Sudden Strike 2 Gold

About

"Sudden Strike 2 Gold" is a real-time strategy game set in World War 2, where players can command German, Russian, British, American, and Imperial Japanese armies. This re-release includes new units, maps, and campaigns, as well as the addition of a dynamic weather system and individual crew commands for mechanized units. With the Pacific theater now included, players can engage in massive battleship and airfield operations.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

85%

Audience ScoreBased on 96 reviews

graphics5 positive mentions

replayability2 negative mentions

Significant improvements over the first game, particularly in control responsiveness and gameplay mechanics.
Offers a variety of units and campaigns, providing a nostalgic and challenging experience for strategy game fans.
Strong community support with mods and custom missions, enhancing replayability and engagement.

The game suffers from numerous bugs and crashes, particularly on modern systems, making it frustrating to play.
Graphics and interface are dated, which can detract from the overall experience and make gameplay cumbersome.
Lack of a tutorial and poor AI pathfinding lead to a steep learning curve and can result in frustrating gameplay moments.

story
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
82%
9%
The game's story and mission structure have received mixed reviews, with players noting a lack of engaging narrative and a limited number of missions per country. Many criticize the mission design for being vague and inconsistent, often requiring players to complete objectives with minimal resources and reinforcements, which can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences. However, the inclusion of a mission editor and a wealth of community-created content offers some redeeming value for those seeking more variety.
- “There are thousands of custom missions available, with new missions still being produced by the community (as I write this, the newest maps are from November 2022) next to the long list of campaign and single missions.”
- “Some of these missions can last you hours, doing so feels akin to huge projects you meticulously try to complete, like 10,000 piece puzzles or miniature ship building.”
- “The game makes you choose a different approach; you have to make good use of what you're given. In some missions, you don't even get reinforcements; you fight with what you have or with what you have left from your previous mission.”
- “The missions don't follow the linear structure of other RTS games of giving you larger and larger armies the more missions you complete.”
- “This game has some of the worst mission briefings and mission designs I have ever seen.”
- “Bad controls paired with even worse AI and almost painfully vague mission objectives and lackluster mission design result in an extremely inconsistent overall difficulty of the game.”
graphics
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
58%
16%
The graphics of the game are generally considered dated, with many users appreciating the old-school art style despite its limitations, such as lack of support for modern resolutions and subpar 3D visuals in later installments. While some find the aesthetic pleasing and atmospheric, others note that the graphics can hinder gameplay, particularly with poor character models and pathfinding. Overall, the graphics evoke nostalgia for fans, but they may not meet the expectations of players seeking modern visuals.
- “The game sure is dated, but I love this art style and design.”
- “Sudden Strike still holds its weight; the graphics have an extremely pleasant aesthetic, but it is the gameplay that had me purchase this game for the third time in my life just to have it on Steam.”
- “The art style is very nice; it adds to the atmosphere of the game.”
- “First, the graphics: without mods, the games do not support modern widescreen resolutions higher than 1024x768.”
- “The graphics are very dated and difficult to play today, but the gameplay is so good, Sudden will always be a fun game to play.”
- “Graphics are kind of dated.”
gameplay
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
50%
17%
The gameplay of the Sudden Strike series is characterized by a mix of nostalgia and tactical depth, though it suffers from dated graphics and frustrating AI. While some players appreciate the classic RTS mechanics and challenging missions, others find the controls and trial-and-error nature tedious. Overall, the gameplay remains enjoyable for long-time fans, despite its shortcomings.
- “It has good nostalgia and the gameplay is very nice, still holds up today.”
- “Sudden Strike still holds its weight, the graphics have an extremely pleasant aesthetic, but it is the gameplay that had me purchase this game for the third time in my life just to have it on Steam.”
- “10/10 gameplay and fun factor.”
- “The gameplay is quite tactical at times, but mostly involves extremely tedious, dragging, frustrating trial and error.”
- “A big chunk of difficulty does not actually come from the gameplay itself, but the extremely bad AI and controls.”
- “That wouldn’t be that bad if the simplistic graphics did not actually affect the gameplay.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The music in the game has received mixed feedback; while some users appreciate the quality of the soundtrack, others report issues such as a lack of music during gameplay and sound effects being too quiet. Additionally, there are concerns about technical problems affecting the overall audio experience, suggesting that improvements are needed.
- “The soundtrack is pretty good, while it does run on Windows 10 it isn't the smoothest of games.”
- “This game is awesome, but it could use some patches to fix the sound; there is no music.”
- “Music did not work on my system and even the basic sound effects were extremely quiet during gameplay.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
100%
The game offers significant replayability through multiple campaigns, a map editor, and mod support, providing players with countless hours of content despite some minor flaws.
- “Multiple campaigns, a map editor, and mod support give this game hours upon hours of replay value.”
- “Even with its small flaws, it's very playable, and the editor increases replay value.”
- “Multiple campaigns, map editor, and mod support give this game hours upon hours of replay value.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be largely tedious and frustrating, often involving repetitive trial and error. While the mission editor offers creative potential, mastering it can also be a cumbersome process.
- “The gameplay is quite tactical at times, but mostly involves extremely tedious, dragging, and frustrating trial and error.”
- “Grinding feels like an endless chore that detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
- “The repetitive nature of grinding makes it hard to stay engaged with the story and characters.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Overall, while most of the game is relatively stable, players have reported several significant bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, particularly in specific campaigns and mission completions. Issues such as campaigns not starting, high scores not being saved, and problematic unit pathfinding have been highlighted as notable concerns.
- “Most of the game is rather bug-free, although there are a few issues: the USA campaign sometimes doesn't start, the game occasionally fails to save your high score, the Great Britain campaign may not spawn the last enemies in the final mission, and pathfinding can cause your units to cluster in a chokepoint.”
- “I also stopped the add-on resource war, not because of the difficulty, but because of dozens of bugs and game-breaking glitches.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game's optimization is noted for its attention to detail, with units speaking in their native languages, enhancing immersion. However, the overall performance of the voice actors is considered mediocre, which detracts from the experience.
- “The performance of the voice actors is mediocre at best.”
- “The game suffers from severe optimization issues, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering.”
- “Despite the interesting gameplay mechanics, the overall experience is marred by poor optimization and long loading times.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game's art style is highly praised for enhancing its overall atmosphere, contributing significantly to the immersive experience.
- “The art style is very nice and adds to the atmosphere of the game.”
- “The immersive sound design truly enhances the overall atmosphere, making every moment feel alive.”
- “The combination of lighting and environmental details creates a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere that draws you in.”