Strategy & Tactics: Wargame Collection
- April 22, 2016
- HeroLabs
- 104h median play time
Get on Steam"Strategy & Tactics: Wargame Collection" is a turn-based strategy game that includes three historical campaigns set in medieval times and World War II. Players can command armies in epic battles, take control of countries, and engage in single-player and hotseat multiplayer modes. The game features campaigns for the Axis, USSR, and Allies, as well as dozens of skirmish mode maps and seven historical scenario-based maps.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers a collection of three distinct wargames, providing good value for players who enjoy strategy games.
- The tutorial is detailed and helps players understand the mechanics, making it accessible for newcomers to the genre.
- The sandbox mode allows for open-ended gameplay, giving players the freedom to strategize and conquer at their own pace.
- The game suffers from a clunky user interface and outdated graphics, which can detract from the overall experience.
- Many gameplay mechanics are overly simplistic, leading to a lack of depth and strategic complexity compared to other titles in the genre.
- There are significant balance issues, particularly in combat and unit movement, which can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences.
- gameplay22 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The gameplay is primarily focused on simple encirclement mechanics and tile-based combat, making it accessible but lacking depth compared to more complex strategy games. While it offers a large map and various units, the mechanics are repetitive across different scenarios, and the absence of a robust alliance system limits strategic options. Overall, it caters to fans of straightforward turn-based tactics but may disappoint those seeking intricate gameplay.
“Combat works almost solely through encirclement mechanics, and you can only get rid of units surrounding the enemy like chess. It does not matter if you have a perimeter made of one single half-dead soldier on each province; it is enough to encircle a perfectly fresh, fully set enemy unit and make it instantly disappear from the map.”
“As far as strategy games go, it's simple compared to other games like it, and the mechanics become second nature within half an hour to an hour.”
“The game is a must-have for a strategy game fan who likes turn-based gameplay and tactics.”
“Combat works almost solely through encirclement mechanics, and you can only get rid of units surrounding the enemy like chess. It does not matter if you have a perimeter made of one single half-dead soldier on each province; it is enough to encircle a perfectly fresh, fully set enemy unit and make it instantly disappear from the map. They will not be able to push that sad single unit in order to retreat, which is forbidden or something!”
“This is a pretty bad strategy game that fails to explain its mechanics and is ridiculously limited in scope.”
“If you really like the complicated and in-depth mechanics that you find in games like Hearts of Iron and Victoria 2, though, stay away from this game on PC.”
- story20 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game is generally viewed as decent, with engaging dialogues and appealing cut scenes that enhance the experience. However, players express a desire for more depth, such as additional multiplayer maps and a greater focus on specific historical contexts, particularly in the Pacific theater. While the missions offer strategic challenges and progression through research points, some players find the gameplay mechanics, like battle outcomes, to be unclear or frustrating, leading to mixed feelings about the overall narrative engagement.
“The cut scenes dialogue between officers is very interesting and so are their campaigns... all it's missing is more 2+ player maps and single player missions (I would like to see a bigger focus in the Pacific), but other than that this game is great.”
“World War II has a campaign mode where you battle your way across Europe via multiple missions.”
“As you play through missions, you'll earn 'research points' which can be spent upgrading either your military or science research, which in turn will improve things like your soldiers' strength or health, adding some nice progression and an added incentive to complete the missions within the allotted turns.”
“Hardly a success story; gamers just weren't all that interested in these mobile apps.”
“I thought it was a game with good tactics and strategy, but I don't understand the battle's results (random? What's the force of each unit?). More than that, the first mission as crusaders is to take Jerusalem in 18 turns or it's defeat.”
“The most commonly and easily attained achievement is for completing any mission in any of the three mobile apps; trivial to get, but less than 21 percent of players bothered to get that far before uninstalling the mobile app collection.”
- music17 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its atmospheric quality and fitting themes that enhance the gameplay experience, while others criticize it for being repetitive and of poor quality. Although there are variations in the soundtrack across different versions, the overall consensus suggests that while the music can contribute positively to the game's ambiance, it may also become grating over extended play sessions.
“It is almost a golden rule for strategy games of any given subgenre to have a very good musical score, and this title doesn’t fail to impress either.”
“The songs and themes fit well within the game modes and settings.”
