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The Operational Art of War IV

The Operational Art of War IV Game Cover
80%Game Brain Score
graphics, gameplay
optimization, stability
80% User Score Based on 173 reviews

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PCWindows
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The Operational Art of War IV Game Cover

About

The Operational Art of War IV is a single player and multiplayer strategy game. It was developed by TrickeySoft LLC and was released on October 15, 2018. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"The Operational Art of War IV" is a turn-based strategy wargame that allows players to engage in battles from the early 20th century to the present day. With over 200 scenarios, improved naval warfare and supply systems, and enhanced combat resolution, players can test their strategy skills across a variety of troops and terrains. The game also features an updated TOAW Editor Event system for creating complex scenarios.

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The Operational Art of War IV screenshot
The Operational Art of War IV screenshot
The Operational Art of War IV screenshot
The Operational Art of War IV screenshot
The Operational Art of War IV screenshot
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80%
Audience ScoreBased on 173 reviews
graphics7 positive mentions
optimization3 negative mentions
  • Excellent tactical gameplay with a nostalgic board game feel, appealing to fans of historical wargames.
  • Offers a vast array of scenarios spanning multiple historical periods, providing endless replayability and customization options.
  • The game features a robust editor for creating and modifying scenarios, allowing for a high degree of creativity and personalization.
  • The user interface is clunky and outdated, leading to a frustrating experience when navigating and managing scenarios.
  • The game suffers from performance issues, including crashes and slow response times, particularly on modern systems.
  • A steep learning curve and lack of comprehensive tutorials make it difficult for new players to grasp the mechanics and fully enjoy the game.
  • graphics
    20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are generally considered dated and lack the polish expected in modern titles, with many reviewers noting issues such as poor performance, graphical glitches, and a clunky user interface. While some appreciate the game's aesthetic reminiscent of board games and find the graphics functional for gameplay, others criticize the overall visual experience as unpleasant and in need of significant improvement. Ultimately, the graphics serve their purpose but do not meet contemporary standards, making the game more appealing to those who prioritize gameplay over visual fidelity.

    • “Probably one of the most in-depth wargames, with several unique mechanics and great professional-looking graphics and UI. I really like the color palette used for counters and the overall feel.”
    • “Beautiful graphics; it reminds me a lot of board games. It's worth giving it a chance.”
    • “While the GUI aesthetics idea in general is okay, the tokens are nice looking and the maps are well readable. However, the visual interface design feels kind of coarse here and there.”
    • “We wargamers don't ask for much in the way of graphics or a friendly UI, but this would have been considered janky and dated 20 years ago.”
    • “The UI doesn't run smoothly, the graphics are somehow worse than the screenshots indicate, the scenarios are just a random grab bag with no attempt at quality control, the entire in-game experience is just vaguely unpleasant to navigate.”
    • “Another old-school turn-based strategy title published by Slitherine, this title doesn't offer you much evidence of advance in computer graphics over the last two decades.”
  • gameplay
    18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is highly detailed and versatile, featuring a wealth of mechanics that cater to both casual and hardcore wargamers. While the game offers a steep learning curve and complex systems, it is praised for its intuitive UI, vivid graphics, and a robust scenario editor that enhances replayability. However, some users noted inconsistencies in the tutorial and mechanics between versions, which can detract from the overall experience.

    • “It's obviously incredibly detailed, incredibly versatile, and full of mechanics.”
    • “Probably one of the most in-depth wargames, with several unique mechanics and great professional-looking graphics and UI. I really like the color palette used for counters and the overall feel.”
    • “I have bounced off a few war games like this before, but the good UI and easy-to-use mechanics of the game made it no problem at all to get into. The AI seems good, and the huge amount of scenarios make it great for fans of most times and places.”
    • “Yes, some mechanics were added that changed certain things for the better (like adding the chance for units to become overextended and stuck, and bigger scenarios now possible) but all their other failings often overshadow these enhancements.”
    • “The tutorial, if you can call it that, is based on the third game so there are numerous errors in it because they simply don't apply to the updated mechanics of this version.”
    • “Many of the new rules and mechanical enhancements introduced in the 4th game don't work in scenarios packaged with the game that were designed for #3.”
  • optimization
    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization is notably poor, with users reporting sluggish performance even on high-end PCs, UI freezes, and graphical issues that don't match promotional screenshots. Many players have experienced crashes and memory leaks, leading to frustration and requests for refunds due to the game's high price relative to its performance. Overall, significant optimization improvements are needed to enhance the gameplay experience.

