Reviews

• gamedeal user

  Dec 11, 2021

  This is it. This is the big one. Simply put, there is no better wargame that models such a vast conflict as the Eastern Front during WWII. There just isn't. That being said, it comes with a learning curve as steep as K2, if you want to dive deep into its systems. I mean, there is a 500+ page instruction manual, which is ASL-level stuff, you know? Also, to be fair, this isn't anything more than a computerized classic hex-and-counter wargame. That sounds like an insult, but it isn't, as this would be unapproachable in anything other than what Grigsby and Co. have managed to pull off. As others say, DO NOT start with the grand campaign. Just get used to the mechanics. Figure out what you want automated and what you want to dig into. Learn to fail and learn to learn. There's so, so much if you're a new player, and a lot if you're returning from WitE or WitW. Don't be intimidated if you have even a small interest. Just pay the admittedly steep toll and give it a spin. Like many others, I am coming to the steam version after sinking countless hours into the direct purchase from Matrix.
• gamedeal user

  Dec 11, 2021

  This does it. Possibly the most niche itch that ever needed scratching, but this does it. The scale and depth makes the likes of HoI4 look like an idle game a la Clash of Clans. It's impossible to show this to other people without either getting concerned or amused looks, but if you're insane it's worth the weight of the physical manual in gold (520 Pages!!!). Assuming that you only clicked on this game already being familiar with it, let me just say that it's an across the board (heh) improvement over WitE 1. Only gripe I have is the map-projection, but that's more about getting used to it. It's a bit too skewed for my liking, and for a game that is focused on the east (Smolensk "south" of Tula for Pete's sake). Now let me just play 300-500 hours to finish one game. (hopefully)
• gamedeal user

  Dec 17, 2021

  I cannot in good consciousness support this game. I like Matrix Games and want to support but they've really messed this game up from prior version in 2 ways. 1) Air War - the UI is atrocious. Terrible, hard to do unless you do AI Assist. 2) Supply depots take forever to setup and manage unless you use AI Depots. Both AIs don't really do the job well. Doing is manually is a nightmare of time and fetishized complexity. The rest of the game flows very well and easy to do. Sad they couldn't the same with Air and Supply.
• gamedeal user

  Jan 19, 2022

  Great Game. 277 hours into it. In the beginning each turn will take approximately 1hr. Detail, complex game. Enjoying it.
• gamedeal user

  Jan 25, 2022

  This Wargame features the Eastern Frontier 1941-1945 with both the Axis and the Soviets as playable Factions. It is about realism, featuring every unit, every model of a tank, plane or gun and every General from history. This also includes reinforcements later in the war and withdrawals for other frontiers. It also has a lot of special rules, like for the Germans in the first turn where the Soviets were surprised and overrunned, but also the first winter of 1941 which was very problematic for the Wehrmacht. WitE2 is for the experienced wargamer, that takes everything into account when planning: The terrain and weather both on ground and air, roads and railroads etc. and it has a very detailed supply- and logistic system. All freight, like supplies or replacements for units, has to be moved on the railroad track to a depot and from there with trucks to the frontlines. The player has to plan ahead for managing the depot-system and make his offensive moves along a route, that offers enough supplies. Without supplies, ammo and fuel, units will only recover a few points for movement and lack the strength for combat. It's a very complex game, you can see that on the manual which has 520 pages. It's not like HoI4, which is easy accessible and offers a big variety of alternate-history scenarios. It is rather for gamers, that want to experience the real conditions of the Eastern Frontier and facing the real problems both sides had in that time. Note that there is no real unit construction: The player will receive the original reinforcements and only the Soviet side can build some units, but not a lot. So you will have to deal with what you got and the game also features the history outside of the map, like when the Allies land in Siciliy 1943 or in France 1944 and thus, some German units get redeployed. Some areas are restricted first, but become playable when the enemy enters, like the Balkans. It's a very good game for people that are interested in history and able to learn a lot of different gameplay mechanics. Be aware that some things like the supply system affects the Grand Campaign more over time than the small scenarios, so better plan ahead. It's also very time consuming, you'll need a lot of time for a single turn. It's maybe overwhelming on the first start, when you see a hundred of units and there are even more off-map support units which are attached to each HQ. I like the game very much, but it is not for everyone, be aware that it is very complex and you'll have to read and watch a lot of tutorials before you can really understand how the gameplay works.
• gamedeal user

  Jan 28, 2022

  Awesomely detailed model of the eastern front in WW2. If you are not sure what to do check out Strategy Gaming Dojo on Youtube,
• gamedeal user

