Wargame: Red Dragon

 PC
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 214 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 156 out of 214
  2. Mixed: 27 out of 214
  3. Negative: 31 out of 214

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  1. Dogman
    Apr 17, 2014
    10
    This game is incredible. The graphics have been enhanced immensely and the game looks incredible. The new units and the ships are very fun to play and add a new dimension to the game.

    The old spam tactics from Airland battle are completely gone now due to the many new changes to the units, the mechanics, and the balance. The game is even more tactical and the large maps add a whole    This game is incredible. The graphics have been enhanced immensely and the game looks incredible. The new units and the ships are very fun to play and add a new dimension to the game.

    The old spam tactics from Airland battle are completely gone now due to the many new changes to the units, the mechanics, and the balance.

    The game is even more tactical and the large maps add a whole new strategic dimension to the game.

    The new factions are all unique in their own way and add alot of character to the game.

    The best strategy game without any doubt since both multiplayer and single player are now extremely fun and provide many many hours of gameplay.

    The best RTS on the market!    … Expand
  2. SL539
    Dec 26, 2015
    7
    I can't recommend this game. I've always loved and played RTS games but the Wargame's are way too.. Complex and confusing. There are no guides to help you in-game, no tutorial mission, nothing - aside from very small guides that are only a sentence or two long (not to mention the only thing that they cover are the things that hardly matter.) The AI is insane in this game. On easy you willI can't recommend this game. I've always loved and played RTS games but the Wargame's are way too.. Complex and confusing. There are no guides to help you in-game, no tutorial mission, nothing - aside from very small guides that are only a sentence or two long (not to mention the only thing that they cover are the things that hardly matter.) The AI is insane in this game. On easy you will get screwed. AI just randomly pops units out of nowhere in your secured territory - I can understand minor stealth units, but when tank battalions randomly pop out of a building it makes me wonder. AI always has an advantage over you. I just can't figure out this freakin' game, all my play time is mostly just me watching ally AI and how it works. Which ends up not being helpful because even your Ally AI goes bonkers. So I don't know, it looks good, plays well most of the time and is pretty intense but - it just needs a tutorial mission to help newcomers understand this game. For the veteran players that understand this game.. I probably could recommend it, however nothing has really changed from the previous game aside from the Naval units.

    Recommended on sale, around the >$10-$20 range.    … Expand
  3. neldot
    Oct 16, 2015
    1
    I really wanted to like this game, because I love RUSE and I'm an old time RTS and wargames player, but I'm just unable to found any appeal in it. After playiing a pair of dozen of battles and an entire campaign, it continues to appear to me as an unbalanced mix between a complex real tactic simulator and a too fast arcade game, with very little maps, where all is a confused mess and youI really wanted to like this game, because I love RUSE and I'm an old time RTS and wargames player, but I'm just unable to found any appeal in it. After playiing a pair of dozen of battles and an entire campaign, it continues to appear to me as an unbalanced mix between a complex real tactic simulator and a too fast arcade game, with very little maps, where all is a confused mess and you can lost half of your units in a pair of seconds. Really disappointing.
    In brief, this game is too complex to appeal to the RTS fans, and too "arcadey" to appeal a real wargamer.
    Besides, there also lacks a medium NATO power like Italy, but are instead present very minor powers. A very bad choice to appeal the italian market.    … Expand
  4. TheWaffle
    Feb 20, 2021
    6
    The campaigns are mediocre. The most fun part is strategizing and moving battalions around on the strategic map, but this part of the game isn't well developed. The rules of the campaign map are barely explained, and for some reason your units can't travel to other zones, even though the enemy units can. The battles are also broken by inconsistent campaign rules. For instance, I won aThe campaigns are mediocre. The most fun part is strategizing and moving battalions around on the strategic map, but this part of the game isn't well developed. The rules of the campaign map are barely explained, and for some reason your units can't travel to other zones, even though the enemy units can. The battles are also broken by inconsistent campaign rules. For instance, I won a total victory over the enemy in Busan, securing the whole map. Then the next turn the enemy moves units in, and even before the battle starts, my forces are stuck surrounded by enemy zones and I have no path for reinforcement or air support. If there is some mechanic the enemy is using to magically surround my forces, it is never detailed in the intro or on the HUD.

