Wargame: AirLand Battle

 PC
User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 268 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 209 out of 268
  2. Mixed: 29 out of 268
  3. Negative: 30 out of 268

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. LoboDerPraesi
    Jun 5, 2013
    10
    Great tactical strategy game with a really nice scale.

    Wargame Airland Battle is an awesome strategy game because it features something that not many games like this have but which, in my opinion, greatly increases the fun a really good scale! In WAB you fight on really large maps and thus, the units have a somehwat realistic shooting and viewing range. In this game, a normale tank    Great tactical strategy game with a really nice scale.

    Wargame Airland Battle is an awesome strategy game because it features something that not many games like this have but which, in my opinion, greatly increases the fun a really good scale!

    In WAB you fight on really large maps and thus, the units have a somehwat realistic shooting and viewing range. In this game, a normale tank shoots at about 500m range and not like 30m compared to other strategy games.

    This allows for much more and deeper strategies because flanking and movement becme much more important and more fun and rewarding! Overall the game just feels better and more realistic just because of this gameplay element.

    The next thing is, the units have a good damage output and armor/health. In this game, your heavy battle tank can shoot down a light tank with one hit instantly while getting nothing themselves. That means, that there is no more spamming of little units that are able to kill any foe, just if you bring enough of them. You have to be very careful what you are attacking. Again, this leads to the player needing to develop more and deeper tactics in the battle and makes the game feel more realstic and more rewarding.

    The last thing that is really nice about WAB is the huge (and i mean HUGE) amount of different units that are in the game. You have not only many different categories of units but in each of them you have a wide selection of them. And they all differ in the many nice features and stats that each unit has, making them useful and giving them the right to be there and not being just for the numbers...

    Graphis are nice as well, the units are very detailed and sharp when you zoom in to the maximum and trees, plains, towns and so on look nice as well. The Sound is good as well, the firing sounds nice and are what you would expect from your units.

    The mediocre campaign is no really big deal because WAB is designed to give intense tactical battles in multiplayer or skirmish which works really well.

    Overall, this game is what i have waites for because i really like the more realistic games with a big scale and often critical damge that unis are able to dish out because this is much more intense than the somewhat lame short range stand-offs like in your c&c...    … Expand
  2. RandomMaster
    May 30, 2013
    8
    I resubmitted this review in order to clarify something very important.

    This is more of an expansion (stand-alone) to the original than it is a new game. For comparison though here are the differences between this game and the previous one. EE is European Escalation; ALB is Air Land Battle. -Campaign: EE had a very basic level structure. Level 1, then etc. ALB has a    I resubmitted this review in order to clarify something very important.

    This is more of an expansion (stand-alone) to the original than it is a new game. For comparison though here are the differences between this game and the previous one.

    EE is European Escalation; ALB is Air Land Battle.

    -Campaign: EE had a very basic level structure. Level 1, then etc. ALB has a 'civilization' like campaign (minus civilization management. Only units).

    -Units: There are at least 350 units in EE. Note though that these are limited to mostly ground units and
    helicopters. ALB adds aircraft which is a massive new depth to the game. It consists of 750+ units.

    -Multi: EE had up to 4v4 battles. ALB has up to 10vs10 and the campaign is multiplayer (1v1 only).

    -Progression: EE had a command stars unlocking system. This system allowed players to purchase units with stars earned from multi and SP. ALB has stripped away this system. My opinion on this is in the review below. There is still a level ranking system in ALB for multiplayer (to show how long you've been playing).

    .
    Hopefully this covers most questions. Back to the main review :)

    The good

    The massive depth of units and and attention to detail will astound anyone who takes the plunge. The game's updated engine can either give players a great amount of detail when viewing from afar (easy to read icons and a clean presentation) while showing off the firepower of your armaments in frightening detail when up close (from spinning death falls to plummeting planes. On the vehicle side the engine delivers. There are a few corner cuts here and there [in particular the infantry] but you'll not focus on these for too long). There is a lot of information to take in too that can be quite helpful. Unit statistics (showing how good a unit is at doing whatever job by detailing what weapons do what and other useful statistics like how good is the unit at spotting other units). All of this leads to exciting battles that involve a great amount of micro-management and positional planning.

