'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAUACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABdAAEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABQYQAQAABQUBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEAAgQREgMFBiExwQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABQYRAQADAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEAAhExQf/aAAwDAQACEQMRAD8AxVPyHcDbqSuyM3VdMEuAyj3f0BsERnl1ZK2wOuvJPsjCEQpWu5nkZoF7o8Cf/9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The Great War: Western Front is a real-time tactical experience that takes place during The Great War (1914-1918). Developed by Petroglyph Games and published by Frontier Foundry, it is a fresh take on the WW1 RTS genre and a pleasant one at that.
It offers similar mechanics to other games of the genre but manages to stand out in its own right in many ways. In addition to the time period barely represented via video games, a few features give it a unique perspective.
The Great War: Western Front - Into No Man's Land
I'm a sucker for RTS games, and although I'm not all that great at them, I enjoy those set in unique time periods. While I've indulged in numerous games over the years set in the WWII era, The Great War: Western Front is the first RTS I've tried based on WW1.
Although seemingly simple, the game offers great tactical depth and strategy. Since gameplay is divided into two halves: an overview map with turn-based mechanics and in-depth tactical battles, players will have a lot to keep busy.
First impressions and gameplay
Right off the bat, the game is more complex than it lets on. Although the game's demo version is limited to a detailed tutorial and one historic battle, there's more to see than one would expect.
Every feature/mechanic and working part is elucidated in detail during the tutorial. Everything is explained as well as it can be, from learning about different unit types to how to cross no-man's land successfully and into the enemy's trenches.
What's more, is that I never felt rushed or burdened with all the different features/mechanics that are present. Since the tutorial is divided into several stages, it's always possible to go back to a specific feature to understand it better or go over it again.
I spent a good two hours, or perhaps more, familiarizing myself with how to control units, move them from one region to another, establish spy networks for intel, and properly use my resources. One of the things that stood out is how each region of the map will retain its features after the battle is over.
For instance, if I were to build proper trenches, unless destroyed, they would be there in the future. I could then use them against the enemy if they were to attack, or in a different scenario, the enemy could use them against me. On that note, the idea of being able to re-use fortifications against the enemy and allowing the enemy to do the same is nothing short of brilliant.
One of the more unique aspects of the battle-phase is that accepting a cease fire is not always bad. Calling a draw or truce when supplies are low often tends to be a minor win-win situation.
I learned this rather quickly as the AI will attempt to attack regions taken from them while incurring heavy casualties. Without the ability to resupply and re-arm properly in a single turn, there's no way to fend off an organized counter-attack. If they successfully take back the region, the entire point of winning the first battle becomes moot.
Furthermore, whatever capture points I secure remain mine until I cannot defend it from the enemy or push it out of the region and capture it completely. While some might see this as a slow grind, it's rather accurate to how the war was fought. And given that the AI will counter-attack, focusing resources on securing minor capture points and calling it a day is sometimes worth more.
Aside from infantry charging through the mud and bloody slush of no man's land, motorized vehicles such as tanks and airplanes can also be used. Although they aren't invincible by any means, they provide some tactical options in terms of suppressing fire or drawing away enemy fire.
Also, using blimps to remove fog-of-war was a great idea (kudos to whoever came up with the idea, I loved it). Shame that once they are destroyed during the battle-stage, they have to be rebuilt later. However, since artillery can also be used to destroy enemy blimps, it's not unfair.
Keeping aside the tools of war on the battlefield, there's a lot more to pay attention to on the tactical side of things. National Will Score and gold reserves are probably two of the most important things to keep track of. If you're wondering why small victories matter, well, it's due to the National Will Score.
Claiming ground with the least casualties sustained in the process is always better for a healthy score. While it can be argued that going all gung-ho and taking the object by all means necessary is the best option, with the AI eager to counter-attack, players will end up where they started.
Lastly, one of the things that made me smile from cheek to cheek is the research tree. There's nothing like choosing your preferred playstyle and excelling at it. Although I didn't get the chance to unlock much in terms of research, there's a lot of it to go through.
Performance
The Great War: Western Front, provided by Frontier Foundry, was played on the system with the following configuration:
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5800X
- GPU: RTX 3070 8GB
- RAM: 32 GB
Apart from the long loading times, I didn't face any issues as such. Be that as it may, given that The Great War: Western Front is still in development, it's not a deal-breaker in the least.
In conclusion
Despite being in development, The Great War: Western Front demo sets many expectations for the game. With so many overlaying dynamics to account for while playing, this doesn't feel like just another attempt at making an era-appropriate game but rather creating something that will become a benchmark moving forward.
Although I lost the battle in the scenario that I tried out, I’m eagerly waiting for two campaigns that will arrive in the full version of the game. Bearing in mind that different factions have their own perks/buffs and debuffs when interacting with each other, it'll be amazing to see that playout on a long campaign map.
With all that said, I look forward to the complete release of the game towards the end of March 2022. I cannot wait to cross over into no man's land under cover of an artillery barrage and rush the trenches on the other side.