    The enemy is also able to instantly spawn dozens of units that snipe all of my troop carriers in the first 2 seconds of the match, before I'm even able to dismount my infantry. The inability to dismount and deploy infantry and HQ units before the battle is utterly bizarre. You can't prep a defensive position, you have to dismount and rapidly click around to set up the perimeter that your forces should have started in. And rather than starting with a large force deployed, you often only have access to a paltry few units, with the remainder trickling in as reinforcements. It's crazy to think that you're launching a large attack wave with only a half-dozen tanks. The computer also has bizarre benefits and some maps where their attacking zones give +6 reinforcement points, while your zones offer +2 or +0, making it very hard to defend some maps.

    The multiplayer is somewhat better, but it is marred by a tedious ranked mode. Opponents don't magic-spawn two feet away, and the maps are better balanced than the campaign maps. However, matchmaking takes forever. And the toxic community makes it hard to find a decent custom game. Plenty of players with 1000+ games under their belt will make "Noobs Only" custom games to roflstomp new players, ensuring that the community never grows or improves.

    My biggest complaint, is that this game tries to put on airs of realism, but the level of micromanagement required is truly infuriating. Helicopters will run out of ammunition, and then just hover there as easy targets. There's no command for them to refuel and rearm, you have to click them back to a supply base, and then once they're there, you tell them to land. If your helicopter is off the supply zone by a hair, you have to move it and re-land it. Infantry will stand in the middle of an urban zone, but won't take cover unless you specifically right click on the zone. You can call in fighter planes, which will endlessly circle, but unless an enemy flights right on top of them, they often won't attack.

    The touted naval combats, are a truly miserable experience, and the worst part of the game. There isn't any strategy, because the ships are so slow, range tends to be the defining characteristic. Realistic perhaps, but far from enjoyable.    … Expand
  5. OoohShiny
    Nov 11, 2015
    4
    Alright, i am pretty much a RTS freak, so of course i had to check the wargame series.
    It was an unpleasant first experience, because i got pretty much destroyed at the start of the easiest campaign.
    Anyway, i played it for hours, figuring it out, watching youtubevids, until i got a decent knack for it. As stated often, you dont play this game for the singleplayer. It is rather    Alright, i am pretty much a RTS freak, so of course i had to check the wargame series.
    It was an unpleasant first experience, because i got pretty much destroyed at the start of the easiest campaign.

    Anyway, i played it for hours, figuring it out, watching youtubevids, until i got a decent knack for it.

    As stated often, you dont play this game for the singleplayer. It is rather boring, even annoying, when you play on the same map for the 5. time, it feels like the campaign doesnt make progress.
    Anyway, a big bonus here are the starting videos, creating a nice atmosphere.

    The multiplayer is actual fun, be it against AI opponents or actual human opponents.

    But there are a couple of things that i need to mention that lead to a position that i cant rate this game above 4/10:

    The realism. You expect this game to be realistic, but is not. Sometimes weird things happen without you realizing why.
    Here are the 2 examples that stuck the most:
    Tanks run out of fuel after like 5 KM. This just doesnt make any sense, even if they were using the roads, on the big maps tanks are not able to cross the map diagonal even once.
    The vision of the units. As stated, in the campaign you fight several times on the same map, me even more since i had to restart the first campaign a couple of time.
    I just couldnt explain myself why my infantry got so utterly destroyed by my opponents, even if i chose the ones specifically against enemy armor.

    Well here is the solution: I had no scout unit nearby. Even with no tree, an enemy tank on an open bridge close to the city my infantry was in, will not be attacked until a freaking scout unit is nearby. Then suddenly my infantry crushed the enemy armor. It was a joke.

    It may sound like little stuff, but it just keeps piling up.
    However, it was an engaging experience, and the game is definitely worth a shot.    … Expand
  6. nijin
    Jan 23, 2016
    2
    TL;DR - This looks like a potentially great game, but the complexity of the mechanics are very high, and the tutorial is entirely inadequate. As a moderately experienced RTS gamer, I spent eight hours in-game and several more hours out-of-game reading manuals and watching replays, but this game overwhelmed me and I never got past the original learning curve. This is not a game for casualTL;DR - This looks like a potentially great game, but the complexity of the mechanics are very high, and the tutorial is entirely inadequate. As a moderately experienced RTS gamer, I spent eight hours in-game and several more hours out-of-game reading manuals and watching replays, but this game overwhelmed me and I never got past the original learning curve. This is not a game for casual players.