    In the game you will create a stack of units built in a deck system. Each side has a standard amount of activation points. The more of a single type of unit you add to the deck the higher the activation point cost is (to the total activation points). When you select a specific unit type you can either select the trained version (which is more accurate and less prone to morale loss in combat) but you end up with less of that unit as a whole for deployment. You can specialize your deck to be specific to one nation (nations make up each side of the game) which gives you more activation points as well as specialize in a specific type of deck (armored for example allows you to use a prototype tank and more of the tank class uses less activation points in total but then you cannot bring as many infantry out as before).
    The game's units are called up via deployment points which you earn by holding capture zones (while in the normal RTS battle game). Spending points at specific intervals can either lead to the one unit that pushes you forward or the unit that merely fails to provide the needed kick into the game. On the campaign map this is even more important a decision as units that level up in rank (which gives them better stats and basic abilities) will keep their rank till they die. Once dead they will have to be reinforced with standard new units.

    There are many systems at play that you constantly will need to keep a thought on. From suppression tactics to morale, from ammo counts to basic repairs and the like. The game does a good job of telling you when a specific unit begins to run dry (normally highlighted by icons near the unit name). So you'll never be caught without ammo unless you're having to watch a number of war fronts at the same time (which is when things get hairy).

    The bad

    The massive depth can also be its downfall in a sense. The current system allows players to use any units in the game in a deck system (no unlocking). Some view this as a crutch but personally I feel that it does level the playing field. However the problem with this is that new players will find the list of units and possibly be scared away by the depth. Don't panic! I recommend you specialize your deck in a specific nation to limit the view of units so that you can figure out what each one does (skirmish skirmish skirmish).

    The other downside to the systems in place is that there isn't a fluent tutorial (basic tutorials cover deployment/capture zones, movement, airbase use and resupply) but it isn't as comprehensive as it may need to be. This means that there is a learning curve to the game that isn't gentle.

    A tough RTS with great rewards.

    Let me know if you enjoy this review. Have fun on the battlefield all of you.

    Mail: RandomMaster@ymail.com    … Expand
  3. HDhack3r
    Jul 7, 2014
    7
    I bought this game during the Steam Summer Sale, and overall I think it's a pretty good RTS. However, if you are looking for a ultra-realistic RTS this is not your game. Wargame Airland Battle has impressive scale, and the amount of units available is great! The gameplay however, is disappointing. Infantry is very unrealistic in this game, and aircraft are not as powerful as I had hoped.I bought this game during the Steam Summer Sale, and overall I think it's a pretty good RTS. However, if you are looking for a ultra-realistic RTS this is not your game. Wargame Airland Battle has impressive scale, and the amount of units available is great! The gameplay however, is disappointing. Infantry is very unrealistic in this game, and aircraft are not as powerful as I had hoped. The gameplay seems more like rock, paper, scissors, than carefully countering your opponent. All units are available from the start, and your army can consist of whatever you wish. This makes every unit feel somewhat weak. Since most vehicles and all infantry consist of squads of multiple units, elite units don't feel as powerful as they should. A single infantry squad is perfectly capable of leveling a tank unit, something which is near impossible in reality.

    This game is fun if you play it as an RTS. However if you are expecting realism, this is not the game for you.    … Expand
  4. Subliminality
    Jun 12, 2013
    7
    Ok, first off I am not a RTS veteran, I never played star craft or any other games like that. I really only started RTS's with Company of Heroes which was an excellent game and has gotten me into this genre of game. i would also like to state that this is my first review on metacritic ever so I may get some stuff about reviewing wrong but whatever. Ok about the game, Wargame Airland battleOk, first off I am not a RTS veteran, I never played star craft or any other games like that. I really only started RTS's with Company of Heroes which was an excellent game and has gotten me into this genre of game. i would also like to state that this is my first review on metacritic ever so I may get some stuff about reviewing wrong but whatever. Ok about the game, Wargame Airland battle is a cold war era RTS with maps the size of 2+ battlefield maps strapped together with duct tape. This makes for interesting battles with large numbers of enemy units. It also includes jets, and while these "amazing dogfights" are not exactly the quality I thought I was going to get, it still feels awesome to see a MIG falling from the sky in a heap of flames and debris, also watching 24 500kg bombs drop on an unsuspecting enemy is a freaking awesome feeling. It takes a while to discover what balance of expensive and cheap units you want in your "deck" or army as too many expensive units will result in you getting completely destroyed by the larger number of cheaper units the enemy has. The game devs have told a bit of a lie when they say "750 units in the game!!!" It should be more like "750 ways to transport your infantry to the front line" as there aren't 750 types of units there are just different vehicles and helicopters to transport them in. If you want to count that as 750 units, that's fine, personal preference, but I don't. The gameplay is pretty cool, and decks can get very interesting. My favorite deck is one comprising of only vietnam era units. I sent all of my infantry in, in the UH-1Y (or equivalent) helicopter with bombers flying overhead while listening to fortunate son (amazing experience wouldrecommend/10). The campaign seems fairly boring, the AI are good, the multiplayer is excellent, the graphics are awesome, the models are really detailed even when zoomed in. Overall I give this game a 7, (would have been 7.5 but we can't do that here It isn't the perfect game but it is pretty cool and I've been playing it for a while now.… Expand
  5. Raymond_Saint
    Jun 6, 2013
    10
    Excellent game, even more immerse than the first one, full scale combined arms battles with full spectrum of air support. Extremely addictive. Beautiful cold-war setting. Triple A realtime tactic game and must have.
  6. StorminNorman
    Jun 3, 2013
    9
    I cannot recommend this game enough, I played European Escalation since it came out and enjoyed it thoroughly. AirLand Battle is a excellent expansion on what was a revolutionary game in the Real Time Tactics genre. I believe only perfect games deserve 10/10 and every game I hav ever played has some detractions so here are the pros and cons.
    Pros
    There is finally a tutorial. Though I    I cannot recommend this game enough, I played European Escalation since it came out and enjoyed it thoroughly. AirLand Battle is a excellent expansion on what was a revolutionary game in the Real Time Tactics genre. I believe only perfect games deserve 10/10 and every game I hav ever played has some detractions so here are the pros and cons.
    Pros

