The Troop
- December 20, 2021
- Giant Flame
- 175h median play time
Get on Steam"The Troop" is a turn-based tactical war game set in the brutal campaign of British and Canadian forces against German troops during the Normandy invasion in 1944. Command infantry, motorized, and armored units in challenging and unpredictable battles, with simple and complete control over your units' actions. Play through over 30 maps in three different modes as either British/Canadian or German forces.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game captures the essence of tabletop wargaming, providing a strategic and immersive experience.
- The graphics and sound design are well-executed, enhancing the overall atmosphere of the game.
- The AI presents a challenging opponent, requiring players to think tactically and adapt their strategies.
- The hit chances for player units often feel unfairly low compared to the AI, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
- There is a lack of multiplayer options, limiting replayability and social interaction.
- Some mechanics, such as the line of sight and movement, can be confusing and may require further refinement.
- story125 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 84 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The game's story aspect is characterized by a robust selection of over 30 scripted single-player missions, allowing players to engage in both historical and fictional scenarios from multiple perspectives, including both Allies and Axis. While the missions are generally well-crafted and offer a variety of tactical challenges, some players note issues with mission balance and clarity in objectives. Overall, the game provides a rich narrative experience with significant replayability through its diverse modes, including campaigns and skirmishes, though some players express a desire for more depth and additional content in the future.
“Thankfully, you can play any of the story missions in any order, and they're fun enough to replay anyway.”
“There are many scripted single-player missions (most playable on both sides), which is more single-player content than I've come to expect.”
“I've only played the first handful of story missions and they seem well crafted so far, and there's many to choose from which will provide many hours of gameplay in itself (most of which can be played as Allies or Axis).”
“I have played a few missions from the story and did the tutorial, and it seems like there is a lot that is not explained.”
“Certain missions will lay out objectives; however, achieving those objectives will cause a loss. What is actually required is to achieve the objectives and also kill the entirety of the enemy on the field.”
“This goes against the grain, but I do not recommend playing story mode or campaign first after the tutorial.”
- gameplay101 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this turn-based WWII strategy game has received praise for its blend of realism and arcade elements, offering a rich tactical experience that requires players to learn and master various mechanics, such as line of sight and unit positioning. While the AI can be challenging and some mechanics may feel clumsy or unintuitive at first, the game rewards strategic planning and offers a variety of missions and units, enhancing replayability. Overall, players find the gameplay engaging and immersive, though it may require a significant investment of time to fully appreciate its depth.
“The battles are super fun with just the right mix of realism and arcade-style gameplay; the graphics are sharp, the AI is really impressive, and the maps and vehicle models are top-notch for historical accuracy.”
“This game delivers exactly what was never before delivered by any WWII tactical strategy game: a turn-based squad mechanics gameplay where you play inside the city terrain, not only in maps where the cities are represented as icons like many other games of this genre.”
“Phenomenal turn-based tactical wargame that manages to be elegant and simple in its UI/mechanics but still also manages to offer plenty of depth, difficulty, and capacity for strategic applications.”
“Crappy graphics, sound, and gameplay.”
“The gameplay is a bit tedious.”
“The terrain types are not intuitively detected by the player, making gameplay difficult to understand, and there are no tooltips.”
- graphics68 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
Overall, the graphics of the game receive a mixed but generally positive reception. Many players appreciate the sharpness, attention to detail, and historical accuracy of the visuals, particularly the tank models and battlefield aesthetics, while some criticize the graphics as dated or lacking polish. Despite these criticisms, the graphics contribute to an immersive experience, enhancing the gameplay and tactical elements of the game.
“The battles are super fun with just the right mix of realism and arcade-style gameplay; the graphics are sharp, the AI is really impressive, and the maps and vehicle models are top-notch for historical accuracy.”
“Outstanding graphics and atmosphere, many single-player missions to play.”
“The graphics are very good, especially the tank models, and the game is a lot of fun once you understand the basics.”
“The graphics could use some optimization and polish, but overall I find the game visually pleasing enough.”
“Visuals: I mean... it's 2023, this would have been great for a 2004 game.”
“The game graphics itself is quite plain too, no shaders, no lights, no reflections.”