    Pros: Graphically impressive, very complex tactics, amazing level of detail in unit design (including visibility, perception, armor, range, damage, etc. etc.). Probably the closest thing to real-time realism on the market right now.

    Cons: Extremely steep learning curve, zillions of units and game mechanics to learn, and the developers didn't support it with a tutorial. The fan community has brought up various resources to help, but general feeling is that to get a proper designer tutorial, you'll be looking at getting the first game.

    The game is very complex, which means it'll take time even for those familiar with the older games in the series to pick it up. (First game was purely land, second game AirLand Battle introduced aircraft, this game introduces naval units.)

    I'm fairly experienced with other historical RTSes (although none are as realistic as this one) and I found the learning curve unworkable with the limited time available to me. I put eight hours in-game, trying out guides and putting what I'd learned from fan manuals into practice: my victory or defeat still feels entirely arbitrary.

    The fan community does have folks who are willing to tutor you, and there are efforts to put together a , and if you have a lot of time and attention to put into this game, it may be the game for you. (Likewise if you don't mind buying the first game and working through that as a prelude to playing this one.) Folks who find analysis to be fun in its own right, or who are detail oriented, may enjoy this game too.

    I found the time demands of learning the game to be too heavy. I disapprove of the designer's decision to essentially shortchange new players by removing the tutorial on the assumption that they'll have played the prior games. The fan support is very heartening, but it seems to reinforce the designer's laziness so they can get away with it.

    There's all the hallmarks of a good game in here, provided you can devote the very significant time and focus requirements to crack the shell. However, thanks to abysmal tutorial support and an unforgivable assumption that you'll buy and play the prior two games in the series (a business model that was already proven defunct in the 1980s with the Wizardry series), I couldn't recommend it in good conscience.    … Expand
  7. Nuts
    Oct 13, 2014
    10
    Another great game to the series with so many improvements. The added Navy has forced players to always have a defence planned. The creators have focused heavily on RTS not just spamming large amounts of units.

    Once again players have to think about troops and how they are used. Infantry in the open will be mowed down by anything, but in a forest they are a worthy force. Players will    Another great game to the series with so many improvements. The added Navy has forced players to always have a defence planned. The creators have focused heavily on RTS not just spamming large amounts of units.

    Once again players have to think about troops and how they are used. Infantry in the open will be mowed down by anything, but in a forest they are a worthy force. Players will always need air support behind their Offensive/Defensive lines, supply trucks must refuel and re-arm units and so on.

    This is a game that does have an intermediate learning curve but is extremely addictive once you get your head around the game dynamics.    … Expand
  8. aldraw
    Oct 22, 2014
    10
    Red Dragon is my first purchase in the wargame series. The scale, relative realism, camera freedom, level of detail and graphics are amazing compared to other RTS games. Company of Heroes is the next closest thing but even then units can't hide in the jungle and the zoom is limited. Being able to seamlessly go from the entire map view to zooming in to see infantry crawling through theRed Dragon is my first purchase in the wargame series. The scale, relative realism, camera freedom, level of detail and graphics are amazing compared to other RTS games. Company of Heroes is the next closest thing but even then units can't hide in the jungle and the zoom is limited. Being able to seamlessly go from the entire map view to zooming in to see infantry crawling through the jungle is awesome .

    Moreover the deck system, logistics system and resource system in WG:RD is superior to the arbitrary and nonsensical resource mining, tech trees, base building and off-map support of run-of-the-mill RTS games. Never have I heard of a military that produces all its equipment on-site by mining resources, it is an absurd premise born because of technological limitations of the time. This basic formula however has little evolved. Wargame however is the next evolutionary step in RTS gaming. In wargame you select units for your army then draw upon this pool of units as reinforcements after choosing a starting lineup. When you run out of a type of unit you can't call anymore for the rest of the battle, like a real army. Vehicles also run out of fuel and ammunition so logistics and supply lines are well simulated compared to other RTS games. Careless players can get stuck without fuel and ammunition behind enemy lines leaving even the most powerful and expensive units useless and easily destroyed. Logistics also heal/repair your units and can be attacked to reduce the opponent's endurance.

