Combat Mission Cold War

As the name, Combat Mission Cold War tells you, what we have here is a game that is all about the Cold War. The Cold War has become pretty “fashionable” in games lately and the Combat Mission series is putting their own realistic take on the war that put the USA and the Soviet Union against each other.

What If?

The whole premise of the game is that you get to play in many different what if style missions. I always like this alternate history kind of thing and the way they are telling these stories, but trying to be realistic is something I think is very interesting. There are three different campaigns. You have the NTC Campaign, The US West German Campaign, and the Soviet Campaign. Each one will view the events of the war from their own point of view and have their own desires and ideologies.

The Realistic Side Of History

As you would expect from a game that is part of this series, Combat Mission Cold War is going all in in terms of realism. From the weapons and equipment to the map, the game has a very authentic kind of feel and that is something you history buffs are really going to get a kick out of. Tanks, aircraft, and so on are also modeled after the real vehicles that would have been used in the Cold War if it had escalated to that point.

Taking Complete Control

This is a very deep and hardcore kind of real time strategy game. You can organize your troops and send them out to battle, but if your tactics are not right, your guys are going to pay the ultimate price. They like to say this is a kind of “sandbox” and by that they mean you are free to plan your battle plan in any way that you see fit. I am sure there is going to be a bit of trial and error here, but in a game like this, learning from your mistakes can be fun and help you get better at the game.

It can be great in theory having a battleplan that you are sure is foolproof. Only for when the battle starts to realize you overlooked something and you end up on the wrong end of a beating!

Authentically Ok

One thing that people love about this series and I am sure Combat Mission Cold War will be no different is the realism. While the realism of selecting appropriate tanks, weapons, and so on to the era is great.

They also have to look the part and the game is not exactly the best-looking game I have ever seen. Things look decent enough, but it lacks that wow factor I think the epic battles and stories they are telling deserve.

Pros:

• I like how there are three campaigns in the game
• They have worked really hard to make this game as authentic as possible
• Plenty of realistic looking tanks, planes, and other war machines!
• If you enjoy your history, you will appreciate what they are doing here

Cons:

• This is not the prettiest looking game
• You do have to be interested in the Cold War to get fully invested in the story