Victory and Glory: The American Civil War
- March 31, 2020
- Electric Games
- 45h median play time
Get on SteamVictory and Glory: The American Civil War is a strategic turn-based game set during the US Civil War. Players choose to lead the Union or Confederacy, managing resources, troops, and leaders to achieve victory. The game features diplomacy, political events, and historically inspired battles, with multiple victory conditions and a challenging AI.
Reviews
- The game offers a solid development of the previous Napoleon version, with enjoyable tactical battles and the ability to play both sides of the conflict.
- The card system adds an element of unpredictability and replayability, enhancing the overall strategic experience.
- The game captures the spirit of the Civil War well, providing a fun and engaging experience for players interested in the historical period.
- The user interface is clunky and outdated, making navigation and gameplay frustrating at times.
- The game suffers from balance issues, particularly favoring the Confederates, leading to a lack of challenge for the Union player.
- Combat outcomes often feel random and disconnected from player strategy, diminishing the overall enjoyment and depth of the game.
- replayability8 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the unpredictability and strategic depth provided by the card system, others feel that it diminishes once players become skilled or due to limited strategic options. The user interface and lack of guidance also detract from the experience, leading to a consensus that replay value may decline quickly for some players. However, certain versions of the game are noted for offering more flexibility and replayability.
“There is some replayability here, however.”
“The card system of events is excellent and adds replayability.”
“Little replayability, awful UI that plays like an early 2000s game, and no real explanation on anything.”
“Great game that does a remarkable job efficiently addressing historical issues faced by North and South, allowing the player to focus on larger strategic issues. The cards give it an element of unpredictability and replayability as well.”
“This Civil War version is more flexible and has more replayability.”
- gameplay7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
Gameplay reviews highlight a mix of frustrations and enjoyment; while some mechanics, such as the elections and battle systems, feel underdeveloped or poorly translated from previous titles, players find the game fun overall. The mechanics are generally easy to grasp, though the supply system can be confusing, requiring players to manage rail lines effectively in enemy territory. Despite its shortcomings, many still recommend the game for its engaging experience.
“Fun mechanics.”
“I still recommend it because it is fun, though the minimally in-depth mechanics take away from the overall feel.”
“You'll be able to pick up the game mechanics quickly - the only thing that's not evident is the supply system (you have to garrison the entire rail line when in enemy territory, not just keeping enemy troops away).”
“Supposedly there is an 'elections' mechanic after 4 years into a scenario, but I've never seen it because one side always surrenders about 2 years in.”
“The battle mechanics don't translate well in the porting from Napoleonic to Civil War.”
“You'll be able to pick up the game mechanics quickly, but the only thing that's not evident is the supply system (you have to garrison the entire rail line when in enemy territory, not just keeping enemy troops away).”
- graphics5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
The graphics feature vibrant artwork and well-designed sprites, enhancing the visual appeal of the game. However, some users find the map's garishness and cluttered interface can interfere with strategic planning, though these issues are considered minor in the context of an otherwise impressive visual experience.
“Nice artwork.”
“Artwork and sprites look really good!”
“However, the broad geographical aspect of the strategic development of the war is captured.”
“The map, although pretty, is too garish for its purpose as the graphics of the map interfere a little with the planning sometimes from the overview.”
“The interface is still a bit clunky, like 'Napoleon', and some of the map artwork clutters up the strategic layer unnecessarily, but these are minor points in an otherwise great game.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, as tactical combat lacks variety and quickly devolves into simply rotating units forward without engaging maneuvers or flanking strategies.
“Tactical combat gets tedious and repetitive very quickly; there's no maneuvering or flanking—just rotating units forward.”
“The grinding in this game feels endless and uninspired, making progress feel more like a chore than an achievement.”
“I found myself stuck in a loop of grinding for resources, which took away from the enjoyment of the game.”
- music1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised, with many users highlighting the great soundtrack as a standout feature.
“Great soundtrack, though!”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game exhibits some stability issues, with users reporting bugs and a reliance on YouTube tutorials created by the developer, which may not provide comprehensive guidance.
“It's a little buggy, and the tutorials are just the guy who made the game doing YouTube videos.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it hard to enjoy the experience.”
“I encountered several glitches that disrupted gameplay and made it frustrating.”
