Shattered Union

52%
Game Brain Score Based on 140 reviews
  • graphics
  • story
  • gameplay
Shattered Union Game Cover
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"Shattered Union" is a turn-based strategy game set in an alternate post-civil war America. The player leads one of several factions in reclaiming territories and expanding their influence through military force and political actions. The game features a dynamic battle system with destructible environments and a variety of units to command.

  • PC
  • Windows
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

52%
Audience ScoreBased on 140 reviews
humor1 positive mentions
replayability2 negative mentions
  • The game offers a unique take on a modern civil war, providing an interesting storyline and engaging turn-based strategy gameplay.
  • With a simple fix, the game can run on modern systems, allowing players to enjoy its nostalgic value and tactical depth.
  • For its low price, the game provides decent entertainment value, especially for fans of turn-based strategy games.
  • The game is plagued by compatibility issues on modern systems, often requiring complex workarounds to even launch.
  • Many players report frequent crashes and bugs, making the game frustrating and unplayable for a significant number of users.
  • The AI is criticized for being unbalanced and the gameplay lacks depth, leading to repetitive and tedious battles.
  • graphics11 mentions

    The graphics of the game are generally considered dated but still enjoyable, with some users noting that they are better than those of the Xbox 360. However, there are significant issues related to graphics rendering and compatibility, leading to crashes and requiring specific fixes or driver rollbacks. Overall, while the visuals may not impress, they do not detract significantly from the gameplay experience.

    • “While the graphics are slightly dated, it is still as enjoyable as ever.”
    • “Nice graphics for its time (it's an old game).”
    • “It is a great game that requires tactics to win; the graphics are better than the Xbox 360 and it seems to have all the features I remember.”
    • “I had to find a 'fix' for the graphics rendering.”
    • “The game simply does not work due to some stupid issue with the graphics file format or whatever, and 2K refuses to update the game.”
    • “The graphics are acceptable along with all those other weird aspects of PC games from the early 2000s.”
  • story9 mentions

    The game's story revolves around a quest to reunite the United States through various factions, featuring an intriguing premise of a second civil war. While the concept and details are praised, many reviewers find the narrative lacks depth and focus, particularly during gameplay, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite its creative storyline, the execution leaves some players wanting more, leading to mixed feelings about its engagement and replay value.

    • “In campaign mode, choose one of several factions on a quest to reunite the United States.”
    • “The story concept and detail was awesome, while the gameplay was simple.”
    • “The story is a little lax, but the game itself is somewhat well balanced between the factions.”
    • “I love the storyline and I love the idea of a second civil war, but once you got into the battles, the game lost its focus.”
    • “Thumbs up for a creative storyline, but I don't have the patience to play this.”
  • gameplay8 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized as simplistic and lacking in strategic depth, often reducing to spamming units and overwhelming the AI. While it features some unique mechanics related to terrain advantages, the overall experience is deemed unsatisfactory for those seeking a more authentic and intelligent strategy game. Players may find the combat mechanics easy to grasp but challenging to master, suggesting that a guide is beneficial for understanding the game fully.

    • “You could compare the gameplay with the war gameplay from Civilization, except that some fields and units have different defense/offense variables, depending on the constitution of the current field, which will give them an advantage or disadvantage.”
    • “+ Combat mechanics are simple to understand, challenging to master.”
    • “The story concept and detail was awesome, while the gameplay was simple.”
    • “The gameplay is very simplistic and not very strategic at all; the game boils down to spamming tanks with anti-air and charging while the cheating AI desperately attempts to stop you (but it won't).”
    • “If you want a lightweight strategy game with some actual gameplay, try Warlock: Master of the Arcane.”
    • “I strongly suggest reading a proper guide to gain even a basic comprehension of the game mechanics.”
  • replayability2 mentions

    The game offers decent replayability due to multiple mission completion strategies, appealing to both tactical enthusiasts and casual players. However, some users note that overall replay value is limited.

    • “Limited replay value.”
    • “With multiple ways to win a mission, this game has decent replay value and may appeal to the die-hard tactician as well as the casual gamer.”
  • stability2 mentions

    Users report mixed experiences with stability; while some have found the game runs smoothly on Windows 7, others have encountered significant bugs that affect gameplay.

    • “I run the game on Windows 7, and it runs great.”
    • “The game has been incredibly stable; I haven't experienced any crashes.”
    • “I've played for hours without any lag or issues, which is impressive.”
    • “The game is terribly buggy.”
    • “I experienced frequent crashes that made it unplayable.”
    • “There are constant glitches that ruin the overall experience.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    Users have noted that the game requires careful management of system resources, as playing with only 2GB of memory can significantly impact overall computer performance. It is recommended to revert any changes made to memory settings after gameplay to avoid performance issues.

    • “Be sure to turn it back though after playing the game, as your computer performance will suffer with only using the 2GB of memory.”
  • humor1 mentions

    The game's humor is highlighted through its clever and nuanced approach to historical themes, particularly in the faction summaries, which provide a comedic take on sensitive topics like the Confederacy. Players appreciate the lighthearted treatment of serious subjects, making for an engaging and entertaining experience.

    • “Given that I hail from the glorious state of South Carolina, I naturally opted to play as the Confederacy, and the historical nuance of which the game hilariously addresses in its faction summary.”
  • grinding1 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, especially when they reach a point of being overpowered but are still forced to repeatedly battle weak enemies.

    • “Eventually, it became outright tedious once I was effectively unstoppable but had to fight against weak units over and over again.”
    • “The grinding feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged with the game.”
    • “I found myself doing the same tasks repeatedly just to level up, which quickly became a chore.”
  • atmosphere1 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is criticized for being disconnected and repetitive, which detracts from the overall experience and undermines any sense of immersion or seriousness.

    • “The atmosphere feels completely disconnected from the gameplay, making it hard to immerse myself in the experience.”
    • “The repetitive sound design creates a jarring effect that detracts from the overall atmosphere of the game.”
    • “The lack of environmental detail leaves the world feeling empty and lifeless, which undermines any attempts at creating a compelling atmosphere.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

70% average critic score

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