Wargame: European Escalation

About

"Wargame: European Escalation" is a real-time strategy game set in the 1980s during the Cold War, which has the potential to become a World War III. The game features two sides, eight nations, and over 350 different models of vehicles and units to build your army. With the IRISZOOM™ feature, players can command hundreds of units in strategic and spectacular battles on large maps, and compete online with up to 8 players.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

77%

Audience ScoreBased on 3,339 reviews

story76 positive mentions

grinding34 negative mentions

The game features a unique and engaging narrative with interesting campaigns that explore alternative Cold War scenarios.
The graphics are impressive for its age, with detailed units and environments that enhance the gameplay experience.
The game offers a steep learning curve that rewards strategic thinking and careful planning, making victories feel satisfying.

The AI is often criticized for being overly powerful and capable of cheating, making single-player missions frustratingly difficult.
The unit management can be cumbersome, with issues related to pathfinding and responsiveness that detract from the overall experience.
Unlocking units through command stars can feel grindy and tedious, especially for players who prefer to jump straight into gameplay.

story
516 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
80%
5%
The story in "Wargame: European Escalation" is set against a backdrop of Cold War tensions, featuring a series of campaigns that explore "what if" scenarios based on historical events. While the narrative is coherent and supported by mission briefings, it lacks depth and can feel repetitive, with many missions focusing on defense against overwhelming enemy forces. Players appreciate the progression of units and the immersive experience of keeping them alive through challenging missions, although the difficulty and AI behavior can lead to frustration.
- “The story commences with skirmishes between West and East Germany before it escalates into further tension and confrontations.”
- “The operations are progressive in which the story continues as you play each mission, although you can play any mission.”
- “In conclusion, Wargame: European Escalation is a strong strategy game that incorporates a solid and logical story, has a great variety of playable units across many factions, and has an appropriate, yet challenging focus on tactics based on environmental awareness.”
- “The difficulty is often arbitrary, the missions often do not work as advertised, it takes guides to move through all the campaigns.”
- “The general consensus even on this game's forums is to miss this game unless you want the 'story', which is the most forgettable thing about this entire game, and buy Airland Battles or Red Dragon.”
- “The campaign missions can easily take you an hour and more to complete.”
gameplay
308 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
51%
7%
The gameplay of this wargame expansion is characterized by a mix of realistic mechanics and strategic depth, offering a challenging experience that rewards tactical thinking. While many players appreciate the immersive unit stories and the variety of units available, some criticize the steep learning curve and certain clunky mechanics that can detract from the overall enjoyment. Overall, the game is praised for its graphics and engaging campaigns, though it may not appeal to those seeking fast-paced or casual gameplay.
- “I started playing it to learn some basics of modern warfare and I'm satisfied, thanks to quite realistic mechanics I understand now types of forces that fight in war, their strengths and weaknesses, importance of logistics, positioning, and the atrocious power of artillery!”
- “The gameplay is probably the most realistic I have seen in a modern warfare-themed strategy/tactics game, but set up in a way that is still fairly user-friendly and hassle-free.”
- “The gameplay is among the most realistic available.”
- “No natural introduction to mechanics, no compelling presentation or gameplay.”
- “The real game ruining issue is the unit unlock mechanic...it just ends up sucking way more often than being enjoyable and compelling.”
- “The gameplay is very strange and the single player mode is unfair, because the bots have a huge army since the beginning of the match.”
graphics
288 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
36%
5%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the impressive visuals, detailed units, and smooth zooming capabilities, while others criticize the dated graphics and issues such as brightness and flickering glitches that hinder gameplay. Many appreciate the aesthetic and attention to detail, but some find the overall presentation sub-par, especially in terms of map design. Overall, while the graphics can be visually appealing, they are not without significant flaws that affect the gaming experience.
- “The graphics are fantastic, making each unit distinct and identifiable.”
- “With the powerful iriszoom ™, wargame offers breathtaking graphics and battles as spectacular as they are strategic.”
- “The graphics are jaw-dropping at points and extremely well done all across the board.”
- “Bro, I don't know what all of the positive reviews are for; the game looks like you're colorblind. I can't see the battlefield, and the graphics don't match the ones in the images.”
- “The graphics are sub-par, the UI sucks, and you will go blind trying to see your units unless you are constantly zooming in and out.”
- “There are long-standing glitches in the graphics, which makes the game almost unplayable.”
optimization
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
47%
11%
The game's optimization is generally praised, with many players noting smooth performance and impressive visual fidelity across various systems. However, there are significant issues on Linux and Mac platforms, where performance is notably poor, and some gameplay mechanics feel unbalanced or nonsensical. Frequent patches indicate ongoing developer support, but the disparity in vehicle effectiveness and unit performance remains a concern for some users.
