Original War

 PC
User Score
8.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 82 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 72 out of 82
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 82
  3. Negative: 5 out of 82

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  1. CommandZ
    Jan 6, 2009
    9
    This is a really under appreciated experience, and one of the first RTS(s) I can think of that makes you really care about the characters.
  2. eddyrailgun
    Feb 12, 2014
    10
    A truly brilliant game with a gripping story line. The game might go back as far as 2001 but that's not to say its not fun or poor in game graphics. A lot of fun can be found with the campaign and multiplier. The game makes you think, keeps planing ahead of time and making you want to use you resources wisely in order to out wit and over come out opponents forces. Your men and womenA truly brilliant game with a gripping story line. The game might go back as far as 2001 but that's not to say its not fun or poor in game graphics. A lot of fun can be found with the campaign and multiplier. The game makes you think, keeps planing ahead of time and making you want to use you resources wisely in order to out wit and over come out opponents forces. Your men and women solders are you greatest resources keep them alive replacements are near impossible to replace. this makes the game all the more existing and griping.… Expand
  3. DelMann2
    Jan 28, 2014
    10
    Game is fantastic. Its metascore is irrelevant. Those guys just can't appreciate such art and soul that was put into this game. Certainly a masterpiece.
  4. gertasik
    Jun 12, 2013
    10
    I can't believe how underrated this gem is! It is probably the most fun I have ever had playing an RTS game. After so many years, it hasn't lost any of its charm and I still like to beat the campaign from time to time. Don't hesitate to try it!
  5. LeBarthos
    Jul 14, 2012
    10
    Original War was one of the first game which I played and enjoyed. Interesting story, missions, good looking graphics even after 11 years. Strife which require a lot of thinking and planing. Maybe it has some bugs, but in my opinion this game is a very important position for every fan or RTSs. Cheers.
  6. phdr_vrba
    Jun 2, 2013
    8
    Along with the first Starcraft and Tiberian Sun, Original War sits at the top of the RTS genre.

    Think real-time mission-based simplified Jagged Alliance where you build bases and vehicles. If you don't find this appealing, something is wrong with you. Anyways, english voice acting is probably terrible (the czech one is, but it's the laughable kind of terrible) aand that's probably it on    Along with the first Starcraft and Tiberian Sun, Original War sits at the top of the RTS genre.

    Think real-time mission-based simplified Jagged Alliance where you build bases and vehicles. If you don't find this appealing, something is wrong with you. Anyways, english voice acting is probably terrible (the czech one is, but it's the laughable kind of terrible) aand that's probably it on the negative side of things. Story is interesting, characters are as well, lots of options, the 2D graphics still looks pretty good, missions have great variability, overal gameplay is unique, challenging and fun.

    Now do yourself a favor, move your ass to gog.com and buy this dirt cheap, if you haven't already.    … Expand
  7. John
    Mar 29, 2006
    9
    A combination of original story, a combination of tatical battles and rpg, and a game that in an RTS style comes across as a Jagged Alliance type of game, which in my view is a great compliment. This may be hard to find now, but could be very cheap if you do. Based on how good it is and how cheap you will probably get it for, I could give it a 12! But I settled with a 9, and for me a 9 is A combination of original story, a combination of tatical battles and rpg, and a game that in an RTS style comes across as a Jagged Alliance type of game, which in my view is a great compliment. This may be hard to find now, but could be very cheap if you do. Based on how good it is and how cheap you will probably get it for, I could give it a 12! But I settled with a 9, and for me a 9 is very good score as I barely give out 10's!… Expand
  8. MantrimasZ.
    Apr 12, 2006
    10
    This game is great i played it and i liked it very much. I would like to play this game with someone.
  9. SeaK.
    Aug 6, 2002
    8
    Nice!
  10. Ansatsu83
    Aug 14, 2014
    5
    This game is actually fun but some major gripes are preventing me from truely enjoying it. While I realize its an older game I noticed the voice acting is TERRIBLE! It was so bad I actually had to turn off character voices. Most of the characters chaffed me from the start, the female characters sounded like teenage boys who had their audio tweaked. Half of the male characters remind me ofThis game is actually fun but some major gripes are preventing me from truely enjoying it. While I realize its an older game I noticed the voice acting is TERRIBLE! It was so bad I actually had to turn off character voices. Most of the characters chaffed me from the start, the female characters sounded like teenage boys who had their audio tweaked. Half of the male characters remind me of Kyle Schwartz from South Park (dont know who he is, look him up!) The other half remind me of the stereotypical Duke Nukem style character that was incredibly popular in that era.

