Strategic Mind: Blitzkrieg
- May 21, 2020
- Starni Games
- 10h median play time
Get on Steam"Strategic Mind: Blitzkrieg" is a turn-based strategy game that puts players in command of the German military during World War 2. The game features detailed historical events and personalities, with cinematics and multiple objectives adding depth to each scenario. Players can lead troops in various operations, aiming to complete primary and secondary objectives while adhering to historical accuracy.
PC
Playstation 4
Playstation 5
Windows
PlayStation
Reviews
- The game features a deep and engaging storyline with historical context, allowing players to experience various scenarios from World War II.
- Unit customization and progression are well-implemented, providing players with the ability to upgrade and equip their forces strategically.
- The game mechanics are solid, offering a mix of tactical depth and strategic planning that can be both challenging and rewarding.
- The voice acting is widely criticized for being poor, with many characters having American accents that detract from the immersion.
- The game suffers from significant graphical issues, including cluttered maps that make it difficult to identify units and navigate effectively.
- Mission design can be frustrating, with tight time limits and a lack of flexibility in strategies, often requiring players to replay scenarios to achieve success.
- story162 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 77 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The game's story is noted for its immersive and well-written plot, which enhances the overall experience with engaging character interactions and mission briefings. However, some players criticize the historical inaccuracies and the lack of meaningful consequences between missions, leading to a feeling of disconnection from the narrative. While the storytelling elements are appreciated, the execution of mission design and pacing can detract from the overall enjoyment of the story.
“One of the positive themes of the series is the storyline.”
“The plot is well written and even provides you that sense of what it might have felt like to work under the command of the psycho-führer himself.”
“I really appreciate that they took the time to add story, dialogue, and banter between the German leadership.”
“The missions in Panzer Corps 2 feel rather bland; capture the objectives here.”
“Panzer Corps 2 also has a painful lack of story elements.”
“Still in the topic of story, I am very disappointed in Panzer Corps 2's lack of any ending. The only thing you get after finishing the final mission of a campaign is the title screen.”
- graphics68 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the high-quality visuals and smooth animations, while others criticize the cluttered interface and occasional glitches that hinder gameplay. Many find the unit models difficult to identify due to their small size and the overly colorful design, which can detract from the overall experience. Overall, while the graphics are generally considered good, they are not without significant flaws that impact gameplay clarity.
“The game itself looks very nice, the graphics are very good and I think they are at a high level.”
“Nice and smooth graphics, pleasing to the eye and cool song.”
“A strategic war with awesome graphics, and reminiscent of chess.”
“There's also an instant clunky and very awkward zoom in whenever you move a unit a distance or attack with it, and the graphics don't hold up very well.”
“The game mechanics are really fun, but it is ruined by the horrible graphic and UI design.”
“Unit models are too small to be recognized and the graphics are too colorful.”
- gameplay66 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally praised for its solid mechanics and engaging core loop, offering a mix of challenging scenarios and innovative features like supply management and a dynamic day-night cycle. However, players note significant issues with balance, particularly in mission design and the effectiveness of certain units, as well as frustrations with the user interface and graphics. While the game can be immersive and addictive once the mechanics are understood, it also suffers from some poorly implemented features that detract from the overall experience.
“Blitzkrieg offers challenging and exciting gameplay of historic scenarios.”
“Pros - awesome gameplay, great concept, takes a little while to get the hang of the mechanics (which is a good thing).”
“You have a lot of interesting mechanics here - supply, weather, day and night cycle, captured equipment and very flexible force customization.”
“The core gameplay loop is solid, but its implementation and the balancing of missions could be significantly better.”
“In many scenarios, developers script ridiculous mechanics where a fleet of dive bombers, subs, and torpedo bombers cannot do a thing against a single destroyer.”
“The introduction of night turns was a terrible idea both graphically and gameplay-wise.”
- music14 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The music in "Panzer Corps 2" has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it cheerful and not fitting for a war game, while others appreciate the nostalgic score reminiscent of the original Panzer General. In contrast, "Strategic Mind: Blitzkrieg" is praised for its more suitable and immersive soundtrack, along with extensive voice acting that enhances the gameplay experience. Overall, players seem to prefer the music and voice work in "Strategic Mind: Blitzkrieg" over that of "Panzer Corps 2."
