Once more unto the breach
As a veteran of games like C&C, AoE, WC and my GOAT StarCraft; you can say that I am an aficionado of the RTS games, and you would be correct. But even with all the ones I have played I discovered a new one that has come to the XBOX and that is Sudden Strike 5. This long running series first launched in 2000 and focuses on WW2 theater gameplay, usually I stay away from anything with WW2 but I am glad I broke my rule for this one.
Sudden Strike 5 isn’t a base builder like those other RTS games I mentioned above. In this game players will manage troops under their command and be forced to strategize and adapt on the fly. Players are presented with three campaigns to choose from; Western Allies, Axis and Soviets. WA and Axis campaigns are on the same maps but just from the reverse perspectives, while the Soviets have a story all their own.
MSRP: $49.99
Platforms: Xbox (reviewed), PC
Price I’d Pay: $49.99
Anyone who isn’t a fan of RTS games may have a rough start in Sudden Strike 5, as the developers really just throw players into the deep end. There is a high-level tutorial that goes over controls and things, which I will say that developer Kite has done a wonderful job with making the game playable with a controller. But I wish there was a bit more help or tooltips while playing the game. For instance, I had a mission where I came across empty vehicles; at no point did the game explain that I can have my troops commandeer those vehicles. I just fumbled around and found that out, same way I figured out that you have to have a repair vehicle drive up to build bridges and things. I don’t mind figuring things out in games but at the very least give me a heads up on what I might be able to do.
Combat is a point and click affair, as players explore the maps they can take over outposts and checkpoints. These will give the players spots from which to launch attacks and also help earn prestige which is how players will order more troops. Missions aren’t anything to write home about and will typically consist of taking back an area, holding an area or some combination of the two. Visually the various theaters of war that players will see is pretty tremendous. Even after skirmishes have taken place, seeing all the holes and scorch marks dotting the battlefield help to really help immerse the player.
Playing the game where the front line is constantly moving is a lot of fun, because players don’t have to worry about defending a base they can keep with the constant action. Pushing forward and the holding to repair and rearm is important, amma is not unlimited and players will have to use the prestige points to order reinforcements or ammo crates to equip their troops. They can also call-in paratroopers and bombers into areas to sneak attack enemy locations.
I do have some issues though, especially about when it comes to the info that’s displayed. The way the game displayed groups of troops was confusing, if I had a group marked as ‘Machine Gunners’ I would expect them to be able to hold another infantry. But for some reason Sudden Strike will call the group whatever the most about of types there are, meaning my group of machine gunners was only 11 machine gunners and 9 anti-tank guys. I couldn’t figure out how to keep it from doing this as I usually like to have my groups all the same troop type. This also caused me issues when trying to send units like medics or rocket launcher troops to specific locations.
Sudden Strike 5 is a fun RTS game that plays really well on console which fans know is a rarity. With some great graphics and effects that help to immerse players in the WW2 theater of war, this is a great experience on the XBOX Series X. I love that there was less focus on base building and more on the moment-to-moment action and strategy involved to win these games. I just wish there was better control and identification when it came to commanding your units.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
