Sudden Strike 4

Sudden Strike 4 is a real time strategy game. The game puts the player in control of small to medium armies tasked with fighting battles inside a World War 2 setting. For anyone who has played Sudden Strike 3, the jump in quality within Sudden Strike 4 will be immediately obvious. Anyone who has played games like Company of Heroes will feel immediately at-home with Sudden Strike 4, even if the game’s quality isn’t at the peak like some other RTS games.

I’ll Be Back … (Schwarzenegger voice)

Contrary to the name, Sudden Strike 4 is actually the fifth installment in the Sudden Strike series. With so many sequels, this game was bound to come out eventually and it puts on a clear show of how much its developers have learned from previous games. Firstly, the graphics. Sudden Strike 4 has a beautiful art style, gritty enough to re-enact much of World War 2’s famous battles and sceneries, while feeling vibrant and colourful enough to draw players into their screen.

The developers even devoted time to allowing things like snow to build up onto the vehicles if sitting still – one of many small touches to the game to really make its visuals pop and feel realistic. These decisions also have an effect on gameplay, deepening the immersion.

The quality of sound design has also been given lots of love and care. Hearing the whiz of rockets flying across the map – the clunking of metal as tanks roll past enemy lines – the cold snap of Garand rifles firing – it all contributes to a convincing depiction of World War 2 action.

Control THIS!

While the visual and audio appeal is far above average within Sudden Strike 4, some of the basic gameplay decisions will leave players scratching their heads, while others will have players slow clapping. Let’s start with the good.

Sudden Strike 4 will reward you for smart tactics. Period. Sure, you can rush units into battle, running through bullets, taking on casualties, and eventually swimming through the blood of your own army to victory. But the game will not reward you for it! Sudden Strike 4 recognizes flanking and smart unit movements. At the end of each level players are granted a star-rating for their play. The players who take time to play smart will receive more stars.

That being said, the game has some issues too – the biggest is its UI. While looking at the game screen there are far too many unit boxes, and they are far too large. It actually becomes a chore to look through all the UI at the actual battle taking place beneath it.

Real Time Strategy games require the player to see the field clearly. Sudden Strike 4 also lacks a proper ability to choose specific troops when they are needed. Like other World War 2 RTS games, you will control medics, riflemen, grenadiers, tanks, the list goes on – but you will need each unit at different times. Being unable to efficiently pick a unit in time creates a level of difficulty that is more frustration than fun.

Pros:

• Great attention to detail
• Wicked sound/graphics design
• Rewarding gameplay

Cons:

• Some frustrating UI elements