Sudden Strike 4

77%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,982 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • gameplay
Sudden Strike 4 Game Cover
An unsurprising RTS in every sense of the word, but solidly entertaining and well-designed for console.
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Sudden Strike 4 is a World War II strategy game that offers three campaigns and over 100 units to command, such as the German bomber He111 and the Russian T-34 tank. Players can choose from nine individual commanders with unique abilities, and test their skills in singleplayer scenarios, skirmish mode, and multiplayer. The game emphasizes strategic exploitation of enemy weaknesses, ambushes, and positioning.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Linux
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

77%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,982 reviews
story100 positive mentions
stability27 negative mentions
  • Great graphics and sound design, providing an immersive WWII experience.
  • Challenging gameplay that requires strategic thinking and careful management of limited units.
  • Variety of campaigns and historical missions, allowing players to engage in significant battles from different perspectives.
  • Poor AI pathfinding and unit responsiveness, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
  • Limited line of sight and engagement ranges for units, making it difficult to engage enemies effectively.
  • Multiplayer mode is largely inactive, with few players and limited game modes available.
  • story606 mentions

    The story aspect of "Sudden Strike 4" is primarily conveyed through a series of missions that are loosely based on historical World War II battles, with each campaign consisting of seven missions for the Germans, Soviets, and Allies. While the missions are designed to be challenging and varied, many players find them repetitive and overly scripted, often leading to a grindy experience as they follow a single optimal strategy to achieve high ratings. The lack of a cohesive narrative and the limited number of missions have left some players wishing for more depth and variety in storytelling, despite the inclusion of historical footage and mission briefings that provide context.

    • “The game has a lot of depth, a ton of units, interesting and unique missions, and an authentic atmosphere.”
    • “Campaign missions each have their unique little story to tell, and there was never a mission that felt repetitive.”
    • “I have been playing Sudden Strike since its first release and as always I enjoy the attention to detail and the realistic storyline/events.”
    • “The big downside, if you care about these things, is the lack of cinematics, which means the story is told through voiced written interludes, and they're good enough but could be better.”
    • “The game would probably benefit from some sort of narrative to tie things together, either in between the campaign missions or within the missions themselves.”
    • “Campaigns are just a collection of standalone missions with no storytelling or anything, and you don't get to choose your own units; the game just gives you some and then spawns reinforcements when some mission requirements are met.”
  • graphics358 mentions

    The graphics in Sudden Strike 4 have received generally positive feedback, with many players praising their beauty, detail, and historical accuracy. While some reviews noted that the graphics are not groundbreaking, they are considered a significant improvement over previous titles in the series, featuring impressive effects, animations, and environmental details. However, a few users expressed disappointment with certain graphical aspects, suggesting that while the visuals are good, they could be further enhanced.

    • “The graphics are gorgeous, sound is excellent, effects are excellent, voices, missions, units, etc. I bought 2 of the DLC but I'll probably end up getting the rest too.”
    • “Graphics are amazing and appear historically accurate.”
    • “The graphics are very good with accurate models, tracks left by vehicles, smooth animations, excellent explosion and fire effects, ragdoll physics for bodies, turrets flying off, etc.”
    • “The graphics are polished but missing the realism, the range, the real feels.”
    • “Game looks good, but there's a bug that breaks the graphics and makes me unable to play it; it's been around for a few years but it hasn't gotten fixed.”
    • “I am seriously surprised that an Ubuntu machine with a 2.6 GHz dual-core processor and a 1 GB graphics card cannot run a simple single-player map with me and one computer opponent, all graphics set to low and no more than 50 active units at any time without lagging so much that I tend to shout at the screen in frustration.”
  • gameplay260 mentions

    The gameplay of Sudden Strike 4 has received mixed reviews, with many praising its nostalgic elements and engaging mechanics, while others criticize it for being overly simplistic and lacking depth compared to its predecessors. Players appreciate the beautiful graphics and straightforward mechanics, making it accessible for newcomers, but some feel that the gameplay is too arcade-like and fails to deliver the strategic complexity expected from a WWII RTS. Overall, while the game offers enjoyable moments and solid mechanics, it may not satisfy those seeking a more challenging and intricate experience.

    • “Beautiful graphics and amazing gameplay.”
    • “The game's attention to detail, engaging gameplay, and immersive experience make it a must-play for anyone looking for an enjoyable gaming experience.”
    • “Great fun, challenging, many hours of gameplay and many expansions.”
    • “Sadly, SS4 has no major appeal; it's not horrendous, so if it's on sale, it might be worth it still, but don't expect anything better than mediocre gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay feels odd; for example, the units have special skills that seem designed for a more tactical game, but the gameplay makes the use of these skills very tedious.”
    • “The maps are tiny, and the gameplay is essentially massing clumps of units and then throwing them at the enemy.”
  • replayability37 mentions

    Overall, the game offers a mixed bag of replayability. While the campaign features various commander skills and doctrines that encourage different playstyles, some players find the scripted missions and skirmish modes lack sufficient variety for repeated play. However, the multiplayer and modding support provide additional avenues for replay, making it enjoyable for many, despite some criticisms regarding the depth of content in certain modes.