    There is finally a tutorial. Though I was immediately sucked into European Escalation due to the setting of the game and being a military/Cold War history buff, and was aware of the differences between, for example, an M1 (105mm gun) and an M1A1 (120mm), this is not the case for many. Having some background knowledge about period military tech will certainly be of assistance but the lack of a tutorial turned off many prospective players in European Escalation.

    Aircraft. The titular addition changes the game into a much more dynamic (though still intense and tactical) game. In some ways it speeds the game up (call in an A-10 or two to deal with that tank column) and in some ways it slows it down (being cautious in your advance, making sure you have proper AA and air cover).

    Tactical Depth. There is no "Killer Strat" in AirLand, no victory-guaranteeing tactic. There are many viable ways to win a battle. You can specialize in aircraft, bringing a world of hurt to the enemy in seconds, or you can favor armored columns bristling with anti-aircraft weaponry to punish the flyboys who think their aircraft make them God. You can leapfrog forests with infantry and turn every hedgerow into a porcupine of anti-tank and anti-aircraft infantry. You can use special forces to seek out and destroy enemy Command Vehicles and anti-aircraft weapons, paving the way for victory. Or you can mix and match all of the above as an experienced player does.

    Good player base. It is a bit early to tell on this one, but many AirLand players are old European Escalation players, who, in my experience, were often good teammates and allies, and cunning enemies. That being said, if you are new I cannot recommend enough that you do the tutorial and play some skirmish battles against the AI, or watch some reviews to avoid some of the pitfalls of "noob" play that will frustrate your teammates.

    Historical Accuracy. This one is less definite than those preceding it. Perhaps it would be better to say the game is "authentic" rather than "accurate." Given the limited space you have on a map (though still, very large, over a hundred square kilometers for the larger ones) some weapons must be scaled accordingly. Some missiles for example, have ranges of over 100km, but in game are rendered as 10km. I say it is authentic however, because the scaling is global, if a long range missile (like the AIM-54 Phoenix) has a range of 190km in real life, and a short ranged one (like the AIM-9 Sidewinder) has a range of 35km, in game they are rendered as 12km and 3.5km respectively, retaining their intended use, if not their precise real-world stats. Radar-guided anti-aircraft missiles are vulnerable to SEAD (Suppression of Enemy Air Defense) weapons which will lock on to their targeting radar even when they are hidden. This can be countered by turning the weapon's radar system "off." It is details like these that make the game fun for enthusiasts, and can be difficult to learn for newcomers, though not by any means impossible.

    Cons

    The campaign. This is a minor con for me, but for many this can be a deal-breaker unfortunately (for the game, not the person). Though a substantial improvement over European Escalation, it is still entirely secondary to the multiplayer experience. I would like to correct some of the posts saying you cannot save the campaign. The game autosaves and all the autosaves are found under the "saved game" menu. That being said, the campaign is mildly entertaining at best. Good if you have an hour or two to kill, but do not want the pressure of a multiplayer game, or for those who must compulsively beat campaigns, but not particularly engaging.

    Learning Curve. Pro and a con. People have accurately (in my opinion) stated that AirLand Battle can be a difficult game to learn and a very difficult one to master. If you played European Escalation, it will not be a problem, but for new players, the number of units and the detail on each unit card, different weapon systems, and game mechanics can seem very daunting. I would urge one to play the game for a couple of weeks before decrying the difficulty though. It is much less difficult seeming once a player understands the various mechanics and what stats are important on unit cards. Once they have learned how to learn from the game, the real fun begins, with testing new tactics and weapons.

