Between ups and downs, the scenario of strategic video games it has always remained active and varied. Among the staples of the genre, new titles have alternated which have brought, some more, some less, a breath of fresh air. Today we speak to you in this one recensione di The Great War Western Fronta new real-time strategy title set in the First World War and developed by Petroglyph Games e Frontier Developments.
A touch of originality and satisfactory mechanics make it a great strategy but will the unorthodox means of the developers be able to make inroads among fans of the genre? Let’s find out!
Our review of The Great War Western Front
As anticipated, The Great War Western Front is set during the First World War. We will have only two forces at our disposal, the Central Powers not forces of the Entente contending for supremacy. The game is essentially divided into two sequences, one on a strategic map divided by the classic hexagons, the other on the battlefield where you manage the units, supplies and military strategies to be used.
The strategic map
On the game board, we find the Central European cities of interest that represent the landing points of the troops, historically correct. Each city has a number of stars that represent its strategic importance during the conflict. The loss of all stars, resulting from many battles won, is equivalent to the conquest of the city.
Preparing for the real battles, here we will have the opportunity to manage cities, their economy and technological developments which he will unlock, via one skill tree, a number of useful upgrades. Expanding the settlements will be fundamental and we will have different types of structures available that will bring further bonuses and upgrades to the troops. From here we will also be able to exploit the capabilities of the cities such as the possibility of spying on the enemy and so on.
This map has turn-based action, after ours it’s the AI’s turn.
On the battlefield
Here we will be able to savor the real-time strategy of the game but only after creating our very own trenches. Still demonstrating accurate historical fidelity, The Great War Western Front focuses particularly on theuse of trenches offering us a tool to decide where to place the trenches, barbed wire and bunkers. An intricate labyrinthine system that we had never seen in any game and that gives an extra stimulus to our strategic vein.
To bunkers and trenches we will of course have to assign troops and artillery units to be strategically placed and defend or capture the crucial points of the map. This is obviously easier said than done. In fact, to deploy troops we will need two precious ones resourcesl’Oroquite explanatory and the supplies.
The latter are essential for the deployment of troops and their number will depend on our skill during the sequences on the strategic map. But this must not deceive you. It is not enough to have more men or artillery to win because the use made of them is fundamental. An airstrike, a balloon to spy on the enemy camp or well-placed Chlorine chemical attacks can make all the difference.
Developer:
Petroglyph
Price:
34,99 €
On the technical side…
…not much to praise. The game moves very well and we have never encountered technical problems or graphical glitches but the graphic rendering is more than simple. Being a strategist we didn’t expect hyper realism but the right combination of textures, animations, and sounds are key to engaging the player in big battles like these, and The Great War Western Front missed that opportunity.
In the same way, sounds and music echo militarizing themes like dozens of other games set in the same period without particularly standing out.
The Great War Western Front review in a nutshell
The Great War Western Front doesn’t have the resources of Total War, Civilization or Age of Empires but the intention to create a Great Game about the Great War was all there. Some balance defectsa lack of attention to the technical sector and the lack of content have made it a product far from what the contemporary market expects.
However, this does not mean that it is not a more than valid strategic video game and designed more for a niche of players and fans of the genre and of the historical period who we are sure will be satisfied.