- “The game is extremely well optimized.”
- “With all that said, the performance of this game is amazing.”
- “Very good graphics, incredibly well optimized and fun as hell.”
- “The game is so badly optimized for Linux it is a joke.”
- “Horrible performance in later missions.”
- “This game is far from optimized for Mac; you can't even beat the tutorial without an actual mouse wheel (can't even be configured in the settings).”
grinding
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and time-consuming, often feeling that unlocking new units requires excessive effort. While some enjoy the challenge of strategizing to survive battles, many express frustration with the repetitive nature of the campaigns and the need for extensive grinding to progress. Overall, the grinding can detract from the enjoyment of the game, making it feel more like a chore than a fun experience.
- “Oh no, I can't get to anything else until I've somehow clawed my way to grinding victory.”
- “The non-timed missions take so long and are just exhausting, so I frequently just save and play something else because it becomes so tedious.”
- “Honestly, it's not a bad game, but it feels like the campaigns are a bit tedious instead of fun, and sometimes in missions I'll want to use infantry instead of hordes of armor, but I can't because in order to actually combat the enemy AI on any level, it seems I need hundreds of armor units and artillery.”
stability
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
11%
71%
The game's stability is highly inconsistent, with many users reporting severe graphical glitches that render it nearly unplayable, particularly on Linux and certain hardware configurations. While some players experience smooth performance with minimal issues, the prevalence of bugs and design flaws has led to significant frustration among others. Overall, the game's stability is a major concern, with a mixed reception depending on the user's setup.
- “It only costs a 5-10% CPU tax if you've done it right and runs great.”
- “It runs great since it's old but still manages to have very decent graphics.”
- “The game runs smooth here on my rig with very little to no glitches (and I'm using AMD Catalyst drivers).”
- “There are long-standing glitches in graphics, which makes the game almost unplayable.”
- “Unfinished, buggy, and poor design decisions.”
- “[Linux] graphical glitches make the game unplayable on Linux, do not buy.”
replayability
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
70%
13%
The game offers a mix of replayability, with a dynamic campaign and unit unlock system that encourages both single and multiplayer play, enhancing its overall value. However, some players note limitations such as balance issues, lack of single-player modes, and minimal replay value in certain aspects. While the campaign is lengthy and missions can be replayed for improved scores, the overall replayability is seen as inconsistent among users.
- “The game is also very challenging and has a lot of replay value.”
- “On the face of it, a dynamic campaign sounds great—it's different every time so you get infinite replayability, right?”
- “Not too much replayability either; however, the campaign is very long if you want to play it to the full extent, and the multiplayer system is quite balanced since you can control who you face.”
- “Really fun but has little to no replay value.”
- “Win or defeat is not permanent; missions are replayable to improve your score.”
music
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
65%
15%
The music in the game is generally described as calm and lackluster, lacking the dramatic orchestral elements often associated with war themes. While some players appreciate that it fits the scene, many find it weak and unmemorable, with a few expressing a desire for more impactful military-themed tracks. Overall, the music does not significantly enhance the gameplay experience and is often turned off by players.
- “The music fits the scene nicely, and the single player campaign storyline is nicely plausible.”
- “Sound and music and just the layout of this game is impressive.”
- “There's no dramatic orchestral music that keeps reminding you that war is bad; in fact, the only music the game has is just calm melodies.”
- “The gameplay is very slow, the music quite lackluster, and at best you have to fumble through the controls to make units do what you want.”
- “The graphics are moderate, the sounds far away from being realistic, music is okay but I turned it off very soon.”
humor
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its absurdities, such as the ineffectiveness of weapons and the chaotic nature of aerial combat, which often leads to amusing misunderstandings among players. Additionally, technical glitches like crashes and broken visuals contribute to the comedic experience, making for a mix of funny moments amidst the game's serious themes. Overall, while the humor is appreciated, it is often overshadowed by frustrations with gameplay and performance.
- “Atgms are hilariously bad, as well as pretty much every weapon in this game being spray and pray.”
- “Players, even teammates, may see a completely different battle, which may end in funny or insulting chat.”
- “And the moral system is the third funny thing.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that the game lacks emotional depth and attachment, contrasting sharply with more acclaimed titles like "World in Conflict." Players describe it as a "bargain basement" experience, suggesting that its pacing and strategic elements fail to evoke any significant emotional response.
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is generally well-received, with players appreciating both the immersive environment and the graphics.
- “Overall, I do enjoy the atmosphere and the graphics of this game.”

90%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews

Wargame: European Escalation Review
Eurogamer.net
90%

Buy Wargame: European Escalation

18h Median play time

14h Average play time

5-22h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

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