    In summation, the game is exceptionally detailed and well made, though there are still some minor balance issues to be solved, but this does not merit concern as Eugen has been good about addressing the player bases' concern.    … Expand
  7. Makko_Mace
    May 29, 2013
    9
    Wargame Airland battle is not for you if you measure skill in an RTS by APM and build orders, its not about eco and production. In fact, there is no building of any kind other than one stationary supply unit (FOB) that can only be placed at the start of the game. Airland battle is named after the NATO war plan for the 1980s, which involved many small highly mobile hit and run strike forcesWargame Airland battle is not for you if you measure skill in an RTS by APM and build orders, its not about eco and production. In fact, there is no building of any kind other than one stationary supply unit (FOB) that can only be placed at the start of the game. Airland battle is named after the NATO war plan for the 1980s, which involved many small highly mobile hit and run strike forces and heavy air support. This is very well characterized in game.

    Every unit is mobile, there are no stationary weapons emplacements, everything can drive or fly under its own power. There is no entrenchment, this game does not portray a stagnant fortification based stalemate, it is of columns of rolling tanks, fast attack IFVs and helicopter born special forces.

    Combat is... unforgiving. Each unit is marginally intelligent and has a simple target selection algorithm which does solve some of the annoying gripes common to this sort of genre. There are a plethora of factors and stats for each unit, based on their real-life performance. The game does a very good job of sticking to realism, but knows when to drop it for balance.

    Multiplayer is intense, and frankly one of the best I've played, SP is not as amazing but still can be quite fun, especially later on.

    If you like a realistic armchair-general-war fiction-tactical military shenanigans, then this is the game for you.    … Expand
  8. johnfleemer
    May 29, 2013
    10
    Wow. I almost never write reviews of anything online, let along games, but i signed up for an account on metacritic just to write this one review if that tells you anything. What an amazing game this is. I am a strategy game fan and a modern day military strategy game fan at that. If you enjoy those types of games and would like the best modern-ish day military real-time strategyWow. I almost never write reviews of anything online, let along games, but i signed up for an account on metacritic just to write this one review if that tells you anything. What an amazing game this is. I am a strategy game fan and a modern day military strategy game fan at that. If you enjoy those types of games and would like the best modern-ish day military real-time strategy experience available you need to pick this one up. I can't praise it enough.… Expand
  9. TheQWERTY
    Jun 4, 2013
    10
    This is a GREAT game!!! I have played the original, European Escalation which was an amazing game as well, but Airland Battle adds so much more. From much cleaner graphics to tons of new units, and completely redesigned maps there is so much this RTS has to offer. And did I mention 10 vs 10 gameplay? Having 20 different players on two sides slug it out on huge maps makes forThis is a GREAT game!!! I have played the original, European Escalation which was an amazing game as well, but Airland Battle adds so much more. From much cleaner graphics to tons of new units, and completely redesigned maps there is so much this RTS has to offer. And did I mention 10 vs 10 gameplay? Having 20 different players on two sides slug it out on huge maps makes for uncountable tactical situations and huge replayability value. Not to mention extremely fun, which is what a game should be.

    Yes you can't save campaign games and there are not many people willing to sit 5 hours straight to finish the "hard" campaign, but the dynamic multiplayer were no two matches are the same are what really sells the game. And yes there is a learning curve for new players. But after you get over that learning curve the fun of crushing your enemies as they retreat and watching up close your harriers rip into enemy tank column and brain power needed to tweak your deck to make it fit your playing style make for a very rewarding game. I highly recommend it if you enjoy RTS, 10 out of 10 from me. See you on the battlefield.    … Expand
  10. Wardance
    Jun 7, 2013
    10
    The detail in this game is unbelievable. They have done a great job of building a game that cuts out the BS and gets down to the fighting. It does take some tactical and strategic thinking to play.
  11. BartholomewJojo
    Dec 7, 2013
    7
    Ok guys i'll try to be short here. Probably i'm getting to old for games but as i get older i'm getting more interested on games that follow some logic and if they inspire on real life i hope to find the same stuff found in real life. Since the game is sold as a RTS simulator i didn't get this simulation. Except for units name and shape there is not much simulation in this game. AI and MPOk guys i'll try to be short here. Probably i'm getting to old for games but as i get older i'm getting more interested on games that follow some logic and if they inspire on real life i hope to find the same stuff found in real life. Since the game is sold as a RTS simulator i didn't get this simulation. Except for units name and shape there is not much simulation in this game. AI and MP are made of rushes (the opposite in a war), you will find both sending most of their troops toward to you at high speed instead of having them gaining ground slowly to avoid excessive lost. Most units does not follow realistic balance, you will find air defense pretty far from real life performance (not even close), infantry are almost useless. AI will have unlimited points so the can deploy as many units as they want (they will deploy the same over and over and over).
    In conclusion, this is just another RTS not more and not less realistic than command and conquer generals, just another game forced to be easy to help players and increase the pool of players.
    Luckily i paid less due to steam sales.

