Soldiers: Heroes of World War II

This game is an excellent tactical WW2 game. At first, I admit, I was a bit confused because of the unconventional control system, the occasionally bad pathing, and the difficulty of the campaign missions. I remember that I put the game down and walked away after a few tries. However, what I had seen of the game had impressed me. I saw intense battles, destructible environments, multiple methods of completing a mission (Instead of hacking my way through the entire German line, I could just hop in one of the coastal guns and shoot everyone from a distance! Or, instead of clearing out a house, I can just lay dynamite behind it and blow the whole thing to smithereens!) I knew that there was a good game inside there, so I gave it another shot. With a bit of practice, I understood how the game worked. I began to plan and think in each situation. As I approached a large cluster of enemies, I threw a Molotov to light the dry grass on fire instead of trying to gun down each enemy. I learned to assign numbers to each of my troops, and to try to coordinate their attacks better. The game became immensely fun and always remained a good challenge. This game is meant to be a challenge. It bears a tight learning curve. I admit that it is very easy for your troops to die if you don't think at every turn. However, there is nothing that can compare to the thrill of victory at the end of a well-planned and perfectly executed mission. For quality of product, non-linear, and creative game-play, I rate this game with a 5 out of 5.

If you are familiar with the Men of War series you'll feel right at home in this game. It's actually the first game in that series, the predecessor of Faces of War and eventually Men of War. The game is a combination of the small-scale squad tactics of Commandos and more conventional WWII real-time strategy games like Blitzkrieg. You are in control of (usually) only a small group of soldiers. Each soldier has his own inventory. Weapons and items can be carried, dropped and picked up. Guns use ammunition, vehicles require gas. There is a detailed physics engine and damage system. Buildings can crumble, guns can be destroyed, wheels blown off, etc. The game has 4 campaigns as well as a number of training missions and single missions. You play on the side of the Americans, the British, the Soviets and the Germans, using accurately modeled vehicles and equipment. Your missions usually involve some kind of sabotage or ambush and you are usually up against a much larger and more heavily armed force. Careful planning and stealth are a must here. Soldiers: Heroes of WWII can get extremely difficult, just like the later installments of the series, but it's also a very open-ended game that leaves you all the freedom you need to complete your objectives. Purchase this game if you like squad-based real-time tactics in a detailed WWII setting.

This game really had it all. It had destructible environments, ineractions between characters and environment in a completely new way and because of all this there are so many tactics you can use to complete each level. The game is a bit of a challenge. Make no mistake about this. There are many times you just want to give up and the camera can sometimes be a little frustrating, but it all goes away the second you take over a german panzer and turn the gun on that machinegun-nest. If you like strategy and WW2. Get this game!

Although the single player aspect is good, this game is a real gem when multiplayer component kicks in. Aside from being able to choose from conventional head-to-head scenarios, you are able to play through the campaign in coop mode. And thats not all: you have two avenues of approach - you can either play it as a regular RTS, or you can take direct control of a unit and smash the puny opposition :) This will probably be the best spent 10$ in your life (unless you bought Apple shares a few decades ago)

This game was completely ahead of its time in terms of destructibility and interaction with the environment. The game in its original form was buggy to the point I could rarely finish a campaign, but I still install it every few years and play through. If its been optimized by GoG then buy it and enjoy.