    I could say much more about this game but long story short it is a fantastic piece of work and worth purchasing for anyone who's a strat gamer or interested in cold war era military.    … Expand
  9. BlackLodge
    Jan 2, 2015
    10
    There is an incredible media focus on RTS (or "Real Time Strategy") games now. The big ones (Starcraft 2, League of Legends, DOTA 2 etc) get much of the attention in the gamingmedia AND in broader channels, but if you´re not 13 years old anymore and want a REALISTIC game with REALISTIC pacing and units that are actually used in todays battlefields and conflicts, look no further!

    Here    There is an incredible media focus on RTS (or "Real Time Strategy") games now. The big ones (Starcraft 2, League of Legends, DOTA 2 etc) get much of the attention in the gamingmedia AND in broader channels, but if you´re not 13 years old anymore and want a REALISTIC game with REALISTIC pacing and units that are actually used in todays battlefields and conflicts, look no further!

    Here you have over 1500 realistic units made between 1951-1995 to choose from, all presented superbly in the showroom OR on the field of battle. Everything from soldierplatoons, troopvehicles, tanks, artillery units, helicopters, fighterjets, logistic units, MultiRocketLaunchers, Naval units, such as cruisers, destroyers, Corvettes and hangar ships. You name it you got it! Weapons, vehichles and Soldiers painstakingly recreated from USA, UK, Russia, France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Poland, Chech Republic, DDR, Soviet, China, N Korea, Southkorea, Japan, Australia, New Zeeland.

    And, it is also easy to use! It takes tactical thinking and good timing to master this game, and the multiplayer part is brilliant with the possibility to find friends and join up for battle on a whole range of different maps and goals.
    You´ll be hooked on this game because it´s something you can relate to, real battles on our territory! There is some great Campaigns, and if that´s not your thing, go directly om the multiplayer part and find fast paced realitic modern warfare fore those who know what they are talking about!