    BTW one of the things that most disappointed me is not the balance and the AI behavior but rather the fact that missions are designed to be a typical console/game missions made for hardcore instead of some sort of possible real life mission (survive 10 min without any help, conquer a point in 15 min, etc...)    … Expand
  12. Telkanes
    Aug 26, 2013
    9
    I have not played a game as in-depth, and faithful to its military models as this one, Im not interested in single player, I enjoy playing with a few online friends and this game with 10 v 10 and small group teams has been astounding, working with my team to win using Cold War equipment has been excellent!

    It would be nice to see a Falklands dlc for this game!
  13. FUZZCOOKIE
    Sep 8, 2013
    10
    For a first time Wargame player, I must say that this game is really easy to play. There are enough multiplayer modes. It works brilliantly when playing with friends. It feels like FPS AAA title like Battlefield 3 or Battlefield 4, just on a more grandiose scale. For a RTS game to be so accessible and yet strategically diverse is a tremendous achievement. Even the graphics lookFor a first time Wargame player, I must say that this game is really easy to play. There are enough multiplayer modes. It works brilliantly when playing with friends. It feels like FPS AAA title like Battlefield 3 or Battlefield 4, just on a more grandiose scale. For a RTS game to be so accessible and yet strategically diverse is a tremendous achievement. Even the graphics look breathtaking.

    They are even giving away a free DLC!!! It has maps and conquest game mode!! Again, it feels so similar to Battlefield for some reason. Acts of kindness like that are unheard in these days of corporate greed. I wish this company will prosper and make more amazing games.    … Expand
  14. FleetAdmiral
    Jun 6, 2013
    9
    For those who don't like to read much: get the game...it's a lot of fun. If you liked Wargame European Escalation, you will like AirLand Battle. If you've never played either, buy one....I'd suggest AirLand Battle, though. I own both and I'm happy I bought them. Yes, AirLand Battle does seem like a large add-on sometimes, but it's really not. They made a lot of improvements with mapFor those who don't like to read much: get the game...it's a lot of fun. If you liked Wargame European Escalation, you will like AirLand Battle. If you've never played either, buy one....I'd suggest AirLand Battle, though. I own both and I'm happy I bought them. Yes, AirLand Battle does seem like a large add-on sometimes, but it's really not. They made a lot of improvements with map graphics and gameplay sound, plus the amount of units they now offer is very impressive. If you like RTS, or strategy in general, this is a must-have game. The cons? The single-player campaign is pretty weak. And I wasn't impressed with the tutorial either. I hope the next game these guys make improve upon those items, because it really is the only thing wrong with the game. If you don't care about single-player campaigns, then this game gets a "10." The multiplayer is excellent. However, I wish more people played....sometimes it takes a while to get a game going. So, get the game...it's good, and we need more people in the multiplayer lounges. You won't regret the purchase.… Expand
  15. tomandresen
    Jun 8, 2013
    9
    This game is a true gem. The depth of the deck system means you'll have great opportunity to customize your force for any situation. The battles can be truly epic, especially in 10vs10. The single player is ok, but multiplayer is where this game really shines. It just keeps you coming back for one more battle, and one more deck tweak. The only things keeping me from giving this a 10 is theThis game is a true gem. The depth of the deck system means you'll have great opportunity to customize your force for any situation. The battles can be truly epic, especially in 10vs10. The single player is ok, but multiplayer is where this game really shines. It just keeps you coming back for one more battle, and one more deck tweak. The only things keeping me from giving this a 10 is the lack of more 10vs10 maps, and the still somewhat limited options for single player, though the latter matters far less to me than I'd expected.

    If you are searching for a game that takes realistic military tactics seriously instead of a simplified rock-paper-scissors, APM-driven clickfest, this game is for you.    … Expand
  16. spinkick
    Jun 5, 2013
    9
    This is a great game. I never played the previous game and I am a brand new player. The cold war setting is interesting. The 800+ unit library is a bit daunting, but as an old school wargame player I appreciate all the nuances.

