Theatre of War 2: Africa 1943
- July 9, 2010
- Fulqrum Publishing
- 3h median play time
Get on SteamTheatre of War 2: Africa 1943 covers the events of 1943 in Tunisia, North Africa. Recovering from their losses after the crushing defeat and subsequent retreat after the Second Battle of El-Alamein, the German Afrika Korps - reinforced and now supported by the Italian Army - prepare once more to put steel against steel with the Allies.
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- The game offers a deep and realistic tactical experience, rewarding strategic thinking and unit management.
- It features detailed graphics and a variety of units, with a strong emphasis on historical accuracy and realism in combat mechanics.
- Players can enjoy a sense of continuity as units gain experience and skills across missions, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.
- The AI is often criticized for being poor and unresponsive, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
- The game frequently pauses to notify players of unit deaths, which can disrupt the flow of battle and is considered annoying by many.
- It can be difficult to run on modern machines, and some players report crashes and performance issues.
- story73 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 88 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game's story is structured around three distinct campaigns focusing on the US, UK, and Wehrmacht forces, each offering unique gameplay styles and mission objectives that enhance replayability. While the campaigns provide a variety of tactical scenarios, players have noted a predominance of defensive missions and some frustrations with mission completion due to hidden enemy units. Overall, the narrative is engaging, but the limited number of missions and occasional gameplay imbalances detract from the experience.
“Tow2 features three campaigns in the vanilla game (with the Centauro DLC adding a new campaign and faction: the Italian army) centering around the exploits of US, UK, and Wehrmacht army forces; each campaign varies in length, some missions have decisions for the player to make, and each has a distinctly different play style making for good single-player replay value.”
“It's worth mentioning that Centauro has the longest campaign compared to the others or 'Commander of a Stuart' which serves as a side story to the US campaign.”
“Italian army missions take on a wide variety of objectives, not to mention roles, giving the Italians their own unique play style and I highly suggest getting it with the base game at the extra ~$2 it costs.”
“My only real complaint about the game is that there have been two times now where I have defeated the enemy and the mission should end, but it won't because there's one or two random infantrymen hiding in a building, or have run away off the map, and I'm not able to pursue them and kill them to end the match.”
“The biggest negative is that there were far too many defense missions.”
“More than 75% of the missions were defensive, and half of those were pure defensive, which means that you don't need to move your troops around at all.”
- gameplay30 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a complex yet rewarding system that requires players to read the manual to fully grasp its mechanics, including a moral system and realistic line of sight and armor penetration. While the game features a steep learning curve and can feel static, particularly for certain factions, it offers a satisfying tactical experience with a strong commitment to historical detail. Despite some criticisms regarding graphics and arcade-like elements, players appreciate the intuitive gameplay and the depth it provides, making it a niche but worthwhile war simulation.
“It is one of those games that you have to read the manual before you play, but it is very rewarding once you understand the mechanics as it has a moral system as well as realistic line of sight and armor penetration.”
“Yet I come back time and time again to this game due to its commitment to the setting, the sheer attention to detail, and the mechanics that, while initially seem difficult, have their own built-in rewards and give me a consistent feeling of satisfaction when I have pulled off a victory or even just opened the turning point.”
“The mechanics and play just make sense.”
“The move to put a meta in the game works very much in the game's favor when wanting to learn the game (which even then can be described to have a steep learning curve), but on the other hand, it can make battles unnecessarily hard, particularly for the British. Gameplay can feel very static owing to their lack of tanks and reliance on M3 Stuarts, if available, having only one real tank in the base game: the Valentine tank, which does nothing to the Tiger I and will struggle against any model Panzer II+.”
“The presence of Italian troops in the game completely changes the gameplay; you understand that your troops are worse in everything. The tanks' guns are weak, the armor is terrible, and there are very few armor-piercing shells for tank destroyers (only they can penetrate Sherman tanks).”
“I do find also that the gameplay is much more arcade than in the original, something that I am not too keen on.”
- graphics20 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the stunning visuals and realism, especially when settings are maxed out. However, many users also report issues with lag and unpolished elements, leading to a frustrating experience despite the potential for great graphics. Overall, while the visuals can be impressive, performance issues detract from the overall enjoyment.
“I am in love with this game; its graphics and the gameplay are just right.”
“Pretty awesome graphics when maxed out.”
“Graphics are stunning and the realism is mind-blowing, this game goes all the way down to naming each and every bot, with non-repeating names!”
“Dated graphics.”
“This is a saga I really wanted to like; however, it feels very unpolished and laggy even with graphics at low.”
“Graphics are pants, but gameplay is intuitive, no major bugs.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Tow2 offers good single-player replay value through its three distinct campaigns, each featuring different play styles and player decision-making. However, some users feel that the overall replayability is limited, particularly in skirmish modes. The addition of the Centauro DLC introduces more content but does not significantly enhance replayability.
“Tow2 features three campaigns in the vanilla game (with the Centauro DLC adding a new campaign and faction: the Italian Army) centering around the exploits of the US, UK, and Wehrmacht army forces. Each campaign varies in length, some missions have decisions for the player to make, and each has a distinctly different play style, making for good single-player replay value.”
“Lacks replayability, like skirmish maps.”
“Lacks replayability, like skirmish maps.”
- music4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The lack of a soundtrack in the game has been a significant point of criticism, with users expressing that the absence of music makes the experience feel dull and unengaging. Many players feel compelled to use external music sources, which detracts from the overall enjoyment and immersion of the game.
“This game needs a soundtrack; it's lame without music, so I have to use my battery on my tablet to get music.”
“No soundtrack?”
“This game needs a soundtrack; it's lame without music, so I have to use my battery on my tablet to get music.”
- stability3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, users find the game's stability to be a mixed bag; while it remains enjoyable, there are notable bugs that detract from the experience and should have been addressed.
“However, there are some buggy issues that should have been fixed.”
“Not bad, fun, but buggy sometimes.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is praised for its beautifully designed landscapes and vibrant city environments, enhancing the overall experience, especially during defensive gameplay. However, some players find the visible connections between trenches to be a minor annoyance.
“The landscape is very well designed, and the atmosphere in the cities is very beautiful, which makes them pleasant for defense. Of course, they are also completely destructible, but the only thing annoying is the trenches, where the connection between them is visible.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been criticized for its lackluster campaigns and standard AI, with players reporting performance issues that result in a choppy experience.
“The campaigns are lip-curlingly unimaginative, and the AI is bog-standard, leading to a performance that feels a bit choppy.”
“The optimization is severely lacking, resulting in frequent frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
“I experienced constant lag and long loading times, which really detracted from the overall experience.”