    This is the new benchmark wargame out there people!    … Expand
  10. Faxx2
    Jan 30, 2015
    9
    A really good game to play with your friends. The interface works really well--once you have learnt them. The only issue is that the multiplayer experience can be ruined by the few trolls--but recently the community has started to instigate a banning system which seems to clear up the issues
  11. Kerveros
    May 27, 2014
    9
    I am not a veteran of the series, i.e. I‘ve never played AB or EE. So in my review there will be no comparisons between RD and its predecessors. It will only be based on my impressions as a new-comer after 90 hours of gaming. Also I have only focused on single player since I enjoy the campaigns very much. Furthermore in multiplayer there are many premade teams that steamroll new players,I am not a veteran of the series, i.e. I‘ve never played AB or EE. So in my review there will be no comparisons between RD and its predecessors. It will only be based on my impressions as a new-comer after 90 hours of gaming. Also I have only focused on single player since I enjoy the campaigns very much. Furthermore in multiplayer there are many premade teams that steamroll new players, and morons that when they rage they attack their allies. Not my cup of tea.
    Actually I am having a blast at the way this game is not based in numbers or sheer force. Many games managed to overcome the numbers factor (Total War series comes in mind) and implemented more depth in the fights. But even then sheer force was most of the time the way to win. In RD, organization wins.
    Understanding the mechanics of the game and reading the units’ attributes carefully is the first step towards victory. Afterwards you will have to study the field of battle. Buildings, forests, hills will change everything as the units’ field of view is very realistic and you might not be able to see a hidden tank behind a wall 50m away, while at the same time you can see a helicopter 2km away. That said you may prepare some nasty surprises on an enemy who just rushes in an urban area without taking precautions. Flanking a vehicle column marching on a road and destroying it in seconds or scattering AA batteries among the buildings and watching them shooting down 1 enemy airplane after the other is going to make you love cover.
    In modern warfare it is impossible for an army to just throw his weapons and flee like in Middle Ages. This is why every unit has its own morale which affects directly its fighting capabilities. If your unit gets panicked it will fight awfully. Morale drops from many factors like rocket/artillery barrages, many sudden casualties, napalm bombs and others. Morale will recover just by staying out of battle for a short time. Another factor that affects units is the stunning. Most of the time when a unit gets many direct hits it gets stunned. For that short period of time it is unable to react and gives you the opportunity to destroy it effortlessly.
    Considering all above, having a balanced force of tanks, recon, AA, infantry (only in buildings please) some artillery and light vehicles with AT missiles (they hit tanks really hard) is a must. Recon units are very important since you might see the enemy when he cannot see you and hit him unseen. Make sure to destroy enemy recon units as fast as possible, which is not that hard.
    Another way to win which is funny is to cut the enemy’s land/air routes by backstabbing him with some cheap tanks. The units that are in those areas are mostly artillery, command units and AA. They die easily, cost many morale points to the enemy and if the last command unit gets destroyed you automatically win, no matter how the battle goes. Morale points determine the number of casualties you and your enemy can take before losing. This is why you should protect your expensive units and keep them away from the frontline (but not too far away from their allies as well).
    AI is really cunning. When it is unable to attack head-long, it surrounds your position with support units and fires from all directions. It is painful to see heavy artillery bombarding your heroic units to the Stone Age. Also AI may send some light cheap units to cut off your supply lines and killing isolated command units. From what I‘ve seen in the campaigns it can surprise you and lay waste in your forces if you do not stay alert. It knows how to use cover very well.
    Naval battles: I damn like them. You should allow the opponent to waste their missiles and keep yours until his ships are nearby and have no time to bring down your missile rain. Hiding behind islands and bottlenecking the advancing enemy ships is also a good solution when you are outnumbered.
    This game allows you to resupply and repair your units. Cargo vessels and forward bases do the job if you place your units nearby. But their supplies are not unlimited so you should choose WHAT supplies you need. If you resupply some specific units (mostly rocket-launchers) on the right moment you will change the course of battle.
    This game in my opinion is a jewel. It is complex, realistic, and this is why you will get destroyed hard by easy AI at first. When you learn to identify the role of your units and your enemies everything will change. Oh…the graphics are state of art, but most of the time you will be zoomed out and unable to enjoy them. Sound is unimportant – but who cares. Campaigns offer some interesting alternative history.
    Try this game if you want a challenge. 9/10, simply because they should‘ve made a batter matchmaking system in multiplayer and ban asshats when they get many reports. Also some minor bugs. Every other aspect is just great. The haters simply did not spend some time to understand the mechanics.    … Expand
  12. Montanadad187
    Apr 19, 2014
    10
    I can honestly say that if this was to be the last wargame title for a few years then they will of left the series on the highest note. Been a diehard fanboy on the series since escalations. But even I knew that from that title to Airland Battle there was some very glaring flaws with the series, mainly the solo campaign. Well im happy to say that the single player has been as far as imI can honestly say that if this was to be the last wargame title for a few years then they will of left the series on the highest note. Been a diehard fanboy on the series since escalations. But even I knew that from that title to Airland Battle there was some very glaring flaws with the series, mainly the solo campaign. Well im happy to say that the single player has been as far as im concerned been tuned to perfection, and whats even better is that it's gonna only improve as the patches are released. And im am completely stoked for the future DLC that will focus entirely on a second Korean war in 93'. This is the absoulute pinnicle of what command and conquer had began over 2 decades ago. The French may stumble from time to time in real warfare, but they are the elite commanders of digital combat. Vous putain roche Eugen!… Expand
  13. SaitoHawkeye
    Apr 18, 2014
    9
    Red Dragon is the third installation in Eugen's Wargame series, and that status brings both challenges and massive improvements. The first focused quite narrowly on a possible Cold War gone hot scenario in Central Europe, the traditional Fulda Gap/Soviet tanks rolling into West Germany kind of war. It's gone far beyond that now, encompassing new theaters (Scandinavia, the Far East), newRed Dragon is the third installation in Eugen's Wargame series, and that status brings both challenges and massive improvements. The first focused quite narrowly on a possible Cold War gone hot scenario in Central Europe, the traditional Fulda Gap/Soviet tanks rolling into West Germany kind of war. It's gone far beyond that now, encompassing new theaters (Scandinavia, the Far East), new nations and new fields of engagement (air, naval).

    Eugen's Iriszoom Engine is a masterpiece of scaling and design. You can run this game (with blocky, rough graphics) on integrated-GPU Intel laptops, or load it up on a 780GTX with stunning graphics that allow you to effectively zoom from satellite level to individually animated tanks and infantry fighting, deploying smoke, firing rockets and taking fire.