“Music score is pretty good; although I must admit that the old Panzer General music score for all three factions is the best at setting up the mood.”
“The background soundtrack enhances the action to the maximum.”
“The sound effects, music, and especially the voice acting in this game are so bad, like some of the worst I've ever heard.”
“Also worth mentioning is that some songs in Panzer Corps 2 feel a bit too cheerful for a war game.”
“I prefer Strategic Mind: Blitzkrieg's music as it feels more fitting for a war game than the music in Panzer Corps 2.”
- stability10 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with reports of freezing aircraft, occasional graphics glitches, and erratic behavior during AI turns, though it generally recovers during player turns. While some players have encountered only minor issues after extensive playtime, others express frustration over persistent bugs and voice-over inconsistencies. Overall, there are signs of improvement, but the game still suffers from notable stability problems.
“There are also occasional graphics glitches, and the game goes wonky sometimes during the AI turn, making it hard to tell what is going on, but it recovers for the player turn.”
“Why release a game when it is so full of glitches and bugs?”
“The voice-overs are (still) terrible, with Germans speaking perfect American English, and the game is a tad buggy, with issues being whack-a-moled every patch, but there is some definite improvement going on in this series.”
- replayability8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is seen as limited, with some players expressing a desire for additional modes, such as sandbox or skirmish, to enhance the experience. While there are elements that encourage players to return and pursue different goals, the lack of variety ultimately detracts from its long-term appeal.
“And on this point, that adds some replay value as you may want to return to the game later and take your experience in the game and really go for those goals.”
“One thing that I think would enhance its replay value is a sandbox or skirmish mode.”
“These elements all stack up to make what is a mostly enjoyable game.”
“One thing that I don't think this game has that I think would enhance its replay value is a sandbox or skirmish mode.”
“These elements all stack up to make what is a mostly enjoyable (though limited in replayability) game to be rather annoying in places.”
“For me, a serious drawback eliminates the former replayability.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of naval missions to be tedious, primarily due to the inability to restore ship health during missions and the overwhelming number of units to manage. The reliance on planes for effective combat adds to the monotony, as players often feel forced to use them instead of engaging their battleships directly. Overall, the experience is marred by cumbersome planning and action phases, making the gameplay feel repetitive.
“Ship to ship battles are fine, but naval missions are annoying. Even if you keep your best ships afloat (Tirpitz, Bismarck, etc.), you only get Bismarck later, and you have 6 battleships and 3 carriers to sink. You can't restore ship HP during missions, so it's a case of using planes because they can be repaired. High-strength planes will sink ships quickly while your navy sits back and only engages when the enemy is weakened - it becomes a little tedious.”
“Not just the number of units to cycle through in planning and action phases of a turn is burdensome, but also the scaling across the screen becomes tedious, especially when moving units long distances.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its clever voice acting, which turns despicable characters into exaggerated caricatures, enhancing the comedic effect. Additionally, the improved animation complements a plethora of cheeky one-liners that contribute to the overall lighthearted tone.
“I think that was a perfectly reasonable decision—and I actually find the voice acting quite humorous by making what are, after all, some truly vile human beings almost caricatures of themselves.”
“The animation and voice acting are improved as well, although there are lots of cheeky but funny one-liners.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its stunning visuals, including dynamic day and night cycles and detailed environments that effectively immerse players in the World War II setting. Reviewers commend the developers for their commitment to authenticity, as the game captures the essence of the era through its portrayal of land, air, and sea battles.
“The visual part of this game is wonderful: the dynamic change of day and night, detailed drawing of cities, drawing of grass and beautiful nature will immerse you in the atmosphere of the Second World War and make the gameplay very exciting!”
“I was also surprised by the approach of the developers, who did a very good job on the atmosphere of the game, because the game fairly reliably tells about the events of World War II that affect land, air, and sea battles.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The optimization aspect of the game is noted for its focus on player identity and progression, allowing players to experience multiple branches based on mission performance. Players can assume the role of Franz Halder, earning ranks and medals that enhance their headquarters, contributing to a more personalized and rewarding gameplay experience.
“In the predecessor, you had multiple branches depending on your mission performance.”
“- Player identity: you are Franz Halder, you have a rank and can be promoted, you can gain medals based on your performance that add boosts to your HQ.”