“The soundtracks made for this game really capture the feel and presence of going into a war, adding to a wholesome game experience. More importantly, the tracks aren't the annoying type that makes you mute them after hearing them repeatedly.”
“There is 1 song soundtrack that will drive you crazy after several hours.”
“The music and guns are really loud and poor quality; I was forced to turn it down.”
“Now being blunt, it does not have spectacular graphics, the soundtrack is mediocre and repeats a lot, and initial impressions on the gameplay seemed as simple as checkers.”
- graphics13 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have been widely criticized for being outdated and lacking options for resolution or customization, with many reviewers comparing them unfavorably to classic games like Pac-Man and Space Invaders. While some appreciate the art style in cut scenes, the overall visual presentation is deemed mediocre and insufficient for modern standards, often described as resembling a slideshow or poorly optimized mobile app. Overall, the graphics serve their purpose but fail to impress, leaving players wanting a more refined visual experience.
“The story is okay, but I liked the dialogues and the nice art style for the cut scenes.”
“While the game’s graphics aren’t really something to brag about, they serve their purpose fair enough as this is the standard interface to this type of strategy.”
“The graphics and music themselves are very reminiscent of older games, and although this doesn't bother me, some people might be looking for something a little more refined.”
“There's no option to change the resolution and no useful graphics tweaks.”
“While the artwork itself is mediocre and might be considered passable, the visual presentation here is negligible; it might as well be a slideshow or a YouTube video.”
“The graphics are very outdated.”
- monetization3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the games is criticized as exploitative, resembling a cash grab typical of mobile games, with heavy reliance on ads and in-app purchases. Users express disappointment that these titles feel more like mobile adaptations rather than genuine PC games.
“These aren't real PC games... it's a cash grab from greedy mobile developers.”
“I found one of the games in this collection as a mobile game for my phone first (the WW2 sandbox one) and it was pretty fun, but had all the ads and in-app purchases that you see with mobile games.”
“I immediately checked to see if it had in-game purchases.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that the grinding mechanics in these games resemble those of ported mobile titles, featuring an excessively grindy attrition-based system that tests players' patience and encourages microtransactions for progress.
“They play like ported mobile games with an extremely grindy attrition-based system, ideally designed to wear down your patience and make you want to buy purchase points for real money.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviews highlight a mixed emotional experience, with some players feeling unfulfilled due to poor scenario implementation, while others praise the atmospheric soundtracks that enhance the game's immersive war experience without becoming repetitive or annoying.
“The atmospheric soundtracks really capture the feel and presence of going into a war, adding to a wholesome game experience. More importantly, the tracks aren't the annoying type that makes you want to mute them after hearing them repeatedly.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
While some users initially perceive high replayability due to decent graphics and multiple campaigns, others find the game's design lacking depth, suggesting that it may not hold long-term interest. However, the presence of three distinct open-ended campaigns in "Strategy & Tactics: Wargame Collection" is noted as a strong point for replay value.
“Strategy & Tactics: Wargame Collection has plenty of replay value considering we have three distinct open-ended campaigns.”
“The game lacks meaningful choices, making replayability feel tedious and uninteresting.”
“Once you've completed the main storyline, there's little incentive to play again.”
“The limited variety in missions and objectives means that replaying the game feels more like a chore than an enjoyable experience.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Overall, users report mixed experiences with stability; while some have encountered issues like start screen freezes, others have found the game to be completely stable with no crashes or glitches.
“The start screen freezes frequently, making it impossible to get into the game.”
“Despite my hopes, the game has been plagued with stability issues, including random crashes.”
“I experienced multiple glitches that disrupted my gameplay experience.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is significantly enhanced by its atmospheric soundtracks, which effectively convey the intensity of war without becoming repetitive or annoying, contributing to an immersive and enjoyable gaming experience.
“The atmospheric soundtracks really capture the feel and presence of going into a war, enhancing the overall game experience. Importantly, the tracks aren't the annoying type that makes you want to mute them after hearing them repeatedly.”
“The game's atmosphere is incredibly immersive, drawing you into its world with stunning visuals and a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack that complements every moment.”
“Every element of the environment contributes to a palpable sense of tension and excitement, making each encounter feel significant and memorable.”
