Call to Arms - Gates of Hell: Ostfront

Do not be fooled, Call to Arms - Gates of Hell: Ostfront is not just an expansion, this is a stand alone title that does not require you to have the base game at all! This is all you need and trust me when I tell you, this is one of the most fun RTS games you have ever played. This is the kind of game that takes immense pride in its realism so if you are something of a history buff, you are going to massively appreciate what they have done here. It is packed with content and they are still releasing DLC for it which is awesome.

Another Side Of The War

While the World War II setting of Call to Arms - Gates of Hell: Ostfront may not seem all that unique, I mean let's face it, how many RTS games are set in World War II? What is neat about this is that it focuses on the Great Patriotic War between the USSR and Germany, which is not as common. There are over 10 different missions to play through, each one with their own story and I think that if you are into wartime stories, you will get a kick out of this. Also, I have not experienced this yet, but American and British DLC is being added to the game which will add more story content from what I have heard.

A Certain Point Of View

While Call to Arms - Gates of Hell: Ostfront is an RTS game and at first it certainly has that classic RTS look to it. One of the most awesome things about this game is that you can get really up close and personal with the action with just one click. This game will let you jump into the battlefield in the 3rd person and it will also let you jump into a vehicle, but here you can be in the first or the 3rd person. It is here you can truly appreciate the amount of attention to detail that has been done. As I said, if you are a history buff, you are going to get a massive kick out of this. The classic top down RTS vibe is still here, but being able to change the point of view like this is something that I thought was very cool.

Dominate The Battlefield

No matter if you are playing on your own or with a buddy, Call to Arms - Gates of Hell: Ostfront offers intense RTS action! You are tasked with building what you consider to be the perfect army. Of course, at first, you kind of just have to make do with what you have. However, there is a great sense of progression in this game. You can research new units to give you an advantage on the battlefield. But, at the end of the day, it is going to be your own strategic thinking that will get you through. There were times when I thought that I had a great idea or that my forces would steamroll the enemy, only to be sent packing! There were other times where my tactics worked exactly like I thought they would and I felt like some kind of super general. The gameplay here is very addictive and even when you screw up, you will learn from it and hopefully screw up less than the previous battle.

Your Own Kind Of War

I have a buddy that I play Call to Arms - Gates of Hell: Ostfront with and we have an absolute blast with this game. One of the things that we love about it is how much freedom it gives you when it comes to setting up a game. You can use “doctrines” and these allow you to have complete control over a game. From deciding when the battle takes place, the kind of units, weapons, vehicles available, and so on. We each take a turn making the rules and then just roll with it. You can play just 1 v 1, but you can also play 4 v 4 which I will admit was a tad too hectic for me, but I am sure if I was more skilled at the game, I would not get my ass handed to me as much. I do want to mention that you can also have a ton of fun playing this on your own as well as the AI puts up a really good fight, but not at the expense of feeling like it is cheap and cheating.

Pros:

• I loved the part of World War II this was set in
• There are many ways to build your armed forces
• There is a lot of single-player content here
• If you are a history nerd, you will love the attention to detail

Cons:

• Like most RTS games, it does have a bit of a learning curve
• As I write this I have not had the chance to try the DLC

Call to Arms - Gates of Hell: Ostfront is a real-time strategy game that will send you to the Eastern Front during World War II. Follow the historical path from June 1941 to May 1945. Choose from several modes and embark on a long military journey through the facets of frontline situations. Manage your combat and support units, building the strategies you need to win. Historical events affect the success of your campaign. Can you develop the perfect strategy even in a changing military world?

Pros of the game:

• Realistic units
• 12 game modes