War Mongrels
- October 19, 2021
- Destructive Creations
- 23h median play time
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Get on Epic Games Store"War Mongrels" is a tactical squad-based stealth game set in World War II. Players control a group of soldiers seeking revenge against the German army, using real-life war crimes as a backdrop. The game features a destructible environment, multiple ways to approach missions, and a focus on historical accuracy.
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Reviews
- Engaging story with a unique perspective on WWII, focusing on Polish resistance.
- Beautiful graphics and well-designed levels that enhance the gameplay experience.
- Variety of characters with different abilities, allowing for multiple strategies in missions.
- Numerous bugs and glitches, particularly with the save system and character controls.
- Clunky mechanics that can lead to frustrating gameplay, especially in combat situations.
- AI behavior is inconsistent, often leading to immersion-breaking moments.
- story462 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally well-received, praised for its engaging narrative and unique perspective on World War II, particularly focusing on the Eastern Front and Polish characters. Players appreciate the depth of the characters and the emotional weight of the missions, although some criticize the dialogue and certain plot elements as inconsistent or poorly executed. Overall, the storytelling is highlighted as a strong aspect, despite some technical issues that can detract from the experience.
“The game tries to loosely couple some events with WWII, and this enriches the plot significantly, adding a dark tone that transmits the zeitgeist perfectly.”
“Excellent storytelling with an engaging angle from a more uncommon perspective versus more commonly used.”
“The story is rich, raw, and real; the missions are plenty, the maps are incredible, and the characters each have a story.”
“Six minutes in, and the story is painfully stupid and utterly immersion-killing.”
“The story is, in my opinion, the worst offender: it's an overly ambitious tale that struggles to deliver any sensible compassionate message, instead focusing on blame assignment.”
“The story kinda ends in a way that is just...unsatisfying.”
- gameplay224 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "War Mongrels" is heavily inspired by classic titles like "Commandos" and "Desperados," featuring familiar mechanics and character abilities that allow for strategic, puzzle-like gameplay. While many players find the experience enjoyable and visually appealing, criticisms arise regarding clunky controls, bugs, and a lack of innovation, leading to a repetitive feel in some missions. Overall, the game offers a mix of engaging elements and frustrating mechanics, making it a mixed bag for fans of the genre.
“The gameplay itself is a lot of fun and while not as deep or challenging as Desperados 3, it feels like a well put together, multi-layered puzzle.”
“The gameplay has enough similarities to make it feel familiar while enough changes to keep the experience fresh.”
“Overall the game left a good impression - well executed gameplay, thought-provoking story, memorable characters, and interesting scenarios.”
“Absolute sh*t show, can't even complete missions because of gameplay bugs.”
“In terms of gameplay, there is zero new stuff here.”
“It's absolutely broken as I find it nearly impossible to sneak past some enemies or even take them out by surprise due to the mechanics.”
- graphics146 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their beauty, detail, and unique art style, often being described as some of the best in the genre. However, some players noted issues with clarity and clutter in the environments, which can make navigation challenging. Overall, while the visuals are impressive and immersive, minor graphical glitches and performance issues have been reported.
“Fantastic graphics, arguably the best I've ever seen in this type of game and also some really cool historical war documentary films hidden within, once you finish completing various levels.”
“The graphics are nice and the intro clips between chapters are clever artwork and a good back story.”
“Graphics are superb, I do not think I have seen that kind of detail in any other similar game.”
“Partially due to realistic graphics, the game environment sometimes gets unclear, too cluttered, and dark, making it hard to understand which parts of the map are accessible and where the paths are.”
“Sometimes, the graphics (houses, buildings, etc.) can be confusing because they show too many details. For example, you can see everything inside the house, but then you also see behind it. I love the way you build a realistic house with many furnishings, but why must I see everything behind the house? I can rotate the camera or press 'H' if I want to see the soldiers behind the house, so it makes me feel exhausted. And at night, it's too dark to see the walls.”
“Another problem is that the textures are sometimes loading in front of my eyes; I just have to move the camera a bit to the left or right to see another area with half-loaded graphics.”
- stability80 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 88 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has seen significant improvement since its buggy launch, with many players reporting a smoother experience in 2024, encountering only minor issues like unresponsive interactions and occasional glitches. However, some users still experience game-breaking bugs, AI pathfinding problems, and visual glitches that can detract from gameplay. Overall, while the game is more polished now, it still retains a reputation for being somewhat buggy.
“Runs great now; haven't faced any issues.”
“The game looks and runs great.”
“Great strategy game, runs great as well.”
“The thing is, the game is just so buggy that I couldn't even make it through the tutorial without fatal errors happening.”
“We're not talking about glitches here, we're talking about a completely corrupted save/load system, missing key objectives/items inside missions, characters being frozen/rendered immovable... there's just so much, it's hard to believe someone actually had the audacity to sell this as a complete product.”
“Honestly, the fact the developers thought it was okay to have achievements that rely on perfect execution (no saving) is, quite frankly, a joke. I feel like the developers are being delusional about the game they created; such an imprecise, unresponsive, clunky, and buggy game should never have 'no save perfect execution' type achievements.”