    If you remember the classic game series close combat, its much like that but modernized. Ive started reading on the forum and the developers are very open to    This is a great game. I never played the previous game and I am a brand new player. The cold war setting is interesting. The 800+ unit library is a bit daunting, but as an old school wargame player I appreciate all the nuances.

    If you remember the classic game series close combat, its much like that but modernized.

    Ive started reading on the forum and the developers are very open to debate about the game and listen to the players. They make changes and bugfixes daily; which is great!    … Expand
  17. 200mg
    May 29, 2013
    9
    Great RTS with a ton of options. I find it similar to Men Of War in many ways, but unfortunately there is no direct control. If you are a military enthusiast RTS fan you will love this game, seems like almost every piece of cold war era hardware is represented in this game. Replayability factor is extremely high given the amount of options to build out your "decks" or armies.
  18. Karme
    Jun 14, 2013
    9
    Quick addition to my previous review! Lots of people saying you can't save single player campaign. No. you can't save it MANUALLY, but that's because the game saves after every battle anyway? I've reloaded my campaign and just carried on from where I left off. Not sure why so many people can't figure this out; especially since all it takes is about ten seconds looking to figure that out.Quick addition to my previous review! Lots of people saying you can't save single player campaign. No. you can't save it MANUALLY, but that's because the game saves after every battle anyway? I've reloaded my campaign and just carried on from where I left off. Not sure why so many people can't figure this out; especially since all it takes is about ten seconds looking to figure that out.

    So don't be put off by those saying you can't save. They are right, there's no manual save, but you don't need one because the game does it for you.    … Expand
  19. Dogman
    May 30, 2013
    10
    Wargame Airland Battle is the best RTS around since Men Of War Assault Squad. If you are looking for a more realistic, complex, varied and strategic game this is for you.

    The number of different units is astonishing and the graphics are incredible. Wargame European Escalation is really a totally different game. Airland Battle is exceptional in the mechanics it has, the feel of the    Wargame Airland Battle is the best RTS around since Men Of War Assault Squad. If you are looking for a more realistic, complex, varied and strategic game this is for you.

    The number of different units is astonishing and the graphics are incredible. Wargame European Escalation is really a totally different game. Airland Battle is exceptional in the mechanics it has, the feel of the units, the relative balance, the units the options and the graphics that are far superior to wargame european escalation in every single respect.

    The sigleplayer is rewarding if played at a very hard difficulty and is extremely fun to see real cold war units with their real organization figting each other.

    This game is a masterpiece but is not for everyone because it is complex and it is a game that requires a fair understanding of real tactics. Also there are many units to choose from and the unit cards can be hard to read and understand if you now nothing of real world units.    … Expand
  20. Nathaniak_Smith
    Jun 5, 2013
    10
    Summary: An RTS that shows the genre at its best
    Pros: Fantastic gameplay, great multiplayer scene, unparallaled developer support
    Cons: Campaign pales in comparison to the superb multiplayer Where do I start? Wargame: Airland Battle (W:AB) is the sequal to Wargame: European Escalation. It features bigger maps, more units (including, of couse, air units) and fantastic support for its    Summary: An RTS that shows the genre at its best
    Pros: Fantastic gameplay, great multiplayer scene, unparallaled developer support
    Cons: Campaign pales in comparison to the superb multiplayer

    Where do I start? Wargame: Airland Battle (W:AB) is the sequal to Wargame: European Escalation. It features bigger maps, more units (including, of couse, air units) and fantastic support for its community by developers Eugen Systems.

    W:AB is a Cold War-era RTS that aims to simulate ground conflict in a hypothetical World War Three between NATO and the Warsaw Pact. Almost every unit fielded by the 12 countries included in the game are in, and players can choose any from their alliance to have in their army, although limiting your army to certian countries or eras grants you bonuses to offset the reduction in choice.

    On the battlefield, this game really shines. Against the unpredictability of a multiplayer opponent, the player will have to decide on a strategy and execute it if he or she wants to win. Do you send in formations of advanced main battle tanks, or do you send in infantry to take out enemy forces lurking in the woods. Do you call in a ground attack plane for reinforcements, or anti-air artillery in case the enemy gets the same idea? Because of this variety, every game is different.

    The developer support for this game is amazing. Balance is very good, and is constantly fine-tuned. Multiple patches a week hotfix bugs, tweak inbalanced units and add new content. On the game forums, the devs are a constant presence, explaining their decisions behind the game in a way that should make many studios jealous. Such support is integral to the game community.

