission-building features but expressing frustration over arbitrary turn limits that can hinder progress. While the initial missions are engaging, many players find the difficulty spikes and the need to replay missions due to these limits detract from the overall experience. The game is praised for its potential in user-generated content and replayability, but the mechanics can lead to a sense of stagnation and confusion regarding mission difficulty.
“The missions start out scripted but soon depart the script to confront you.”
“Game includes a map and mission editor with workshop support, so plenty of longevity.”
“I'm hoping it delivers more campaigns and I'm excited to try user-generated missions down the road.”
“If you're into the nitty-gritty, realistic details of missions and combat, then this is probably not the product for you.”
“Some have posted that you can play on, but you can't 'win', which means you can't unlock the next mission in the campaign, so why bother?”
“The turn limit in the mission can make players want to pull their hair out.”
- replayability7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability due to its design elements, including RNG that fosters chaos and emergent narratives, as well as a robust scenario workshop that allows players to create and share countless missions. This combination of features ensures that players can enjoy nearly infinite replay value, catering to both strategic gameplay and creative expression.
“Anyone can post scenarios to the workshop (as of this writing I've shared a few dozen myself), so there's basically endless replayability.”
“As far as I'm concerned, it meets my creative need to design missions and have countless hours of replay value for the missions you create.”
“With the scenario maker and the nationalities included, there is endless replay value.”
“Yes, there is a lot of RNG which always garners criticism from certain players, but it's there by design - to create the feeling of chaos, help with the emergent narratives of each scenario, and arguably give them more replay value.”
- music6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally described as peaceful but minimal, often lacking depth and variety, with some users experiencing bugs and performance issues. While the sound can be adjusted, many feel that the overall audio experience is average and not engaging enough to enhance gameplay.
“The birds' song is so peaceful.”
“The music is not overwhelming.”
“All of the sound levels can be adjusted, and mercifully, the music is turned down to a very low level by default.”
“Small, basic maps, no real music, and limited sound in general, coupled with crazy RNG and soulless units - there is not enough going on to enjoy this 'game' at this point.”
“Music is usually bugged, low performance (I have a decent PC, it's definitely not my problem) and a lot of crashes.”
“My negative point will concern the music and sound; both are average. Let's hope we will have mods for that in the future.”
- optimization5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is criticized for poor performance, including frequent crashes, long processing times, and inefficient dice mechanics, which detract from the overall experience. Users report that even simple scenarios with minimal units lead to significant delays, indicating that the game suffers from typical issues associated with indie Unity projects.
“The dice mechanics in the game need to be optimized.”
“While it would seem that a small scenario with only 10 or 15 units on the board would make for a fast-playing game, the calculations in the background are either very intense or not well optimized because an automatic phase that does nothing at all may take several seconds to finish.”
“Dice mechanics in the game need to be optimized.”
“The music is usually bugged, with low performance (I have a decent PC, it's definitely not my problem) and a lot of crashes.”
“This is clearly an indie developer Unity project - it remains unoptimized with very long processing times.”
- stability2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game demonstrates strong stability, with users reporting a polished experience and no significant glitches or bugs after extended playtime.
“After twelve hours of playing, I experienced no glitches or bugs.”
“The game runs smoothly without any crashes or interruptions.”
“I appreciate how stable the gameplay is; it really enhances the overall experience.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is enjoyable and reminiscent of classic tabletop gaming, providing a fun and engaging experience despite its graphics not being cutting-edge. Players appreciate the nostalgic vibe that enhances the overall enjoyment, particularly for fans of squad tactics games.
“Yeah, the graphics aren't state of the art, but there is something to be said about a fun atmosphere.”
“If you are a tabletop gamer, you will be pleased as this game has just as much atmosphere as someone playing a squad tactics game on a tabletop in a garage.”
“The atmosphere feels flat and uninspired, lacking the depth that would draw players into the game world.”
“Despite the game's potential, the overall ambiance is dull and fails to create an engaging experience.”
“The environment feels lifeless, making it hard to immerse myself in the game's setting.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the emotional aspect of the game to be intense and demanding, often requiring them to muster significant emotional energy to engage fully. The design evokes a strong sense of emotional highs and lows, akin to an emotional roller coaster experience.
“Reminiscent of board game design that makes every scenario an emotional roller coaster.”
“I have to work up the emotional energy to play each game!”