  Feb 16, 2022

  Wow. Just wow. This is the best strategy game that I have ever encountered. It is chess on steroids, in the gym, bench pressing 500 lbs with one arm. Unless you buy the game, you will never understand the level of detail that has gone into the game play. The levels of realism and choices on every level are unmatched. Just the effort that has gone into the depth of historical reference of weapons, leaders, insignias, gameplay with weather, terrain, infrastructure use and repair (railroads, airbases, logistsics) is stunning. My mind is completely blown and I will never look at another strategy or grand strategy game the same way again. In fact there is too much data available should you want to really dive into it. However, it is not necessary to the game play. When I fell in love with Hearts of Iron IV, I thought she was the only gal for me. Wow. HOI is like being in love with the girl next door at 9 yrs old versus dating a Dallas Cowboy cheerleader at 23--a completely different experience! (apologies to Dallas haters) WITE2 is a Michael Angelo work of art. For years, I saw that this game was around (at this time, WITE1). The list price was $80. THAT WAS SCARY! $80. Never even considered buying it. Which just goes to show you what a member of the masses I was. (Hey! I bought Kia to get me around town. Why would I lay down twice or three times the money for a Mercedes? Doing just fine. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.) Oh pitiful you. Never to experience the high end luxury car once in your life. But hey, it's your call! My advice? Take a second job. 2nd house mortgage, get the rest from your Aunt Hilda, anything short of bank robbery to acquire this title! Let's talk about the complexity and depth of the game for a bit. After all, the manual is 502 pages--yeah, this is no typo. I was petrified. However, and listen to me good: Playing this is more approachable than I thought it would be. This was surprising. I mean, you didn't jump out of your cradle and sprint a 100 yard dash, did ya? You've been crawling around or even stumble-walking with other mere mortal strategy games, right? You can easily start walking or jogging with this beauty very quickly. The tutorial is pretty good. The learning curve is inclined but not super steep and can be eased into with features such as AI Air power and AI logistical depot handling. Everything make sense in a real world setting. e.g. when rain falls, the roads get muddy and movement points are lost. Not rocket science. I looked at the manual when a game play issue arose. I found out what the heck was going on for this issue but found myself scanning the manual as a whole at random afterwards. Dozens of times I have found myself in awe discovering a new aspect of the game that incorporates just unbelievable realism and genius design. Your mouth will drop open multiple, multiple times at the cool factor. Dudes! The units are upgraded with more modern weapons as the years go by within history should you choose to refit them--and you will need to. This is the Eastern Front! An all out bloody dog fight!! Playing the AI on a normal level is a good challenge. Higher settings are very challenging. I can't imagine playing against a fellow gamer! Tension builds as you go deeper into Russia and your need to keep the offensive going increases with depleted units. Haven't tried the Russian side yet. I haven't yet unchained the automatic handling of the air power by the computer nor the logistical supply depots and I am perfectly happy! Something else to attain when I want to scratch that itch with more ferocity. That's about it. Pricey but long term affordable. Complex but baby step building up to complex with huge rewards. Inexhaustible replay value. ONCE YOU GO EAST, ALL OTHER STRATEGY GAMES WILL CEASE! You have been warned!
• gamedeal user