    There are a few rough edges, but given the scale the fact that you will sometimes zoom in and see a tank clip through a tree or the wrong missiles mounted on one of 100 different military aircraft isn't much to complain about. There are always going to be some grognard-y types who get upset over improper radio antenna placement.

    First and foremost, it's created and balanced as a multiplayer game. The campaign efforts are commendable but will never be on the level of something like Total War (although I'd argue the AI is actually better than Creative Assembly), and the balancing, patching and tweaking focus heavily on trying to create a competitive forum.

    The "deck" system is one of Eugen's great innovations, and it remains pretty awesome in Red Dragon. Rather than simply taking a faction or a coalition, you build decks within those categories using "cards" of units at various levels of training. You might stack your deck heavily with powerful main battle tanks, focus on an airmobile helicopter-deployed force or build a peerless air force.

    With over 1,400 units, a dozen factions and multiple deck and unit categories, symmetric balance is out the window. However, good players using teamwork can fight to victory with nearly any deck, and so much of the game revolves around positioning, counter-play and recon that no one unit can dominate the battlefield. Even the most expensive ships, loaded with AA missiles, anti-ship missiles and protective systems, can be taken down if not properly escorted.

    Certain members of the relatively small community can be a bit harsh on new players, but there are plenty joining every day and some of the most helpful players I've ever met, as well.

    Red Dragon can be frustrating - when you get stomped by a coordinated team, slightly unpolished at the most detailed levels and will drive to you distraction when your carefully assembled assault gets clusterbombed into the stone age.

    But without the aid of any tacked-on progression mechanics, no paid DLC and a simple public+ladder multiplayer system, the series remains far and away my most-played PC game in Steam, and Red Dragon looks to set the record yet again.    … Expand
  14. Lunael82
    Apr 20, 2014
    10
    Much improved Single Player from ALB. Some minor quirks but knowing the developer this game will be patched to top condition in following week and months. Also coming are free DLC's. Can't recommend enough!
  15. 91killer
    Apr 18, 2014
    9
    Another excellent title for the Wargame Series. The new units and factions are fun to play and have been well balanced ahead of time. The new naval mechanics adds an interesting twist to multiplayer maps with both naval and ground forces on one map. Truly, everything you liked about ALB and more!
  16. matt92tau
    Apr 19, 2014
    10
    This game is awesome!! A lot of new units, navy and bigger maps.
    No more spam tactics from Airland Battle.
    And also 5 new nations!!
    This is the BEST RTS!!
  17. green01
    Apr 22, 2014
    10
    A fantastic game that is loads of fun. An improvement over the previous titles, it is now much more of a complete RTS. It is one of the best RTS games available at the moment, and requires more realistic tactics, thought and gameplay than other RTS games. It feels more like a realism RTS.

    Multiplayer is where this game truly shines. The single player is just ok, so in my opinion you    A fantastic game that is loads of fun. An improvement over the previous titles, it is now much more of a complete RTS. It is one of the best RTS games available at the moment, and requires more realistic tactics, thought and gameplay than other RTS games. It feels more like a realism RTS.

    Multiplayer is where this game truly shines. The single player is just ok, so in my opinion you shouldn't buy it just for the SP. Multiplayer has a steep learning curve, but is well worth it once you understand the game play and functionality. Just don't go in to it expecting another Command & Conquer!

    The deck building function of the game is also great fun in its self and gives you the option to build your own unique forces. You'll be constantly trying to perfect your deck to be the best it can be, chopping and changing as your tactics change.

