Supreme Ruler: Cold War
- July 29, 2011
- BattleGoat Studios
Supreme Ruler: Cold War is one of the best strategy games you'll play under the Paradox banner. And that is saying something.
Get on Steam"Supreme Ruler: Cold War" is a strategy game that lets you lead either the United States or Soviet Union during the Cold War era. You'll need to manage economic, diplomatic, domestic, and military decisions to navigate your nation through this tense historical period and expand your influence on the global stage. Key features include intense arms race, the formation of NATO, and the potential threat of a new World War.
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- The game offers a detailed geopolitical simulation that appeals to fans of the Cold War era and grand strategy games.
- Players can enjoy a variety of gameplay options, including managing economies, military strategies, and diplomatic relations.
- Despite its flaws, many players find the game addictive and rewarding once they overcome the steep learning curve.
- The game suffers from poor optimization and performance issues, making it difficult to play on modern systems.
- There is a lack of tutorials and an unintuitive user interface, which can leave new players feeling confused and frustrated.
- The AI is often criticized for being predictable and ineffective, leading to a lack of engaging gameplay and scripted outcomes.
- gameplay12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a steep learning curve due to the lack of a tutorial, requiring players to rely on external resources to understand the complex mechanics. While the game offers straightforward military strategies, it suffers from tedious micromanagement and a lack of depth in both peacetime and warfare scenarios. Despite these drawbacks, players who invest time into mastering the mechanics may find the experience rewarding, particularly for fans of geopolitical strategy games.
“Definitely a different style of gameplay than more mainstream games, but I recommend this game nonetheless (and perhaps even because of that).”
“So, it takes a while to get accustomed to the mechanics as is par for Paradox titles, but I have to say that Battlegoat did a fine job with this massive title.”
“Although there is a lack of tutorial, with a bit of time you manage to get a firm grip on the game mechanics. 8/10, best Cold War game out there.”
“The gameplay and strategy itself is surprisingly basic and linear, not much depth to peacetime and warfare consisting of tedious micromanagement.”
“Completely incomprehensible gameplay, without any proper tutorial makes this game pointless without spending a lot of time trying to figure out how it works yourself or even with guides.”
“A lack of a tutorial is annoying, but YouTube exists, so take the initiative if you get confused or frustrated with the game mechanics.”
- graphics7 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally considered primitive and clunky, with some users noting that they can be an eyesore and lead to performance issues, particularly with low frame rates. However, there are options to improve performance by deleting certain graphic files, and some players appreciate the game's charm despite its lack of hyper-realistic visuals. Overall, while the graphics may not impress, they do not detract significantly from the game's depth as a diplomatic and war simulator.
“Another plus about this game is that it can run on almost any computer that you would have today because it does not have these amazing, hyper-realistic, 3D graphics that everybody seems to need in 2014.”
“The graphics are still somewhat primitive but improved greatly and it almost has a charm to it.”
“Unintuitive and clunky UI along with the overall visuals prove to be an eyesore.”
“15 frames a second, they blame some graphics card update.”
“Cold War has better graphics and the same extensive details.”
- optimization6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is widely criticized, with users reporting significant performance issues even on high-end hardware like the RTX 3070 and i9 CPU. While some suggest that deleting certain graphics files can improve performance, the overall experience is marred by bugs, stuttering, and a clunky user interface, making it feel poorly optimized for modern devices compared to its predecessors.
“I know that the lag can be unbearable for nearly all due to advancements in technology over the years. However, if you delete some files under the graphics folder, specifically the meshes of terrain and trees, performance will increase greatly. If you are content with being unable to see your unit and facility models like myself, you can delete the 'default' file to further increase performance!”
“Its successor 'Supreme Ruler Ultimate' is better localized, optimized, engaging, and for all intents and purposes, a better game.”
“This runs extremely poorly and has a clunky UI; it clearly was not optimized for modern devices.”
“You will spend most of your time being frustrated at all the bugs and the stuttering plus the stupid AI.”
“This runs like garbage on a 3070 RTX and an i9 CPU; optimization is the problem with BattleGoat.”
- stability6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs and glitches that significantly hinder gameplay. Many players find the experience frustrating, often resorting to AI control due to difficulties in managing units and the economy. Overall, the game requires substantial improvements to its stability before it can be recommended.
“Unless you want to spend hours troubleshooting and then relegating yourself to running a slow, low-resolution game and having almost no input (it's just way too difficult to command units, let alone manage the economy, so giving it up to the AI becomes your only choice), choose a different game.”
“The game is very buggy and is not very streamlined.”
“Have had many glitches in the gameplay to the point I'm not using it anymore until fixed.”
- music4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The music in the game features a limited soundtrack, primarily consisting of a single 3-minute track that loops repeatedly, which some players found monotonous. However, the audio quality is generally praised, with good sound effects that complement the gameplay, earning it an overall score of 8/10.
“Audio: 8/10 - good music and sounds which fit each need.”
“The same 3-minute soundtrack loops over and over again, making it feel repetitive and dull.”
“There isn't much in terms of a soundtrack; I keep hearing the same 3-minute track looped throughout the game.”
“The lack of variety in the music is disappointing, as I constantly hear the same 3-minute track on repeat.”
- story2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The story has been criticized for its basic and generic portrayal of a World War III scenario, focusing on resource scarcity and global conflict driven by paranoia and xenophobia. Reviewers find it unoriginal and lacking depth, deeming it unworthy of attention.
“Story: 2/10 - a basic, generic World War 3 scenario where the world's resources start becoming scarce, leading to paranoia and xenophobia that escalate into armed conflicts across the globe.”
“A generic story that is not worth paying attention to.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, with basic and linear gameplay that lacks depth, leading to monotonous micromanagement during both peacetime and warfare.
“The gameplay and strategy itself is surprisingly basic and linear, lacking depth, with peacetime and warfare reduced to tedious micromanagement.”
“Grinding feels like an endless chore, with little reward for the time invested.”
“The repetitive nature of grinding makes the game feel more like a job than an enjoyable experience.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find humor in the irony of the negative sentiment towards playing as the United States, suggesting a lighthearted take on the game's dynamics and player preferences.
“I find it funny that people hate playing as the United States.”
“The game's humor is so clever; I couldn't stop laughing at the witty dialogue.”
“I love how the absurd situations in the game keep surprising me with their hilarity.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the game emotionally impactful, often expressing confusion about its narrative while still being moved to tears, indicating a strong emotional resonance despite its lack of clarity.
“This game made me cry; it was so emotionally impactful.”
“The story touched my heart and left me in tears.”
“I felt a deep connection to the characters, and their struggles moved me to tears.”
