Cossacks II: Napoleonic Wars

 PC
Metascore
73

Mixed or average reviews - based on 33 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 33
  3. Negative: 0 out of 33
Buy Now
Buy on
  1. Gamer's Hell
    92
    Because this game forces you to think the same way a commander of the same time period would have, Cossacks II: Napoleonic Wars is the greatest strategy game on the market.
  2. PC Gamer
    90
    Even with its shortcomings, Cossacks II stands out in a cookie-cutter RTS world. [Aug 2005, p.61]
    All this publication's reviews
  3. Pelit (Finland)
    88
    A great combination of real time strategy and turn based larger campaign. Its greatest achievement is the complete lack of micromanagement. [July. 05]
    All this publication's reviews
  5. 3DAvenue
    84
    There is no doubting Cossacks II is a great RTS, however its overwhelming difficulty and, at times, overwhelming complexity, make it one for the "hardcore fans" only - whether that be the hardcore fans of this war era, or hardcore fans of RTS games who are looking for a serious challenge.
  6. IC-Games
    83
    Using diplomacy as the first line for your empire expansion adds a nice twist to the usual RTS.
  7. VGPub
    81
    While not the most visually or aurally stunning, Napoleonic Wars has fun gameplay and a lot of lasting appeal and replay value.
  8. Warcry
    80
    I would go so far as to say that this game has the best micromanagement system in any RTS. The options were sufficient to attract gamers from a fairly wide spectrum, and the graphics, considering the scale of the game, were incredible.
  9. Gaming Nexus
    80
    Fighting in the 19th century looks boring on the outside, but deep down in the game fighting in the 19th century was about honor, and it is a lot more strategic than one would have thought.
  10. 1UP
    80
    Fans of the Napoleonic period will get a rise out of Cossacks II, as will strategy buffs seeking out something a little different from the usual tank rush tactics. It's a terrific simulation of the age of "gentlemanly" combat, during which Napoleon almost took over the world.
  11. AceGamez
    80
    Napoleonic Wars, while not really pushing the genre to new heights, succeeds because it manages to provide an experience that feels different from the majority of current strategy games on the market.
    All this publication's reviews
  12. VideoGamesLife
    80
    Cossacks II is a very enjoyable game, yet very frustrating and overly reliant on reloads and retries as you try and perfect the exact battle tactics needed for your current mission.
  13. GameSpot
    79
    Newcomers, on the other hand, will discover a somewhat quirky but enjoyable real-time strategy game that focuses on formations and tactics rather than base-building and tank rushes.
  14. GameZone
    79
    First and foremost it was really nice playing a game that is not set in the normal historical RTS timelines.
  15. DailyGame
    79
    While not the most exciting title, it’s still enjoyable and a refreshing change from all the WWII RTS’ out there.
  16. Jolt Online Gaming UK
    79
    Nevertheless, we can’t help but feel that it’s all a little on the dated side. An RTS that hasn’t been designed for the C&C crowd isn’t a bad thing, but Rome: Total War has already demonstrated that more tactical offerings are capable of crossing the boundaries and appealing to all sub-sets of RTS gamers.
  17. Armchair Empire
    78
    The hardest of the hardcore strategy buffs won’t be able to forgive some of the game’s shortcomings.
  18. IGN
    77
    Cossacks 2 is a bit better than the original Cossacks and a substantial improvement over "Alexander." At the very least, the time period is much more exciting and much easier for the general gaming general to relate to.
  19. CPUGamer
    76
    Cossacks II was built to be played over and over. The only question is would you want to?
  20. GamingTrend
    75
    A pretty good game, but it certainly can’t stand up to other RTS games out there. Regardless of that, Cossacks II: Napoleonic Wars is an excellent 19th century based strategy game, a time period that has been dry for a long time.

Awards & Rankings

79
#79 Best PC Game of 2005
77
#77 Most Discussed PC Game of 2005

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 58 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 29 out of 58
  2. Mixed: 20 out of 58
  3. Negative: 9 out of 58
  1. Parvarteshwar
    Aug 30, 2011
    5
    This Cossacks 2 has a good concept. Real-time strategy, unit based warfare like Empire Total War with real-time economic elements like AOE 3.This Cossacks 2 has a good concept. Real-time strategy, unit based warfare like Empire Total War with real-time economic elements like AOE 3. Two really good gameplay elements melded into one and it is really a shame that poor polish ultimately made this game unplayable. There is huge degree of micro-management, with workers, units, and buildings all needing a great deal of care and attention, and that attention soon gets spread very thinly. That said, I am not against micro-management, quite the opposite, but the way it is presented in this game make it feel like needless busy-work. The economic management is basically nil, so you can run out of a resource in the midst of a huge battle and have almost no way to make up the difference. The interface is very clunky, especially in the heat of battle when you simply don't have time to second glance your commands. Your unit AI is very simple and pathfinding and auto-targeting are broken. For instance you cannot set non-artillery units to auto-fire, which means you must constantly be clicking back and forth up and down your lines to make sure that your unit is not getting shot to pieces without so much as returning fire. And since reload times are based on individual units and not squads, it is difficult to judge when the squad will be ready to fire, since you cannot order individual units to fire independently. And the morale system is very wonky as well, with the designated morale meter not being a very good indicator of your unit's overall morale. Half of a unit could break and flee and the meter would still read 100% for the other half and at other times it is close to zero and your brave soldiers will still be fighting on. In all if you can keep your army small it would not be very difficult to manage everything but the AI has a habit of trying to wear your done with attrition, sending wave after wave of cannon fodder until you either run out of ammunition or are overwhelmed. That said the AI is not overly complex and while it will attempt maneuvers or capturing strategic positions this is just an afterthought for its main strategy. And since they AI receives resource cheats its impossible to beat them through claiming strategic locations. There is also a campaign, which is slightly better than the random maps via scripts, it is rather unimpressive and boring. One example is half the officers in the Royal Army have Californian accents. All that said, I did not give the game a terrible score and this is why: The concept is truly unique and there is a huge amount of potential. If GSC can iron out all the rough edges there is strategy game of the year in Cossacks 3. Improve the AI, improve the interface, and there is a really great game to be had. I really hope the developers stick with this concept.… Full Review »
  2. dr-kenobi
    Sep 7, 2022
    5
    Герої 4 серед усієї франшизи Козаків. Не варто було це взагалі релізити колись
  3. Jackie_Jackson
    May 26, 2022
    8
    Я понимаю шо забаговано конечно страшно всё это дело но сама игра бесподобна и не имеет аналогов как и мой песюнЯ понимаю шо забаговано конечно страшно всё это дело но сама игра бесподобна и не имеет аналогов как и мой песюн
See all user reviews »