Theatre of War 2: Kursk 1943
- July 8, 2010
- Fulqrum Publishing
- 5h median play time
Get on Steam"Theatre of War 2: Kursk 1943" is a strategy game with both single-player and multi-player options, offering around 5 hours of playtime. The game allows you to command Russian or German forces during the Battle of Kursk, a turning point in World War II's Eastern Front. Choose between two campaigns, Fiery Salient and Operation Citadel, and control troops in historically accurate scenarios on realistically recreated battlefields.
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- The game offers a high level of realism with detailed unit models and mechanics, making it rewarding for players who enjoy tactical simulations.
- It features interesting historical missions and a complex simulation of warfare, including a morale system and realistic line of sight.
- The large maps and the ability to manage multiple units provide a strategic depth that appeals to fans of the genre.
- The game suffers from significant bugs, including crashes and save file corruption, which can disrupt gameplay.
- AI behavior is often criticized as being unintelligent and unresponsive, making unit control frustrating.
- The user interface and controls are clunky, leading to a steep learning curve that may deter new players.
- story22 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The game's story is set against the backdrop of significant historical campaigns, such as the Russian front and Normandy landings, offering a more immersive experience with detailed missions and varied tactics. Players appreciate the depth of the campaigns, particularly in Kursk, where tank battles are highlighted, though some encounter frustrating bugs and challenging mission designs that can detract from the overall experience. While the narrative and mission structure show promise, issues like AI behavior and performance problems hinder the enjoyment of the story-driven gameplay.
“Compared to Africa, Kursk's two campaigns are longer than any campaign in A:1943 (at 10 missions each) and more fleshed out from simply attacking, holding, or defending objectives with the use of event triggers to signal retreats, purposeful use of ambushing, the addition of crew morale/cohesion, and tank defenses becoming imperative to survival.”
“The game does away with the 'tactical pause' mechanic unless the player desires, features blood and gory elements, and ups the immersion. This game really sounds like a battlefield on the Eastern Front; any silence is deafening, and I still remember the Red Army missions to this day.”
“Battle for Caen seems to largely acknowledge this as well by taking another crack at the Western Allies with a fresh perspective: set during the Normandy landings of 1944, BFC focuses on British vs. Waffen-SS forces around Operation Epsom, with a matured arsenal that creates a pronounced difference in tactics without sacrificing the playability or viability of either faction.”
“I stopped playing the Russian campaign in the first mission because Germany attacks with Tigers and the Russians can't destroy them, even with their best artillery.”
“I played about half of the Caen campaign and then it started crashing, and I could not unlock the bugged mission (Hill 112).”
“The missions feel impossible with these controls.”
- gameplay13 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The gameplay is complex and rewarding, requiring players to read the manual to fully grasp its mechanics, including a moral system and realistic combat elements. While it offers detailed modeling and large maps, many players find the user interface and AI frustrating, leading to a challenging experience that can detract from enjoyment. Overall, the game combines immersive historical accuracy with significant design flaws, making it a mixed bag for players seeking a smooth gameplay experience.
“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.”
“The game does away with the 'tactical pause' mechanic unless the player desires, features blood and gory elements, and ups the immersion. This game really sounds like a battlefield on the eastern front; any silence is deafening, and I still remember the Red Army missions to this day.”
“Players are given more flexibility when building their divisions and reinforcements, where they have full freedom to decide what is given at the cost of the RPG-lite level mechanics from Africa (for infantry and crews) being curbed.”
“Slightly good game with large scale maps, silly AI system and flat gameplay.”
“It's just so frustrating to have a beautifully rendered WWII battlefield, and then feel constricted and frustrated by the mechanics of the game.”
“However, I now better understand the trickle-down chain of command and fog of war aspects better coming from Graviteam rather than say COH-type games which are very different in feel and gameplay.”
- graphics7 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 29 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their quality, especially considering its 2010 release, with some users noting that they stand out in the strategy genre. However, there are mixed opinions, as some find the graphics dated and the overall performance unpolished. Despite these criticisms, many players appreciate the visual appeal, particularly when enhanced by mods that improve historical accuracy and aesthetics.
“Very nice RTS game, graphics surprisingly good for 2010.”
“Not only is it more accessible, it's also got far more depth than Theatre of War, along with excellent sound effects, better graphics, immersion, and an active modding/multiplayer community.”
“With the uniform mod, that game is not only gorgeous and historically accurate graphics-wise, but also the best strategy game on the market.”
“Dated graphics.”
“This is a saga I really wanted to like; however, it feels very unpolished and laggy even with graphics at low.”
- stability3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is frequently criticized for its instability, with users reporting numerous bugs and unreliable AI, which detracts from the overall experience. While some find the gameplay enjoyable and detailed, the persistent issues with control and content leave many feeling frustrated. Players recommend purchasing the game during discounts to mitigate the perceived shortcomings.
“Buggy, boring, and lacking content.”
“It's incredibly detailed and gameplay is good, but it's very buggy and the AI is unreliable.”
“Buggy as hell and really hard to control the unit.”
- music2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The music aspect of the game has been criticized for its poor sound design, including mismatched voice accents and a lack of engaging soundtrack during battles, which contributes to an overall empty atmosphere. Additionally, the presence of a non-functional music slider further frustrates players.
“There's so many little things going wrong as well, from unforgivably bad sound design (Brits speaking in American voices) and the generally empty feel of the soundtrackless battles. The music slider is actually greyed out but left in.”
“The sound design is unforgivably bad, with British characters speaking in American accents, and the battles feel empty without a soundtrack. It's frustrating that the music slider is greyed out yet still present.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Users have reported performance issues related to optimization, particularly noting that on older PCs, CPU usage remains elevated even after closing the game, necessitating a restart to resolve the problem.
“I also had a performance issue on an older PC where, after closing the game, CPU usage remains high until restarting.”
“The game is poorly optimized, causing frequent frame drops and stuttering even on high-end hardware.”
“Despite having a powerful setup, I experience significant lag and long loading times, which is frustrating.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, indicating that it can become a monotonous and repetitive experience.
“The game is quite tedious.”
“Grinding feels like a never-ending chore.”
“The repetitive tasks make it hard to stay engaged.”
