WARSAW RISING: City of Heroes

64%
Game Brain Score Based on 636 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
WARSAW RISING: City of Heroes Game Cover
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You take on the role of a commander leading a unit participating in the 1944 Warsaw Uprising. You start on the first day with a group of three insurgents whose first task is to get their weapons and get to the base camp safely. You participate in a tragic yet heroic chapter of the capital's history. Your job is to survive as long as possible. There is only one way to do this: by fighting with a we…

  • PC
  • Windows
  • Tablet
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

64%
Audience ScoreBased on 636 reviews
story50 positive mentions
replayability4 negative mentions
  • The game offers a unique perspective on the Warsaw Uprising, providing historical context and emotional depth.
  • The art style and atmosphere are beautifully crafted, enhancing the overall experience.
  • Combat mechanics are engaging, requiring strategic planning and resource management.
  • The game can be overly punishing, with high difficulty levels and random events leading to frustrating outcomes.
  • Character progression feels limited, as recruits cannot level up and named characters are permanently lost upon death.
  • The game lacks replayability and variety, with missions becoming repetitive over time.
  • story310 mentions

    The story of the game is centered around the harrowing events of the Warsaw Uprising, highlighting themes of sacrifice, bravery, and tragedy. While the narrative is praised for its historical authenticity and character backstories, many players feel that the gameplay mechanics do not effectively support the storytelling, leading to a sense of repetition and a lack of engagement with the characters. Overall, the game is seen as a compelling but flawed attempt to convey a significant historical event through a strategy format, with some players wishing for a more immersive and varied narrative experience.

    • “This story needs to be told; the people who sacrificed themselves to defeat the most evil threat the world has faced in hundreds of years should not be forgotten. However, since every side committed atrocities against these people, no one wants to remember them.”
    • “In general, the gameplay cannot be called very interesting, but the real story that the game tells impressed me very much.”
    • “The story is harrowing, as are the text events that take place during and after missions, which gives the game an appropriate feel.”
    • “The problem is that it uses a very shallow set of gameplay mechanics as a vehicle to tell that story.”
    • “The playable characters haven't changed as far as I can tell, but the story embraces military efforts and achievements of the Polish troops to a point where surviving and saving lives turned into winning over and killing Nazis.”
    • “The story is somewhat dull mainly due to a lack of narration; being dyslexic, this made reading the large walls of text between missions rather annoying.”
  • gameplay195 mentions

    The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players expressing dissatisfaction over the removal of strategic elements and mechanics that were present in earlier versions, leading to a more linear and less engaging experience. While some appreciate the game's atmosphere and art style, others find the combat system unbalanced and overly reliant on randomness, resulting in a lack of depth and replayability. Overall, the gameplay is often compared unfavorably to "Darkest Dungeon," with critiques focusing on its simplicity and the feeling that it has been watered down.

    • “The gameplay is solid and unforgiving, and the characters are diverse in numerous aspects, such as skillsets, story, and more.”
    • “The art style is amazing and the writing is really nice as well, with the gameplay being able to capture the desperation of the Warsaw Uprising.”
    • “I recommend this game for anyone who likes dark history and really interesting mechanics.”
    • “The problem is that it uses a very shallow set of gameplay mechanics as a vehicle to tell that story.”
    • “Devs gutted gameplay elements and spat on people who bought the game by making it free to play, removed strategy to make a more linear visual novel type experience years after the game released.”
    • “The mechanics are bad - combat is clunky and weird and just not fun.”
  • graphics77 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising its beautiful art style and atmospheric visuals that draw inspiration from "Darkest Dungeon." While some players appreciate the unique aesthetic and detailed animations, others criticize the graphics as being lazy or overly simplistic, suggesting a lack of originality. Overall, the visuals are generally regarded as a strong point, contributing positively to the game's immersive experience despite some reservations about their execution.

    • “The art style is phenomenal, the music is both sorrowful and passionate, echoing the shattered culture of this point in the conflict.”
    • “The details and aesthetics in this game are just amazing.”
    • “The graphics are amazing, the soundtrack works so well and I love the story and its dark tones.”
    • “Visuals and parts of the GUI channel 'Darkest Dungeon' to an uncanny degree--I assume the publisher hired an artist or artists from that game.”
    • “I think my biggest takeaway from this game is 'meh.' The combat is subpar, the resource management is childlike, and the graphics are just plain lazy.”
    • “According to the fact that it was WW2, those graphics are a little bit too 'sweet'; it ought to have been made more bleak.”
  • music64 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its atmospheric qualities and emotional depth, while others criticize it for being repetitive and uninspired. Many note that the soundtrack fits the game's setting well, but some feel it lacks variety and energy, leading to a desire for more diverse tracks. Overall, the music is seen as a significant aspect of the game's ambiance, though opinions on its quality vary widely.

    • “The music in this game was great as well.”
    • “I could listen to the background music in this game for hours because of how well it sounds.”
    • “The art style is phenomenal, the music is both sorrowful and passionate, echoing the shattered culture of this point in the conflict.”
    • “Also the new sounds and music are, quite frankly, blood awful.”
    • “All the sound effects sound muffled and the new music sounds like what you would get by typing into Google 'generic WW2 music'.”
    • “After a few hours I was happier playing this game with the music off, and eventually muted it entirely.”
  • atmosphere31 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its dense historical context and immersive qualities, effectively conveying the grim realities of the Warsaw Uprising. While some reviews note a lack of replayability and mechanical depth compared to similar titles, the art, music, and overall presentation create a haunting and engaging experience that resonates with players. Despite mixed opinions on gameplay, many agree that the atmosphere is a standout feature worth experiencing.

