World War I

About

"World War I" is a real-time strategy game set on the Blitzkrieg engine, covering the historical events of the First World War. The game includes 3 campaigns and 30 missions, allowing players to lead the forces of Germany, Russia, or the Allies in battles across Europe. Players can utilize a variety of tactical elements, such as setting up defense lines and prioritizing targets, to prove their military leadership skills.

Genres & Tags

Strategy

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

71%

Audience ScoreBased on 119 reviews

gameplay4 positive mentions

graphics7 negative mentions

The game captures the atmosphere and horror of World War I effectively, providing a haunting experience with its visuals and sound design.
Fans of the Blitzkrieg series will appreciate the familiar gameplay mechanics and the strategic depth required to succeed in missions.
The game offers lengthy campaigns with a variety of missions, making it a decent time investment for players who enjoy tactical RTS games.

The game suffers from significant historical inaccuracies, such as the presence of tanks in early missions, which detracts from the immersion.
Graphics and overall presentation are dated, making it difficult for modern players to enjoy the visual experience.
Gameplay can become repetitive and frustrating due to the lack of core units, upgrade paths, and a steep learning curve without proper tutorials.

story
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
83%
9%
The story aspect of the game is criticized for its repetitive mission structure and lack of meaningful progression, with players often feeling disconnected from the narrative due to the isolated nature of each mission. While the setting of World War I and the atmosphere are appreciated, many reviewers find the gameplay tedious and lacking in depth, with missions often boiling down to simple objectives without significant tactical choices. Overall, the narrative fails to engage players, leading to a mixed reception regarding its storytelling elements.
- “Incredible game if you invest some time in it; the missions are long and you need to think about every step. The atmosphere and graphics, though, are top-notch.”
- “Some brainiac at Dark Fox made every mission its own chapter.”
- “If you do enjoy Blitzkrieg or older C&C games, if you like separated missions with clear tasks and a limited amount of units to perform your tasks, this old strategy game might be for you.”
- “However, I didn't finish a single one of the campaigns, even if I did punch my way through dozens of missions.”
- “The basic concept behind the missions is go there, destroy stuff, defend position, and repeat.”
- “If it is compared to more modern strategy games that do actually leave you choice how to finish a mission or give you multiple optional objectives to change the course of the battles, WW1 definitely lacks in terms of progress.”
graphics
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
47%
37%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many users criticizing the simplistic and dated 2D art assets, which offer little improvement even with resolution adjustments. While some players appreciate the atmosphere and visuals, others find them lackluster and unappealing, often describing them as "terrible" or "ugly." Overall, the graphics are seen as a significant drawback, particularly given the game's age, with ratings often reflecting a consensus of around 3/10.
- “Incredible game if you invest some time in it, the missions are long and you need to think about every step; the atmosphere and graphics, though, are top-notch.”
- “I love the visuals of it.”
- “Very nice visuals and crisp sounds suit the game atmosphere.”
- “While there are options to change the resolution for the game, all this does is scale up the simplistic 2D art assets used to make the game, which makes little or no difference to the graphics quality.”
- “Without any other substantial graphics tweaks, it's not possible for gamers to improve the lackluster 2D visuals.”
- “The game was released more than 10 years ago, so the graphics are quite dated.”
gameplay
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
53%
20%
The gameplay is characterized by classic blitzkrieg mechanics, featuring long and engaging campaigns, though it sacrifices some historical realism for playability. While the controls are user-friendly and easy to learn, the reliance on tanks and the static nature of WWI limits the overall engagement, leading to a mixed reception. Overall, players appreciate the gameplay's accessibility but note its repetitive nature and graphical limitations typical of a 2005 title.
- “The campaigns are long and quite interesting, and the 'nothing matters' mechanic speaks to the truth of the war.”
- “Great controls and gameplay, and it's easy to learn.”
- “First of all, the gameplay is classic blitzkrieg.”
- “Based on Sudden Strike 1, it has the same gameplay and issues.”
- “Historical realism is cast aside a little bit for gameplay purposes.”
music
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
17%
17%
The music in the game is generally described as decent but not particularly remarkable, with some players finding it annoying or slow-paced. While there are positive notes about the music enhancing the experience, many feel it could have been improved. Overall, it serves its purpose but lacks standout qualities.
- “Nice game, slow-paced music is nice; get headphones to jam out! All in all, nice game.”
- “The music is decent, and the game runs perfectly smoothly.”
- “Very annoying, good music though.”
- “The music is not something remarkable overall.”
stability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from numerous stability issues, including frequent game-breaking bugs, glitches, and freezing after battles, which significantly detract from the overall experience. Players have reported inconsistent mechanics, such as trench digging that sometimes fails to work, alongside minor inaccuracies and visual glitches.
- “Game breaking bugs and glitches that are too common for comfort; small scale warfare doesn't fit the WW1 feel, in my opinion. Weird trench digging (sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't).”
- “Game freezes after several battles.”
- “Good blitzkrieg rip-off, but it's buggy as hell and I got stuck on the first mission with no way of finishing.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
25%
50%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its top-notch graphics and crisp sound design, effectively immersing players in a compelling environment that enhances the overall experience. While the series may not have been known for its atmosphere in the past, this installment successfully captures the essence of the great war, creating a rich and engaging backdrop for gameplay.
- “The series was never renowned for it, and this just takes the atmosphere of the Great War and moves it elsewhere.”
- “Incredible game if you invest some time in it; the missions are long and you need to think about every step. The atmosphere and graphics, though, are top-notch.”
- “Very nice visuals and crisp sounds suit the game atmosphere.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from poor optimization, lacking support for modern display resolutions and widescreen monitors, which results in subpar performance on contemporary gaming PCs.
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized as a cash grab, with users feeling it exploits nostalgia rather than offering genuine value, suggesting it capitalizes on the appeal of abandonware.
- “This seems to have been put on Steam as a nostalgia gouge, or just a cash grab to try to profit from abandonware.”
- “The monetization strategy feels exploitative, prioritizing profit over player experience.”
- “It's frustrating to see so many features locked behind paywalls, making it hard to enjoy the game fully without spending extra money.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game is noted for having little to no replayability, with users expressing that once completed, there is little incentive to play again.
- “This game offers none to minimal replayability.”
- “Once you complete the game, there's little incentive to play it again.”
- “The lack of varied outcomes makes replaying feel pointless.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to become stale and tedious, especially for those familiar with previous Blitzkrieg titles, leading to a diminished enjoyment over time.
- “If you've played the other Blitzkrieg-based titles, this one starts to feel stale and tedious very quickly.”
- “The grinding in this game is relentless and feels more like a chore than an enjoyable experience.”
- “After a few hours, the repetitive nature of grinding makes it hard to stay engaged with the game.”