    The game's campaign, featuring a Total War-esque blend of strategic map and regular games is somewhat lacking, mainly because of the AI (which is not bad, just not as good as a real person). Luckily, you can play against another person, removing this issue. Nethertheless, I would much recommend the multiplayer over the campaign, and I feel that single-player junkies, while enjoying the experience, will not get as much out of it as a dedicated single-player experience.    … Expand
  21. Furious28289
    Aug 18, 2013
    5
    Another game with heaps of potential, yet ultimately found to be lacking in too many crucial areas.

    I have put many hours into this game, and have previously been in the top 20 on leaderboard, currently in top 50, now i feel the need to write a review to explain this game from a fan of the genre. This game will give the average player many hours of fun, its only when you start to get    Another game with heaps of potential, yet ultimately found to be lacking in too many crucial areas.

    I have put many hours into this game, and have previously been in the top 20 on leaderboard, currently in top 50, now i feel the need to write a review to explain this game from a fan of the genre.

    This game will give the average player many hours of fun, its only when you start to get good at it that you start to notice some glaring issues. If you, like me are the kind of person who always seems to push a game to its limits, then id advise you listen well.
    Im only going to describe the problems i have with this game, if you want to find out about the good things, that information is readily available elsewhere.

    - Flawed victory conditions: The available gamemodes do not allow for a proper assessment of who was the better player. The current default ranked gamemode "destruction" only takes into account unit losses/kills. So you can pretty much sit and camp for most of the game, which is exactly what usually happens. The new gamemode "conquest" does the opposite. It only takes into account victory points (land held) and not kills, which means you could have lost twice, three times as many units as your opponent yet you still win if you had a slight advantage in positions held.
    A gamemode which took into account both unit kills and positions held is the obvious answer, yet due to Eugens lack of interest, that has not been materialised.

    Broken deck system: The deck system is horribly broken, making cheese tactics like helicopter spams or other types of ridiculous spamming techniques not only viable, but often optimal. The deck system is simply too complex and poorly thought out. For NATO players who want to be competitive, they are forced to use a mixed deck, with national decks being simply too uncompetitive, and use the same units. In fact most players use a NATO mixed deck, being the strongest deck in the game at this time making for extremely repetitive, boring gameplay. 800+ units were advertised as being available in Wargame: Airland Battle, yet you will learn that only 200 or so of them are actually viable for use. For PACT players, the USSR is the only viable choice, with all other PACT minor nations being utterly useless and pathetically weak. A lot of this comes from the way prototypes work. Prototypes are units that are BOTH outside of the game time frame (post 1985) and are therefore restricted to national decks. However this means that many units that are extremely effective are available to both mixed and national decks. It is not possible to balance a unit that is NOT restricted to a national deck. You just end up making a unit OP for mixed decks or under powered for national decks. Read the forums to get an understanding of the sheer frustration that this has invoked.

    It is a great game and the casual player will get lots of enjoyment from it, just dont expect it to be the kind of game that encourages highly skilled competitive gameplay. The devs themselves have said many times on the forums that the national decks, for example, are just there for lollygagging around with or for use as a 'challenge' (translates to: you will get crushed by anyone who isnt a noob). This extremely frustrating attitude is propagated on the forums by the devs and the mindless marshalls, with anyone suggesting a new path getting a ban or thread-locked.

    I hope you find this review informative and helpful.    … Expand
  22. PINE9PINE
    Aug 2, 2013
    10
    The best RTS that is has came out in the last 10 years. Absolutely perfect in aspects of real time, and strategy. Don't knock it if you are bad at playing RTS. People who rate this under 9 are insane. This game is near perfect, all that is missing to complete to perfection is naval units. Just watch a single game-play video on YouTube you won't be sorry.
  23. Goodtwist
    Jun 29, 2013
    10
    This a genuine RTS beast with a focus multiplayer. This is where WALB shines. The game takes place during the Cold War gone wrong which is an intriguing era.