    • “Of course, Warsaw Rising doesn't offer the strategic and mechanical depth that Darkest Dungeon does, but it makes up for that with its dense atmosphere and great embedding in a historical context.”
    • “The atmosphere is virtually perfect, conveying the feeling of a hopeless struggle against an enemy you cannot hope to defeat, only delay.”
    • “Wonderfully atmospheric: beautiful graphics, haunting music, and effects.”
    • “Not only did they completely ruin the atmosphere of this game, but they made it linear as hell, giving it almost no replayability.”
    • “The biggest problem of this game is that it lacks atmosphere; it has no drama.”
    • “Although based on history, the game does lack atmosphere.”
  • replayability22 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the variety of characters and team compositions that offer different experiences, many criticize its linearity and repetitive mechanics, leading to limited replay value. Some reviews suggest potential for replayability through character building and differing playthroughs, but the consensus leans towards a lack of substantial content to encourage multiple runs. Players express a desire for more updates and content to enhance replayability, indicating that while there is some potential, it currently falls short for many.

    • “The game has a solid amount of replay value because of different characters, and every playthrough is different.”
    • “One playthrough takes about 4-5 hours if you don't fail, and I find that to be a good amount because of the high replayability.”
    • “Numerous guns, skills, enemies, etc. provide constant replayability due to the differing parties you can accrue.”
    • “Not only did they completely ruin the atmosphere of this game, but they made it linear, giving it almost no replayability.”
    • “The lack of replayability is probably the biggest knock on the game.”
    • “The game creates an accurate atmosphere, is good, but not great, and you are unlikely to replay it as there is no replayability value here with a battle component that will get repetitive after a few hours.”
  • grinding12 mentions

    Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and repetitive, often comparing it unfavorably to titles like Darkest Dungeon, which manage to keep combat engaging. Many reviews highlight that once optimal strategies are discovered, encounters become mere formalities, and the movement mechanics can further exacerbate the monotony. While some acknowledge a certain addictive quality that encourages continued play, the overall sentiment leans towards a need for more engaging content and mechanics to alleviate the grind.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “The combat is so mind-numbingly tedious.”
    • “I get the feeling the higher number of enemy soldiers is meant to help add to the 'challenging' tag, but 'tedious' would be a better description.”
    • “The problem is, once you figure out the best team mix-ups and ensure that you have sufficient ammo, the encounters will become a tedious formality.”
  • emotional7 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is deeply tied to its historical context, evoking feelings of suffering, justice, and pride in the Polish resistance against German occupation. While some players found the emotional weight impactful, others criticized it for leaning too heavily into overemotional heroism without sufficient depth. The art style and soundtrack contribute to the emotional experience, but opinions vary on whether the execution effectively captures the gravity of the historical events.

    • “Difficult to play given the horrific history here, but it's a thousand-year legacy of Poland rising up against occupation after occupation, and I'm proud of the people who continue to make games like this, however emotionally gutting those games are.”
    • “I like the art style; I admittedly got really emotional even just during the introduction animation because of my awareness of the historical setting, but I don't think it entirely works since it sits uncomfortably between the two.”
    • “The 'ending' [spoiler] gives an emotional payout that solidifies the tone of the game with the history of the Warsaw Uprising.”
  • character development5 mentions

    The character design in the game is praised for its quality, making players emotionally invested in the characters, unlike in other titles where character loss is more easily accepted. However, the lack of a character development system is noted as a significant drawback, with some reviewers expressing a desire for deeper progression mechanics similar to those found in the XCOM series. Overall, while the art style and design are commendable, the absence of character development limits the game's potential for player engagement.

    • “The character design is so well done that it's tough for me to let the characters die in this game, unlike in Darkest Dungeon where I'd gladly throw new recruits to the grinder.”
    • “I like it; the art style and character design are great.”
    • “Sucks as a game, because it has no character development system.”
    • “I probably would have liked it better if they had leveraged the XCOM 1/2 engine for tactics and character development instead of what they chose; however, it's still a very good game.”
    • “Dare I even say that character design is better than in Darkest Dungeon, but since they are completely different styles, it's up to one's interests.”
  • stability3 mentions

    The game faced significant stability issues at launch, being described as a "buggy mess" with frequent glitches that required players to restart. While some users noted occasional bugs, the overall consensus highlights a lack of polish in this aspect.

    • “The game was infamous for being a buggy mess at launch.”
    • “Full of bugs and glitches; I had to restart the game frequently.”
    • “The only downside I could mention about the game is that it is a little bit buggy sometimes.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    The monetization strategy is widely criticized for feeling intrusive and disappointing, akin to replacing a high-quality experience with a subpar one that is constantly interrupted by ads. Many users feel misled by promotional materials that do not accurately represent the actual experience.

    • “It's like somebody broke into your home and replaced your 70" 4K TV with some smaller, low-definition crap that runs ads all the time.”
    • “Seems way cooler in the advertisement pics than it is in reality.”
  • humor2 mentions

    The humor in the game is generally considered less impactful than that of Darkest Dungeon, with reviewers noting that while it attempts to incorporate humor, it falls short in comparison, particularly given the serious themes it addresses. The contrast between real human suffering and the fictional elements of the game highlights this disparity.

    • “The humor in this game is a delightful surprise, adding a lighthearted touch to the otherwise serious themes.”
    • “I found myself laughing out loud at the witty dialogue and clever puns throughout the game.”
    • “The quirky characters and their humorous interactions kept me entertained and engaged from start to finish.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    The game offers significant optimization potential for squad members, allowing players to customize their loadouts with various weapons that feature unique abilities, as well as enhancing each character's distinct active and passive skills through experience points.

    • “There is a lot of optimization potential for each member of your squad, with different weapons that each have two unique abilities, and each main character having unique active and passive abilities unlocked with XP.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

36hMedian play time
63hAverage play time
8-145hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 5 analyzed playthroughs

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