    Endless fun!    … Expand
  18. willy2008
    May 5, 2014
    10
    Great.. yeah, well i was expecting this and it came as what i exactly wanted. I'm having so much fun these days with my friends. I've been playing this from European escalation.
  19. Draco0806
    Jun 14, 2014
    10
    Great, complex strategy game, with deep mechanics on the tactical level. The graphics engine is marvelous and fast, while deploying amazing visuals, the balance between reality and gameplay is well done and the gameplay is pretty much unmached by any other games available now, delivering true modern day combat, where every unit can count and you have to pay attention to think both at macroGreat, complex strategy game, with deep mechanics on the tactical level. The graphics engine is marvelous and fast, while deploying amazing visuals, the balance between reality and gameplay is well done and the gameplay is pretty much unmached by any other games available now, delivering true modern day combat, where every unit can count and you have to pay attention to think both at macro and micro levels.
    The only bad thing about the game is the horrendously high learning-curve for anyone who haven't played such complex titles before. It is highly advised to get a few friends to play with and watch a few guides before heading off into the wild!
    Much recommended to any hardcore strategy fans and those who are interested in modern warfare.    … Expand
  20. Gakolil
    May 21, 2014
    10
    Although perhaps a little too alike its predecessor, it is still a fantastic game. If you don't own Airland Battle, Wargame: Red Dragon is a must buy for all fans of realistic RTS warfare. If you do own Airland Battle, it's still a good buy even though it will feel more like an expansion than a stand-alone game.

    Single player is much improved, and the new asian factions are interesting.    Although perhaps a little too alike its predecessor, it is still a fantastic game. If you don't own Airland Battle, Wargame: Red Dragon is a must buy for all fans of realistic RTS warfare. If you do own Airland Battle, it's still a good buy even though it will feel more like an expansion than a stand-alone game.

    Single player is much improved, and the new asian factions are interesting. Also unlike most other games of today, Eugen offers free DLC updates with new and interesting units for the factions, offering ever-changing tactics as new and powerful units enter the battlefield.

    The game also introduces naval battles. While interesting, are seldom played in multiplayer, since you will mostly be playing on land maps.

    With the new asian factions, introduction of naval battles, epic 10v10 battles on new maps and great soundtracks Wargame: Red Dragon is a worthy successor of the wargame series.    … Expand
  21. michalkonczak55
    May 22, 2014
    10
    Great game but is so hard for newbie player than me .... but graphic is amazing and soldiers are butiful ,,,
    Must buy ... i want a next dlc to wargame becasue this game is great
  22. freemangl
    Aug 26, 2014
    10
    Just love Wargame Series, love eugen makes ture RTS games!
    Wargame Series are the best RTS games to me.
    -Modern war
    -Great graphics
    -Great handing/battle feel
    -Realistic/large scale
    -Strategic zoom
    -A lot of units
  23. JadeRuby
    Sep 13, 2014
    10
    One of the most Epic RTS games you will ever play, Must Own
    he new units and factions are fun to play and have been well balanced ahead of time. The new naval mechanics adds an interesting twist to multiplayer maps with both naval and ground forces on one map. Truly, everything you liked about ALB and more!
  24. Bostonmyk
    Mar 14, 2015
    9
    Amazingly fun game. Visuals are beautiful and gameplay is well thought out. It's definitely not a real war simulation but a true real time strategy game set in a modern war setting. Naval component looks amazing but game model is off thus 1 less stars
  25. Orion987
    Apr 27, 2014
    3
    Fun game, when it works. MANY crashes, bugs, and disconnects. Extremely frustrating when there is no LAN option, and I get disconnected every match from my friend in the same room.
  26. COKE_DEFENDER
    Apr 18, 2014
    3
    I was in the closed beta, and what I saw was a horror ; every possibly dumb design choice was made :

    - No UI improvement, like showing the exact road a unit would use when deployed. - Radar SAMs becoming overly costly with a 50% price hike. - Decreased detection range against choppers, which combined with the point above and more open maps contributing to helospam. - 20+ frontal    I was in the closed beta, and what I saw was a horror ; every possibly dumb design choice was made :

