I was super excited for Strategic Command: World War I as I loved the hex-based WWII era strategy game these guys put out about a year ago. For me, this is one of the December 2019 game releases that deserves far more attention than it is getting right now. If you are a fan of turn-based, make sure you check this one out.
How to Download Strategic Command World War I
You can download the game from Steam. To start, click on the Download button at the end of the review.
The Game Review
Setting the game during WWI is very interesting. This is a war that saw it start out with people on horseback before ending with tanks and other such equipment as the advances in technology were quite huge. This is something that Strategic Command: World War I is aiming to capture and I feel that they really do nail this.
The Campaigns
The game has not one, but three campaigns for you to play through. 1914 Call To Arms 1914 Triple Alliance and 1917 Fate of Nations (which is still to come) are the three campaigns. They have done a great job in making sure all of the big well-known parts of the war such as Lawrence of Arabia and the Russian Revolution are here as well as some other parts of the war and some new “made-up” scenarios are here too.
One of the things that I like about the way they have done the campaign is how more and more nations keep getting involved as you progress. You can play from both sides so seeing the campaign from the side of the USA and the UK for example as well as Germany and The Ottoman Empire makes for quite a dramatic experience.
The Gameplay
The turn-based tactics action which was so popular with the previous game returns. While you will have to plan your attacks, mount your defenses and grow your technologies. I like how they have made diplomacy play such an important role in the gameplay. You can try and talk things out and deal with other nations which I am sure some people will really get into.
Moving your units around the map is quite straightforward. I like how there is a dynamic movement system that allows you to use your moves later if you wish. This makes it very assessable for new players and I feel it is not as punishing as other turn-based strategy games can be. Do not get me wrong, it has a learning curve as you would expect. However, the way it handles the movements of your units always feels fair.
The Units
The units in the game are great and as you progress, you do get access to more cool units. You can get submarines, tanks, airplanes and so on, but there is still a real “boots on the ground” aspect of the game. The new units such as colonial corps and mountain corps do give you more to play with and more ways to go about taking down the enemy in battle. There is an amazing progression of technology during this time period and the game captures that very well.
As well as improving your technology. You also need to improve your units and your commanders. You can improve your commander’s abilities as you progress through the game. This can give you an edge in battle as well as helping your troops improve and have better morale.
The hexagonal style of Strategic Command: World War I is something that I really like and is actually new to the series. In this game though, it does appear that this has caused them to have to go for a more simplistic style when it comes to the visuals. I can see some people being underwhelmed by this, but I think that it has a real old school kind of look about it that is pretty cool.
The Maps in Strategic Command World War I
The actual map is very well done. It features, Europe, North Africa, The Middle East, and The Atlantic, with more areas to come. Each hex map is said to be 20 miles in its size! I like how they have a “fog of war” system in play which keeps things more realistic and stops you from just being able to see the whole map in all situations. The trench warfare on the map is also very fun and the way you can research trench warfare which will then let you make improvements to your trenches.
The Verdict
I think that if you enjoy turn-based strategy games that Strategic Command: World War I is one you can really sink your teeth into. It is rather deep in the way you can deal with your enemies, but the UI is very easy to get your head around. This I feel makes the game suitable for those who are not always into turn-based strategy games. If you are a fan of history then you are in for a great time with this.