    Once you acquaint yourself with the basics and the feel of this game you'll be amply rewarded.
  24. Thatothergamer
    Jul 12, 2013
    8
    Wargame: AirLand Battle is a great follow up to Wargame European Escalation. The game feels smother with an improved interface and having all units available from the start. The introduction of airplanes was also a great innovation with a completely new element of strategy thrown into the game. The single player campaign is less impressive than the previous game's but the multi-playerWargame: AirLand Battle is a great follow up to Wargame European Escalation. The game feels smother with an improved interface and having all units available from the start. The introduction of airplanes was also a great innovation with a completely new element of strategy thrown into the game. The single player campaign is less impressive than the previous game's but the multi-player makes up for most of the lapses in the single player.… Expand
  25. v-snejok
    Jun 29, 2013
    10
    I am new to this game, and I think it is one of the best rts games, what i have been played! Very big count of units, various tactics, nice graphics, weekly balance patches. Rocket artillery seems very weak now, but I hope it will be fixed. I recommend all to try this amazing game!
  26. Necrotaur
    May 30, 2013
    10
    AirLand Battle is an improved version of European Escalation. If you've never played EE before, it's like a far more tactical and realistic RTS, that requires management of resources such as morale, ammo, fuel, and supply lines, and no basebuilding. Resources are earned through outplaying your opponent, and strategy is absolutely essential to winning. You can't just blob your units andAirLand Battle is an improved version of European Escalation. If you've never played EE before, it's like a far more tactical and realistic RTS, that requires management of resources such as morale, ammo, fuel, and supply lines, and no basebuilding. Resources are earned through outplaying your opponent, and strategy is absolutely essential to winning. You can't just blob your units and expect to win. For vets of EE, the biggest change is obviously the inclusion of planes, which are stabled offscreen, but can be called in to perform airstrikes and other missions. They hang around until they are either destroyed, or run out of fuel/ammunition, at which point they return to their offscreen base to refuel and rearm for their next mission. There are new terrain types, like hills, which can only be accessed by infantry, and other improvements like better graphics and sounds. The promotion system has been replaced with with a 'deck' system. I already loved EE, and ALB fixed the minor issues I had with it, so I feel comfortable awarding a 10.… Expand
  27. Tropicantroll
    Jun 10, 2013
    9
    This game, well it is awesome! now it got even more troops and even more countries, it also got that strategic Overlay wich is really Important.. But what the game misses is that the story isen't clear.. Except if you read it on the Website to the game. So they should fix that. But else i just love this game! i give this a 9/10 And it is a MUST OWN game Also i forgot one thing, theThis game, well it is awesome! now it got even more troops and even more countries, it also got that strategic Overlay wich is really Important.. But what the game misses is that the story isen't clear.. Except if you read it on the Website to the game. So they should fix that. But else i just love this game! i give this a 9/10 And it is a MUST OWN game Also i forgot one thing, the Some people who reviews gives the game a bad score.. Because theres no Save games.. Well but i found out.. There actuly is.. It was really tricky to find out that the games saves it self. and that i can just load it.… Expand
  28. ThatGuy23
    Jun 6, 2013
    10
    Edit: I feel it is necessary to inform anybody that reads some of the negative reviews that there is a save system in the game and that reviews saying otherwise are false.

    Eugen has once again created a masterpiece RTS game. Wargame: Airland Battle builds upon the strengths of its predecessors, sheds their weaknesses, and adds a variety of nuances that any war gamer will certainly    Edit: I feel it is necessary to inform anybody that reads some of the negative reviews that there is a save system in the game and that reviews saying otherwise are false.

    Eugen has once again created a masterpiece RTS game. Wargame: Airland Battle builds upon the strengths of its predecessors, sheds their weaknesses, and adds a variety of nuances that any war gamer will certainly appreciate. The real time strategy part of the game (which is the meat of it) is able to provide an exciting tactical experience that rewards well executed planning and forethought and does its best to avoid devolving into a micro intensive mouse-click-spam. The new dynamic campaigns provides unique experiences similar in style to the board-game RISK and can be played solo or 1v1 with a friend. In summary, for any RTS fans out there this is a must purchase.    … Expand
  29. Vasot
    May 30, 2013
    9
    Amazing game. One of the best strategy games out there. Huge amount of historical accurate units, great graphics, deep gameplay mechanics. The game is one of the best of this genre
  30. Thud13
    May 31, 2013
    10
    Great game. I find the single player lacks slightly, but as there is no option for a 9.5, I'm going to be rounding up. Definitely a game that will keep you playing all night!
prev
Page:

Awards & Rankings

62
#62 Best PC Game of 2013
82
#82 Most Discussed PC Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 22 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 22
  3. Negative: 1 out of 22
  1. Pelit (Finland)
    Oct 7, 2013
    89
    Wargame: AirLand Battle polishes the Wargame even better. Here a commander with a plan and a good recon will prevail over someone with hunder actions per minute. Dynamic campaign makes it easily worth it, especially when you can face off with your friend in it. Hopefully we'll see more campaign scenarios as DLC. [Aug 2013]
  2. Armchair Empire
    Jul 25, 2013
    60
    The other knock against the single player campaign is that there's no option to save your progress. No option to save your progress. It bears repeating because this is 2013! What the hell?
    Read full review
  3. Vandal
    Jul 15, 2013
    82
    If you're looking for a deep strategy game, this is one you can get lost in for more hours than you can count.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »