Theatre of War review

We scope the latest WWII RTS

GamesRadar+ Verdict

Pros

  • +

    Incredible level of realism

  • +

    Beautifully realized battlefield

  • +

    Tough tactical challenges

Cons

  • -

    Punishingly difficult

  • -

    Camera controls are a bitch

  • -

    Not nearly enough polish

Why you can trust GamesRadar+ Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.

This game promised much. A link-up between Russian über-developer Oleg Maddox of IL-2 Sturmovik fame’s 1C Company, and hardcore US strategizers Battlefront. Years in development, it promised to be the greatest payoff from the end of the Cold War since Rocky beat Ivan Drago.

Theatre of War - available now from www.battlefront.com for $45 - simulates small-scale WWII European ground combat, stretching from the invasion of Poland in 1939 to the fall of Berlin. It’s dripping in WWII hardware porn, all manner of lovingly modeled tanks, guns and infantry teams detailed down to the penetration factors of their weapons and the thickness of their armor.

Missions are combined into campaigns that let you command Polish, French, UK/US, Russian or German forces throughout several battles. Every soldier, driver and gunner is individually detailed, with stats for everything from marksmanship to leadership skills. Survivors of battles gain experience and decorations that improve their performance for the next outing.

More info

GenreStrategy
DescriptionInside this game are the makings of an absolutely brilliant realism-focused RTS, but sadly there's a platoon of issues lurking to ambush the unwary.
Platform"PC"
US censor rating"Teen"
UK censor rating""
Release date1 January 1970 (US), 1 January 1970 (UK)
More
CATEGORIES
Latest in Strategy
Kingmakers
Kingmakers is a strategy game about taking on medieval armies with a gun, but its devs thought the giant mech was too much
Dwarf Fortress
Dwarf Fortress devs "apologize for destroying your food-based economies" after nerfing meal prices: "Didn't realize so many of you were living that way"
Screenshots of Civilization 7 for review
"Everybody's in competition with Civ": Lead Civilization 5 composer has been in the "volatile" gaming industry for over 20 years and thinks new IP is only getting harder to make
How to heal units in Civilization 7
How to heal units in Civ 7
Civilization 7 diplomacy
How Civ 7 diplomacy works using Influence
How to trade in Civilization 7
How to trade in Civ 7 and set up trade routes
Latest in Reviews
Talisman 5th Edition game components
Talisman 5th Edition review: "The characterful imperfections of the original game remain clear to see "
WWE 2K25
WWE 2K25 review: "A colossal package even if you never go anywhere near Virtual Currency"
Altered: Trial by Frost booster box and packs on a playmat
Altered: Trial by Frost review - "Satisfying enough to offer highly varied gameplay"
Three SteelSeries QcK Performance mouse pads on a wooden desk
I didn't expect to prefer a coarser mouse pad, but SteelSeries' new QcK Performance range has changed my mind
Boro and Alta sit on a bench together in Wanderstop
Wanderstop review: "Exalting the transformative power of tea"
The pump header of the NZXT Kraken Elite 360 RGB showing a 35 degree cpu
NZXT Kraken Elite 360 RGB review: "Has some solid design points that make installation a lot easier"