    • “The commander skills you earn throughout the campaign add a good amount of replayability.”
    • “Even if you finish the campaigns, the skirmish and multiplayer modes are very entertaining - giving the game infinite replayability.”
    • “The doctrines and their unique abilities, as well as the way they affect your starting units, can vastly change your playstyle and the way you approach the missions, allowing for greater replayability.”
    • “Play scripted campaigns that have absolutely no replay value.”
    • “Skirmish mode has zero replayability and the game ends up becoming a one-fight game every time.”
    • “I managed to get 3 stars (highest score) on my first attempt of most of the missions, so much of the replay value was already gone with many of the missions lacking too much difficulty.”
  • stability29 mentions

    The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many users reporting significant bugs, including game-breaking issues, poor AI, and frequent crashes. While some players have experienced smooth gameplay without major glitches, the overall consensus highlights a troubling prevalence of bugs that detract from the gaming experience, particularly in multiplayer and certain campaign scenarios.

    • “The base game of Sudden Strike 4 is great and not buggy, if a bit short to get through.”
    • “Runs great on Linux with Mesa.”
    • “Because it has the heart of a true RTS and all the glitches of an independently developed game.”
    • “A buggy mess of a rushed game.”
    • “But damn, the amount of game-breaking bugs and glitches is just crushing.”
  • music26 mentions

    The music in the game has received high praise for its exceptional quality and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many reviewers noting its dynamic adaptation to gameplay moments. The soundtrack is described as beautiful and epic, effectively complementing the historical context and sound design, while some players appreciate the immersive sound effects and thematic elements. Overall, the music contributes significantly to the game's appeal, with ratings often around 8.9 to 9/10.

    • “There is obviously a lot of work put into the sound design, be it the bang of the guns, or the tense soundtrack, which sticks around in your head long past finishing a play session.”
    • “The music is also awesome, and I enjoy it alongside the historical footage in the menu--it sets the mood nicely.”
    • “The soundtrack is dynamic and I loved the 'drumroll' from time to time in the single player.”
    • “The soundtrack is decent, if nothing special.”
    • “Music is okay, atmosphere and controls are great.”
    • “The music and sound is much better than Blitzkrieg, though.”
  • optimization17 mentions

    The optimization of the game receives mixed reviews; while some players praise its excellent performance and smooth operation even on older hardware, others report significant bugs and performance issues that detract from the experience. The graphics are generally well-received, but concerns about content and optimization persist, leading to a divided opinion on its overall value.

    • “As elites actually improve your unit's performance.”
    • “I'd give Sudden Strike 4 some credit for their good optimization on using the Unity engine, though.”
    • “Really fantastic performance, even with a lot of units on screen.”
    • “Very bad optimization.”
    • “It's hard to recommend the game in its current state; the game is full of bugs and performance issues.”
    • “With a significant lack of content and performance, it's not worth $50, or even $30 in its current state, as it feels incomplete.”
  • grinding15 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, often feeling forced into a single optimal strategy to achieve mission goals. The need for constant refueling and rearming of units, along with limited tactical options, contributes to a sense of monotony and frustration, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the gameplay experience. While the game offers a rich historical context, the grind can overshadow its potential fun.

    • “The entire game is an amazing journey into WWII history with no farming or time wasting.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “Pretty much only one optimal way to play every mission (to get 3 stars), tends to get grindy.”
    • “The gameplay feels odd; for example, the units have special skills that seem designed for a more tactical game, but using these skills is very tedious.”
    • “I'm 5 missions in and I feel this game is a beautiful slog at best and a boring, tedious shoot-the-same-units-from-as-far-away-as-possible-for-a-few-minutes-to-a-half-hour-until-you-can-advance snoozefest.”
  • atmosphere14 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its depth, authenticity, and immersive visuals, effectively capturing the essence of World War II. Players appreciate the combination of strategic gameplay with a well-crafted sound design and graphics that enhance the overall experience. However, some users noted a lack of atmosphere in the single-player mode, contrasting with the rich environments found in the campaigns.

    • “The game has a lot of depth, a ton of units, interesting and unique missions, and an authentic atmosphere.”
    • “Its one of the very few games that manages to capture the atmosphere so well.”
    • “Firstly, it has its own atmosphere; it is ideal, the theme of the game is not broken, a fairly decent historicity and realism, of course, in moderate terms for the RTS, but still I liked it all.”
    • “There's no atmosphere in the single-player mode at all.”
    • “Atmosphere is well done.”
    • “Detail to landscapes adds to the WWII atmosphere.”
  • humor9 mentions

    The humor in the game is noted for its absurdities, such as the poor line of sight for units and the comical physics that result in bodies flying through the air. Players find amusement in quirky interactions, like German troops humorously chanting "fuhrer und vaterland" during assaults and the ridiculous prioritization of targets by tanks. Overall, while some feel the game could benefit from more humor, the existing comedic elements provide a lighthearted experience, especially in online play.

    • “Great game, it's very nice and funny.”
    • “There are a few cons, your units' view distance is hilariously bad; sometimes tanks will prioritize shooting at infantry over tanks that they are actively engaged with.”
    • “The physics on explosions vs infantry can be quite funny too, just seeing bodies flying.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    Reviews indicate that the game's monetization strategy is perceived as a cash grab, with players expressing disappointment over the disparity between promotional graphics and actual performance, particularly on high-end setups.

    • “Seems like this is going to be a cash grab, which is really unfortunate.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by a mix of tension and satisfaction, as players experience moments that require strategic maneuvering, such as positioning a tank near a bunker to trigger action. Overall, the game evokes a wholesome feeling, earning a score of 7/10 for its ability to engage players emotionally.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

59% average critic score

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Play time

20hMedian play time
47hAverage play time
6-70hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 13 analyzed playthroughs

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