- replayability12 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game offers exceptional replayability, primarily through its diverse skirmish mode featuring randomly generated scenarios and customizable maps. Players appreciate the variety of forces and scenarios available, which contribute to a seemingly endless gameplay experience. While the campaign mode is developing, suggestions for enhancements like a map editor could further elevate replay value.
“Extremely well done scenarios and lots of replay value.”
“The skirmish mode is what has really gripped me though, a ton of randomly generated scenarios to choose from (and customize) that offer seemingly endless replayability.”
“Unlimited replayability.”
“A campaign system with unit rosters for each mission and a veterancy system would help replayability.”
“Short term solution for replayability can be that you randomly decide on a map and units in it, to make gameplay interesting and different every time.”
“It would be nice to see a custom battle or map editor, giving the player unlimited replay value.”
- music11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its invigorating and atmospheric qualities, enhancing the overall experience. However, several users noted that the soundtrack can be repetitive and lacks diversity, suggesting that more variety would improve it. While some found the music to be subtle and fitting, others criticized it as annoying or lacking altogether.
“Great soundtrack!”
“The music in the game is invigorating, and I look forward to hearing it as I boot up the game.”
“The vibe the music and ambience gives sets the pace beautifully.”
“Music tracks are a bit repetitive, and I noticed this after only a few hours.”
“The only feedback I have for the developer is that the game could benefit from a bit more diversity in the soundtrack.”
“Graphics and sounds are mostly fine, even if the scenery can be slightly bland and the background music can be a bit repetitive.”
- optimization7 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with players reporting significant performance issues, including micro stuttering, even on high-end gaming rigs. While the visuals are generally pleasing, there is a consensus that both graphics and sound require further optimization and polish to enhance the overall experience.
“It also factors into your performance score somewhat.”
“What I would like to see is if fighting experience/veterancy will also be considered in troops' performance.”
“However, the performance is very, very bad.”
“The game seemed poorly optimized; the sound effects were not consistent or even present in all situations.”
“Still needs optimization and more content.”
- atmosphere5 mentions
- 80 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its outstanding graphics and cinematic camera, which enhance the overall experience. The subtle and non-intrusive music contributes to the ambiance, while the turn-based gameplay allows players to fully immerse themselves in the environment. Additionally, the potential inclusion of cut scenes for infantry units could further enrich the atmosphere.
“Outstanding graphics and atmosphere, many side missions to play.”
“And that cinematic camera - omg does it add to the atmosphere!”
“A very cool atmospheric game that is turn-based so you can take time to think about what's going on.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the emotional experience of the game to be immersive and intense, particularly during combat scenarios that evoke feelings of fear and excitement. The presence of a robust AI enhances this emotional engagement, while additional modes like skirmish provide lasting replayability, contributing to an overall enjoyable experience.
“The thrill of taking out a squad of tiger tanks with PIATs and anti-tank guns was immersive and emotionally draining.”
“The AI is fantastic and has made me feel actual fear regarding what it was doing to my troops, so kudos for that!”
“Even after the story is over, there is the campaign mode that I have yet to sample, and it sounds like that will ensure constant replayability.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users find the humor in the game to be both entertaining and clever, particularly appreciating the comedic elements like "wasp spam" and the humorous portrayal of German tanks. The humor is seen as a strong point that enhances the overall experience, providing a lighthearted contrast to the game's challenges.
“Also, wasp spam is hilarious.”
“I thought it was great, hilarious even, and reflected the general superiority of German tanks at the time.”
“It was perfect: funny and with many options to decide the difficulty of the game.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, with some noting that the AI's ability to avoid ambushes adds to the frustration. While the game features highly detailed elements, the overall experience can feel repetitive and requires significant time investment.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Grinding in this game is incredibly rewarding and keeps you engaged.”
“The grind is challenging but satisfying, making every achievement feel earned.”
“The gameplay is a bit tedious.”
“Aspects of the game can be tedious, but everything is highly detailed.”
“The AI seems to be cheating; it's really good at avoiding your hidden troops, making ambushes on some maps tedious.”
- stability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Overall, users report that the game exhibits excellent stability, with minimal bugs encountered during gameplay.
“It runs great, and I've encountered almost no bugs at all.”
“The game is incredibly stable; I haven't experienced any crashes or major issues.”
“Performance is solid, with smooth gameplay and no noticeable lag.”