  Feb 23, 2022

  Play this instead of HOI4.
• gamedeal user

  Mar 15, 2022

  This is an excellent game but not without it's flaws. The user interface for the air war is not intuitive. Allowing the AI to run it and logistics is a joke. If you are a serious supreme commander you have to take full control of both the air campaign and the logistics. Even with full control of the air campaign there is no guarantee the computer will properly prioritize you air objectives over it's own so you pretty much have to do everything. This is quite time consuming. There are also serious issues with the relocation and supply of forward air bases. Basically having the AI run the air war turns beastly air power into a measly mouse. I absolutely do not like how the Finnish theater of the war is handled. Both Finnish and Soviet forces should be on the map and slugging it out. After the fall of Leningrad, the German commander should have the option of sending forces north to rout/trap the soviet forces invading Finland thereby freeing up more Finish divisions to press eastward. It is ridiculous to march eastwards along the border to Vologda and not see anything. I later got a message that the soviets were pressing the fins when I had already completely cut off their supply to the entire theater by then. There also should have been a penalty towards Soviet lend lease once Vologda was taken and that whole region cut off. The penalty should be even more severe if Archangelesk is reached. Another major complaint is the absence of historical weather. The previous game had this. I noticed a distinct pattern where the more turns I played in succession, the rainier the weather became. In one run it rained from July through September without a single high pressure system to be seen. I found that if i save and restart the game after every turn, that the weather was more seasonal and realistic. One final complaint is that fortifications seem overpowered. There really is no hope of getting a sudden victory by taking moscow before the winter due to the overwhelming firepower needed to breach it's fortifications alone. I had to wait until '42 with the major urban center cut off for months (to take the other 2/3 of the city), completely surrounded by 15 divisions loaded to the max with pioneers/stugs/panzer replacement batallions, at 100% health by refitting them at Kallinin and Tula, HQs loaded with werfers, Super heavy artillery, and siege guns, with von-manstein leading the attack, and it did not fall until the 3rd attack or 3rd week. I am sorry, but the defenders would have starved to death by the 3rd month of no supplies, and where were they getting their bullets from, thin air? Not at all realistic. The rest of the game I have no complaints about. It is a beautifully complex system that works remarkably well in my opinion. Logistics, combat resolution, fog of war, and distance management all realistic. It is amazing how my first few playthroughs eerily resembled what actually happened during the war. Some friendly advice for which I would ignore if you don't like spoilers: 1) Spend most of your admin points motorizing your infantry through and around bad terrain. Motorizing regiments is a cheap way to encircle and cut off enemy troop concentrations. 2) Do not bypass and allow the soviets to hide in the swamps between Minsk, Brest, Kyiv, and Lviv. Motorize your infantry through them and use cavalry to clear them out early when they are weak. Also advancing through the swamp in unison with your forces north and south of the swamp forces the soviets to fall back in unison and abandon the swamp. If you play the soviets then the swamps are your best friend. If you can hold them is the quickest way to get to Prague and Berlin by '43. 3) Always encircle and force the enemies to surrender. Just do it on a more limited scale than the Germans did in the war. The longer the war drags on, the happier you will be that you did this. 4) Never attack mechanized infantry with armor. 5) As soon as there is more land than your divisions can cover, split into regiments. This becomes essential the deeper you push into the Soviet Union. It also makes it much easier to encircle enemy troop concentrations. 5) Always use your very best generals and divisions to storm besieged cities. Always cut their supplies before an assault, and use naval interdiction if they are supplied by sea. With Leningrad you can also cut them off by taking the ports on Lake Ladoga. 6) You must send sufficient forces to cut off and take Leningrad in order to have sufficient forces to plug gaps during the winter counter-offensive. 7) Prepare for the soviet winter counter-offensive by setting defensive lines and fortifications no later than the end of November. Burn every admin point building forts. Do not stop even if there are no soviets in sight. They will strike at all of your lines before the winter ends. 8) There is no need to refit any German units while on the offensive. Refitting is essential while on the defensive. Set your winter lines close enough to cities supplied by rail so damaged units can fall back and refit unmolested. If a unit gets to <20% the winter attrition will destroy it at the end of the turn. 9) Soviet strategy: Use the terrain as much as possible to delay the enemy. Fall back into the mountains near Hungary even though cut off from supplies. Stand your ground in bad terrain like south and east east of Leningrad, east of Smolensk. Fortify every city as much as possible. Defend and hold Veli Luki. Slowly withdraw to demyansk if you lose it. Hold Gomel and Kyiv with everything else. The longer you hold that terrain, the harder it becomes for the Germans to push you out. Defend rivers but be careful not to get outflanked. With any luck you could be back in Poland by Winter's end. Send as many forces as necessary to hold Leningrad and then send a few more to be sure. Update after the 1.02.24 patch: It appears this patch has gone a long way towards resolving the issues with assaults on fortified cities. I started another run to test it and so far so good. Much more realistic. Will update again if necessary. The AI also seems to have improved some. I have been pushing the Axis on this run and have had to do much less micromanagement advancing air groups and manually supplying air bases. This tends to be more of a problem later in the advance so will see. Tactically the AI has been making better choices of how and where to delay my advance which has been a welcome challenge. There is less mindless repositioning of forces in key areas such that many units are never dug in and I just steamroll through them.
• gamedeal user

  Apr 27, 2022

  Highly detailed wargame that covers the full length of the Great Patriotic War. It may seem daunting at first, especially if one is accustomed to play beer and pretzel type wargames, but after skimming through the game manual things gradually start to make sense. I suggest that new players (like me) let the AI handle the air operations until they master the ground aspect of the game. Take your time, read some David Glantz, and destroy the fascist invaders. За Родину!