Last Train Home

The harrowing journey of Czechoslovak legionnaires along the Trans-Siberian Railway in Last Train Home brilliantly combines tense strategy and management of an armored train filled with tough decisions and dramatic missions. Moreover, the entire adventure, centered around the incredibly original theme of stranded soldiers, is presented in beautiful graphics with a fantastic soundtrack and authentic Czech and Slovak voice acting.

Czech developers have brought a unique combination of genres that works great. The management train ride combined with military strategic missions, RPG development and survival elements is unique and extremely complex. In addition, the authors have captured well an unseen period and a little-known stage of Czechoslovak history.

Not once did I have any technical difficulties while playing (something I cannot say about Company of Heroes 3), so I highly recommend this game to anyone interested or a casual gamer. Though, for players interested in faster-paced action, they will grow bored of watching a train move slowly along the map and the strategy of moving troops silently without alerting the enemy.

A title that succeeds in blending its story with the in-game narratives the player creates is a rarity and Last Train Home achieves it with aplomb. Some minor gameplay and visual stutters aside, this is a steamtrain built to withstand any hardship. Challenging combat missions, deep management gameplay and a phenomenal recreation of 1910s desolate Russia make this train worth boarding.

Last Train Home might not be as deep as some management sims or as broad in scope as other RTS games. However, it combines the best of both styles with some smart and welcome improvements that give it a strong identity. Combine that with a unique story and brilliant presentation, and you’ve got yourself a strong candidate for one of the best in the genre.

Last Train Home is an enjoyable and deep game that manages to be innovative by blending two different genres very successfully and putting a lot of different factors on it. It is a bit difficult to get used to, and even more difficult to learn all the dynamics and use them actively in the game. But once this threshold is crossed, an unforgettable strategy experience awaits you.

Inspired by a piece of history that most people never heard of, Last Train Home is a competent mix of management and RTS gameplay, although the stealth mecanics leave something to be desired. Those eagerly waiting for Frostpunk 2 should consider adding it to their Christmas wishlist.

Overall, Last Train Home is a difficult, stressful, and wonderful experience. It is beautiful and brutal tale of perseverance and war that doubles as a strategy game. Aside from a few clunky feeling commands on the battlefield and the, easily circumvented, wait-time mechanic on the top-down map, there is really no issues with this gem. Despite the difficulty of the normal game mode, it would be a mistake to miss this train.

Last Train Home is primarily a product of love, a sincere testimony of the soul. Not only is it based on a widely unknown historical event, it's also an RTS, a category that has been out of the commercial spotlight for decades. The makers of the Ashborne Games studio didn't have commercial success as a priority; their motives were purer. The result, at least in terms of quality, does them justice.

Crossing Russia by train amidst the chaos at the end of World War I: a powerful mix of survival, management and real-time tactics.

Last Train Home tells a gritty and emotional story of Czechoslovakian legionnaires trying to reach their distant home after the conclusion of World War I. As foreign armed forces in a now war-torn Russia, players not only have to manage scarce resources, but also their allegiances. While the core elements of RTS gameplay and survival management sim work well together, a large part of your enjoyment will depend on the balance of those two. For large stretches of gameplay, Last Train Home isn’t an RTS with management sim elements, but a Surival Management game with occasional RTS missions.

The Last Train Home delivers a unique RTS experience, even if not without some issues with its A.I. and UI. Thankfully, the well-made combination of strategy with survival aspects and the well-written story more than overcome these issues.

The incredible legionary story has received a respectable game retelling, which has managed to make just enough concessions to authenticity in favor of gameplay. [Issue#332]

An arduous train journey, but one that is convincing and demanding in terms of gameplay and challenges you with tactical planning.

And in a genre preoccupied with conquest, it's hopeful concluding note of independence - the Legion's actions in Russia are tied to the formation of the First Czechoslovak Republic - makes for a welcome epilogue indeed. [Issue#392, p.118]

It’s this fantastic interweaving of the strategic and tactical layers that makes Last Train Home such an enjoyable ride in combination with the loving eye for authenticity and immersion.

Last Train Home is a deep strategy game set in a precise historical context. In addition to fighting and managing battalion and train conditions, on the way to Vladivostok you will empathise with some of the soldiers of the Legion. It is precisely this emotional component that gives something extra to Ashborne Games' complex game.

Last Train Home does a great job of meshing a challenging strategic experience with an immersive setting and story. The difficulty curve can get overwhelming for less experienced RTS players, but the attention to detail and the wonderful character interactions make it worth taking the time to learn the ropes.

A rich, interesting, and honest experiment in history-as-game: If you're interested, play it.

Last Train Home is a well-executed mix of two different gameplay genres that benefits from a unique setting and engaging mechanics. There are a few bumps along the track, but it makes for a memorable trip.

We go back in the history with Last Train Home, a brave game due to its setting and its gameplay, really difficult. It's even harder when we are on board of its great protagonist, the train. We have so many things to think about that we could forget something definitive for our route.

Were the gameplay limited to survival elements and managing the titular mobile base, Last Train Home would have been great. Sadly, missions focused on combat are really disappointing and ultimately all the advantages of the game come from its atmosphere and skillful use of historical and geographical setting.

Ashborne Games and THQ Nordic offer a combination of adventure, survival and real-time strategy games set in the aftermath of World War I, where you must guide a group of soldiers across Siberia in a train. The game features a compelling narrative, a challenging management system, and a stealth-oriented gameplay, but suffers from a cluttered interface, a slow start, and some balance and AI issues.

War never changes; trains are always going to be running late, though. Last Train Home lets players experience the trials of band of soldiers on a 9000km journey home. This management game is no walk in the park and considering the subject matter this is for the best. If you’re familiar with RTS games then this is going to hit that sweet spot just fine. If you aren’t familiar with the genre but find the narrative compelling then be ready to play stealthy and fiddle with the difficulty settings. Last Train Home requires time but if you’re willing to persist and jump on the train, then this ride might find space within your real-time strategy game library.