    On top of this, the game play feels slow and sluggish. Its not bad but it could have been done quite a bit better. Other games, which came out around the same time, had better game play despite minimal rpg elements (which is honestly, the only thing worthwhile in this game)... If they could have taken similar controls and gameplay to ground control, they would have been golden.    … Expand
  11. Genezi
    Jun 10, 2017
    10
    Great game. i have spent a lot of time on this title. It has a great story with memorable characters. Good gameplay with lots of possibilities during missions and best cut scenes with good dialogs.
  12. Buzbey
    Feb 14, 2014
    9
    This game is a jewel but its' true value has been lost in the shadows thanks to some big(!) review magazines. Their reviews are just prejudici(A)ce(EGG), and simply lack of love games. Their opinions make me wonder that they have never played the game more than 5-6 hours. This game needs more work to understand it like the classic novels. Like classical novels deepness of this game is canThis game is a jewel but its' true value has been lost in the shadows thanks to some big(!) review magazines. Their reviews are just prejudici(A)ce(EGG), and simply lack of love games. Their opinions make me wonder that they have never played the game more than 5-6 hours. This game needs more work to understand it like the classic novels. Like classical novels deepness of this game is can only be understood by grasping it with a layered structure. On surface it is a bad good guys (USA) vs. bad guys (soviets) story, but within less than 2 missions you can see that apart from war, people are people. As you play and story unfolds new gameplay elements introduced and old ones will be eased.
    The bad reviews are just because of unwillingness of the reviewers to understand this game. Reviewers of big magazines are victimising it because of their own lack of patience and laziness.
    And they have admitted it by saying that the game is "confusing" in their reviews.
    From its' release date in 2001 until 2005 it has been updated by the developers and after that time it is being updated by the support community, nearly all of its' bugs and problems are solved. But still there are problems. The most important ones are:
    - No skirmish ai
    - A complete scenario about 'arabian-mercenary side'
    - Slowness of the game which makes to lost your time sense totally.
    - It is addictive
    - Playing online is hard because of the trolling. Community needs a lesson of priorieties because they have none.
    But still those problems above won't make this game a total crapp piece, as magazine reviewers suggest. It has only need a little bit of artistic touch.
    Even at this stage i can say that it has a better scenario from Red alert 2-3 and their expantions; but it can't beat the C&C3 in neither game mechanics voices and graphics nor in scenario. But uniquness of its' game play mechanics makes you addict to it.
    Normally i would not compare it with C&C series because this game has slow mechanics unlike RA or Starcraft or Warcraft series. Because every soldiers have a personality that makes you feel you are really commanding humans not some stupid clones and they are not replaceble after death. If they die, they will be gone forever. With this fact at hand comparing it with red alert looks really ridiculus.

    The some of the mechanics of this game is much more closer to games like (building adjustement and upgrades) Supreme Commander, Men of War(rpg elements of company), Company of Heroes and even with Total War and had to be compared with them not the other way around.
    It's vehicle building mechanic had been used by another game called Perimeter, so calling them stupid is stupid. And there is the last; this game should be compared with Sins of a Solar Empire; because they are both boringly slow but they also has the power of eachothers weaknesses like:
    Sins of a Solar empire has no Scenario mod on the other hand OW has no skirmish AI.

    After all i said above i hope the reviewers would create a little more free time to play it, properly.
    note:MantrimasZ i hope we can play it together ;)    … Expand
  13. SiNTEx
    Mar 9, 2014
    10
    I played it first time when I was about 8 years old. Now I'm 18 and still play OW. For me it's best RTS ever made. Till now (2014) there is a active community releasing patchs and playing multiplayer.
  14. Paulpolska
    Feb 25, 2016
    10
    The best RTS which I ever playing. Amazing storyline with depending from our decision which we do. Very good vehicle constructed system. Each characters have names, skills and own history. If die we cant seen him/her in the future. Interesting technologies and very good level of difficulty
  15. SkorpioPlayer
    Feb 20, 2021
    10
    Original war jest moją ulubioną grą strategiczną typu RTS zawiera wiele mechanik których brakuje w innych strategiach np. ilość ludzi których używamy w misjach są ograniczone a każda z postaci jest unikatowa jeśli umrze to nie spotkamy jej w kolejnych misjach, szkoda że premiera byłą dość problematyczna i wiele osób które chciały zagrać nie mogły zagrać przez co popularność tytułu byłaOriginal war jest moją ulubioną grą strategiczną typu RTS zawiera wiele mechanik których brakuje w innych strategiach np. ilość ludzi których używamy w misjach są ograniczone a każda z postaci jest unikatowa jeśli umrze to nie spotkamy jej w kolejnych misjach, szkoda że premiera byłą dość problematyczna i wiele osób które chciały zagrać nie mogły zagrać przez co popularność tytułu była mała ale wciąż ta produkcja jest rozwijana np. SGUI czyli nowy inferface który unowocześnia wygląd gry i daje nowe możliwości dla moderów… Expand
  16. ShaowuPL
    Dec 25, 2020
    10
    Original War is the best RTS which I ever playing. OW has amazing storyline, original characters: with names, skills and own history. If someone die we can't use this person later.
  17. Kesitam
    Jun 26, 2021
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Dobrá strategie, škoda, že nevyšla o trochu dřív a nemělo to lepší reklamu… Expand
  18. Dju
    Jul 2, 2021
    10
    One of the BEST! strategy games I've ever played, the artstyle, music, story, just amaizing :)
  19. ArcZ7
    Jul 17, 2023
    9
    Most unique RTS ever made. The campaign story is fantastic with very memorable characters. Its amazing how well thought out this game is and offering campaign changing choices even though its not a rpg. Only thing holding me up from giving it a 10/10 is lack of proper skirmish with AI.

Awards & Rankings

35
#35 Most Discussed PC Game of 2001
40
#40 Most Shared PC Game of 2001

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
61

Mixed or average reviews - based on 9 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 9
  3. Negative: 1 out of 9
  1. Computer Games Magazine
    50
    The sort of real-time strategy game that would have been heralded as innovative, or even original, had it been released several years ago.
    Read full review
  2. PC Gamer
    80
    To underestimate this lively RTS game would be a mis-step for fans of the genre. [Mar 2002, p.78]
  3. GamePen
    70
    A good game, if a little behind the technology curve, but who cares. The story is entertaining, the gameplay solid, and the voices funny.
    Read full review
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