    • “Could use optimization for sure, it kind of sabotages the gameplay smoothness, which I praised.”
    • “I have a quite strong PC configuration for this game (3.7 GHz quad-core, 8 GB RAM, 2 GB GF 750 GT graphics card, etc.) and it runs slowly. I've also encountered one crash to desktop and a memory leak that forced me to restart my PC.”
    • “I've requested a refund because the game is overpriced compared to its performance.”
    • “The UI performance is problematic on Windows 10; for example, the UI will freeze when some units retreat after being attacked.”
  • stability
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability has been widely criticized, with users reporting frequent crashes, freezes, and significant performance issues, particularly when managing multiple units. While it offers a variety of scenarios and is considered a strong successor to its predecessor, the overall experience is marred by bugs, graphical glitches, and an unpolished user interface. Players should be prepared for a frustrating experience if they choose to engage with the game's editor or expect smooth gameplay.

    • “The game crashes/freezes every time after moving several units.”
    • “Terrible buggy mess.”
    • “I'll recommend it as a strong successor to TOAW3, but despite so much of the design and style carrying over from its predecessor, this version seems buggy and sluggish to respond in comparison, not to mention some elements don't appear to be fully completed or just forgotten (the UI in general lacks polish).”
  • music
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has been criticized for being repetitive and lacking volume control, leading to an overwhelming audio experience. Some users noted that it features familiar sounds and music from previous titles, which may appeal to long-time fans but could feel outdated to others.

    • “Basically modernized and expanded TOAW III (even uses the same sounds and music, if I recall correctly), which I loved years ago.”
    • “The game completely lacks any sort of volume control, so enjoy having your eardrums blasted out while you frantically try to figure out how to mute the menu music.”
    • “The music gets a bit repetitive.”
    • “Moreover, the music and sound don't run at all.”
  • replayability
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is praised for its exceptional replayability, featuring hundreds of well-crafted scenarios across various historical periods, making it a must-have for genre enthusiasts. Its dynamic nature and extensive content contribute to a compelling experience that encourages repeated play.

    • “On top of that, there are hundreds of exceptionally done scenarios in all possible historical periods. This is a must-buy for any serious lover of this genre; it's a fantastic game and infinitely replayable.”
    • “The dynamic and replayable nature of this simulator is what makes it so compelling.”
    • “There is a huge number of scenarios, contributing to awesome replayability.”
  • story
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story aspect of the game features a wide variety of missions, including many user-created ones; however, players have noted a lack of quality control, leading to issues with mission assignment and overall gameplay experience. This has resulted in frustration, particularly regarding the inability to effectively utilize resources after completing rounds.

    • “Plenty of missions to play, but there are also many random user-created missions added by the developers, which lack quality of life checks.”
    • “In simple words, at the end of the turn, I'll have 0 regardless of how many actions I have, because I cannot assign missions to them after resolving all my rounds!”
  • grinding
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be frustratingly slow, despite the presence of a decent AI and a wealth of content spanning various time periods and theaters.

    • “It has a teeth-grinding pace with decent AI and a massive amount of content from different time periods and theaters.”
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200h Median play time
200h Average play time
200-200h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

The Operational Art of War IV is a strategy game.

The Operational Art of War IV is available on PC and Windows.

On average players spend around 200 hours playing The Operational Art of War IV.

The Operational Art of War IV was released on October 15, 2018.

The Operational Art of War IV was developed by TrickeySoft LLC.

The Operational Art of War IV has received mostly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its graphics but disliked it for its optimization.

The Operational Art of War IV is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include Gary Grigsby's War in the East, Unity of Command 2, Order of Battle: World War II, Civil War II, Panzer Corps and others.