- music30 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its fitting and immersive qualities, describing it as excellent and world-class, while others find it tedious and annoying. The soundtrack is noted for its somber and intense themes, enhancing the game's atmosphere, though some players feel it lacks the engaging quality found in similar titles. Overall, the attention to detail in the audio design, including the incorporation of period-specific music, is highlighted as a strong point.
“The environments are detailed with excellent music and sound for the genre.”
“Sound is also above anything else; they even included German music playing in certain spots. The love for detail from the designers is unlike anything I have seen before; I was nearly blown away.”
“Even the way the game is designed - from the music, the film reels, and narration.”
“The graphics are also good, wish I could say the same about the background music, but in fact it’s tedious and annoying.”
“This game is still somewhat better than Partisan 1941 (similar game to this), except the music.”
“Music is quiet, it reminded me of This War of Mine.”
- atmosphere24 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 21 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its dark, serious, and grim atmosphere, effectively capturing the brutality of the WWII Eastern Front. Reviewers highlight its strong storytelling, worldbuilding, and sound design, which enhance the immersive experience. While gameplay mechanics may not be as deep, the overall presentation and historical accuracy contribute to a compelling and intense atmosphere.
“This game is oozing with amazing atmosphere and great presentation.”
“Missions feel great and I appreciate all of them keep some decent length and the historical precision displaying the atmosphere and cruelty of WWII, not censoring stuff.”
“Missions feel great and I appreciate all of them keep some decent length and the historical precision displaying the atmosphere and cruelty of WWII, not censoring stuff (like in Commandos 2 'remaster').”
“But what made this game stand out for me wasn't the gameplay - that was fun, don't get me wrong - but it was the atmosphere, theme and history.”
“Maybe not as deep on the game mechanics side but truly shines in storytelling, atmosphere and worldbuilding.”
- humor18 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with some players finding it genuinely funny, particularly in moments of unintended gameplay quirks and minor bugs. However, others feel that the attempts at humor can fall flat, especially when juxtaposed with darker themes like violence, and some jokes or dialogues come off as stiff. Overall, while there are amusing elements, the humor may not resonate with everyone.
“This is more funny than annoying since it doesn't affect the game much.”
“It's more a puzzle stealth game that tests observation skill and creativity; in some locations, I actually pass through enemies unspotted earlier than the game intended, and it's funny as hell! :D”
“The game has a few minor bugs that appear in two levels which aren't game-breaking, but they are funny.”
- optimization18 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization has received positive feedback, with players noting quick loading times and customizable graphics options that allow it to run smoothly even on older hardware. However, some users have experienced occasional crashes and performance issues, particularly when pushing graphics settings too high, indicating that while the game is generally well-optimized, there are still bugs that need addressing.
“From loading optimizations to graphics performance re-haul, they quite did it!”
“Visually, the game is beautiful and I have not run into any bugs yet, so it is already well optimized for non-interrupt gameplay.”
“No game-breaking bugs and it runs smoothly on my 10-year-old PC (with a slightly newer graphics card: GTX 1070), thanks to the graphic options being quite customizable.”
“There is the occasional performance-related crash here and there, but it was fixed by lowering the graphics levels a little.”
“Crashed the first time I launched it because I made the egregious mistake of trying to look at the patch notes with the glowing red notification on it, then couldn't actually watch the intro cutscene because the game kept stuttering and lagging out the entire time it played.”
“Most people complaining about bugs and performance probably run this game on a computer that can only handle solitaire.”
- grinding10 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, often overshadowing enjoyable elements and diverse gameplay. Issues such as a poor save system and repetitive tasks, like picking up dead bodies, contribute to a sense of monotony that detracts from the overall experience. While unique character abilities add variety, they are not enough to fully alleviate the grind.
“Overall, the game has some enjoyable elements and gameplay (16 hours, after all) but they're hidden behind a lot of tedious trash.”
“The sometimes poor save system that would save right in the middle of getting bitten by a dog and dying two seconds after restarting was tedious.”
“Picking up dead bodies is tedious.”
- replayability8 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is praised for its high replayability due to its stunning visuals, immersive audio, and engaging voice acting. However, some players find the challenge mode's lack of saving and timed missions to be frustrating, detracting from the overall replay value.
“Highly replayable, gorgeously rendered, with a fantastic audioscape and voice acting.”
“It has a lot of replayability.”
“The challenge mode (which has additional objectives for replay value) adds depth, even though it doesn't allow saving and has timed missions.”
“- The challenge mode (which has additional objectives for replay value) doesn't allow saving, and has timed missions (which I hate in this genre of game).”
“- The challenge mode (which has additional objectives for replay value) doesn't allow saving, and has timed missions (which I hate in this genre of game).”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players report that the emotional aspect of the game creates a strong connection to the narrative, enhancing their engagement and motivation during missions. The unsettling scenes evoke a sense of unease that deepens the immersive experience, making them feel truly part of the game's universe, particularly in comparison to other titles.
“Seeing the horrific scenes gives a slightly uneasy feeling, but it provides an extra edge in completing the missions because of the emotional connection.”
“I've played and enjoyed other recent titles such as Desperados III and Partisans 1941, both perfect games, but only this one made me feel like I'm in the Commandos universe.”
