Men of War II

With huge single-player and multiplayer content, three factions and nearly a dozen maps at launch, this Men of War far surpasses anything the series has ever offered.

Men of War II is a deeply strategic and intense title that makes every decision, whether big or small, mean something.

Atmospheric strategy game with high entry hurdle that is worth overcoming.

An astoundingly deep real time strategy game that offers a unique experience in world war 2 simulation. Some frustrating details keep it from being considered among the best.

Frustrations aside, Men of War 2 is a fresh and ambitious take on a genre that's usually comfortable staying the same. I wish I had more time to sink into its massive multiplayer matches, but even when I don't, I'm still pleased with how strong the single-player experience is. Sure, it doesn't require the same level of strategy as taking on a human opponent, but Men of War 2's inventive mechanics keep you on your toes anyway.

Men of War 2 appears more approachable than it actually is. There’s a depth and complexity that’s rewarding to master, but getting there takes a lot of time. Fans of the original will find it to be a worthy sequel. Casual RPG players might feel a little overwhelmed at first. Although there’s plenty of content for single players, Men of War 2 really comes into its own with or against other humans on the battlefield. In that genre, it’s one of the best.

Men of War II is a RTS game with an incredible deep gameplay, despite some flaws in its UI and the fact that it doesn't quite help the player to learn all that its systems have to offer.

Men of War II is an extremely expansive – and still somewhat buggy – RTS set in World War II, which could put many turn-based strategies to shame with its complexity, attention to detail and regard for historical accuracy. It’s more suitable for hardcore fans of the genre, who will appreciate its immersive and enjoyable gameplay.

Continuity with the past has always been part of Men of War’s modus operandi, but this makes the absence of half the factions all the more jarring. The campaigns also seem to prioritize quantity over quality, and this is especially obvious in the voiceover department.

A brutal RTS game that will not let you catch a breath, Men of War 2 is a great gameplay experience that needs its other aspects to be on par with how complex and thought out its core is designed.

Men of War 2 is a flawed but rewarding gem for masochistic RTS fans.

A wealth of single player and multiplayer content sadly wrapped in an always online requirement. Men of War II entertains but doesn’t do anything new.

Feeling more approachable than its byzantine predecessors, Men of War 2 is a solid entry into the iconic franchise, keeping its core tenets intact: It’s challenging, highly moddable, and offers tons of ways to experience the game – unfortunately, it comes with the same baggage of jank, preventing it from reaching higher spheres.

If you can look past the clunkiness in the presentation, you'll find some deep and interesting mechanics in Men of War II. The gruelling grind of its combat makes it great for generating stories, though there is a distinct lack of polish.

Men of War II takes a little work to get to grips with, and we're not fond of the always-online requirement. But this WWII RTS's realism, depth and freedom to explore your own strategies still make it a winner.

Men of War II stuck to its nostalgic roots too closely, failing to bring anything new—other than cleaning up its clunky interface from previous games.

A content-packed World War II RTS where the authors took a step in the right direction by simplifying it a bit, but without fundamentally compromising its complexity and attention to detail. But a lot of bugs spoil everything, and it will probably take a long time to get everything working as it should.

A well-playing strategy game with an all too varying difficulty level, weak story, technical imperfections and annoying always-online.

There’s a lot to enjoy with Men of War II but the difficult UI and online push might turn some away.

Men of War II is a solid RTS marred by clunky controls and complicated gameplay, but its worst offense is requiring an internet connection, even for single-player modes. Without that requirement (which, again, is currently meant to change sometime post-launch) and with just a little polish to the controls, UI, or both, this could be a must-have for RTS/WW2 buffs. Fans of the series will probably have an easier time diving in, while new players are likely to find themselves completely lost without going through the tutorials. On the whole, the game feels solid, looks good, sounds good, and has a lot of potential, and its flaws aren't so bad they can't be polished out.