    - No UI improvement, like showing the exact road a unit would use when deployed.
    - Radar SAMs becoming overly costly with a 50% price hike.
    - Decreased detection range against choppers, which combined with the point above and more open maps contributing to helospam.
    - 20+ frontal armor tanks being horribly trolled by all the HEAT weapons in the game, as those can engage any value of armor and still cause 1 HP of damage minimum and cause suppression. Where's the authenticity when one knows the latest tanks of that era were generally optimized to defeat HEAT weapons in real life ?
    - Couple the above problem with the proliferation of low-cost (40-pt or less) vehicles with high accuracy HEAT weapons, and you got a recipe for disaster.
    - Laugh at how much firepower SMGs have ; under 455m, they utterly outclass assault rifles and battle rifles.
    - Artillery and MLRS becoming overpowered, the former being able to reliably kill anything that isn't a tank without any spotting, and the latter easily destroying armor.
    - Infantry getting shafted by HE weapons because the new formation is extremely tight compared to the previous ones. Get a good laugh when a single RPO shot kills an entire squad at around 300m.
    - Useless unit additions such as the CAESAR or the Il-102 ; CAESAR being added, as in the words of an Eugen moderator, because France needed a high-end arty unit (implying the AuF1 wasn't one), while everybody was expecting West Germany to get a truly-needed high-end arty piece. The Soviet Il-102 is a completely useless addition, as IRL it was completely outclassed by the Su-25.
    - Laughingly strong French bias in the game, stronger than in the 2 previous Wargames.
    - Ships being horribly unbalanced and coming in numbers you shouldn't expect in a *realistic* game ; you can deploy more frigates than you can deploy high end tanks. And don't get fooled by Eugen/Focus' marketing ; there are no NATIONAL navies. "Your" navy are the assets of the side you're on.
    - MGs on transports still unrealistically underpowered compared to the MGs carried by the infantry.
    - Cluster bombs having reached a new level of uselessness with the change to damage computation for 0-1 armor...and for still doing ZERO damage to infantry.
    - Wheeled APCs still being incredibly overpowered because of their mobility advantage for nearly no cost penalty compared to tracked ones.
    - Recon units detecting nearly nothing.

    I probably forgot some other stuff, but if you also read Lemonadrian's comment, you'd know what a lot of Wargame veterans feel about this new release. The conclusion is Eugen/Focus had potentially a great game, but they've wasted their manpower on always more units instead of focusing on the truly important things that make a great game :

    - UI
    - Realism
    - Game mechanics
    - Balance    … Expand
  27. Ilham
    Apr 26, 2014
    10
    I have never been playing Wargame before but after I Played this,, I was amaze by Its tactical and combat system, the graphics is also good, and The Missions are also very Challengeable . I totally love this game .

    It is the best one for me :D
  28. unknown14725
    May 12, 2014
    4
    Wargame Red Dragon is the worst game in this series. It's been reduced to infantry and artillery. And the naval part is a joke. All the same bugs and flaws from WEE are still here, and Eugen doesn't care about fixing anything. One month after release, and it still behaves like beta software. Unfortunately, if you want to play Wargame at all today, you're stuck with WRD, because the playerWargame Red Dragon is the worst game in this series. It's been reduced to infantry and artillery. And the naval part is a joke. All the same bugs and flaws from WEE are still here, and Eugen doesn't care about fixing anything. One month after release, and it still behaves like beta software. Unfortunately, if you want to play Wargame at all today, you're stuck with WRD, because the player base has moved to the newest game.… Expand
  29. Lemonadrian
    Apr 18, 2014
    3
    A buggy mess on release, with imbalanced factions and an ambitious but flawed single player.

    Eugen seems to have taken one step forward and two back since AirLand Battle. The maps are much more interesting and help prevent the trench warfare found in ALB, however the layout is the same, whether you are fighting in China, Korea, Japan or Vietnam, it's always gentle hills, slight    A buggy mess on release, with imbalanced factions and an ambitious but flawed single player.

    Eugen seems to have taken one step forward and two back since AirLand Battle. The maps are much more interesting and help prevent the trench warfare found in ALB, however the layout is the same, whether you are fighting in China, Korea, Japan or Vietnam, it's always gentle hills, slight vegetation and clusters of villages. No swamps, no urban sprawls, it's like the just changed the art style for the Scandinavian maps.

    The units are a let down as well, there's no effort with minor details. The Australians and Canadians use the British voices. Every French MLRS has "Friedland 1807" written on the side. Ships glide soundlessly through the water and their massive deck guns use the same sound effects as the small autocannons on an APC.

    Eugen have also seen fit to play favourites, with the French decks recieving a huge variety of vastly more advanced and powerful units, extending well beyond the games time frame, and when coupled with the new "Coalition System" leads to an unstoppable Eurocorps faction that 99% of players will be using online.

    The multiplayer is also a frustrating mess, with most games consisting of one team of extremely skilled players, usually Eurocorps players, waiting endlessly for desperate or new REDFOR/PACT players to join their matches. Overall, the "REDFOR" factions seem rather underpowered or largely forgotten, a left to a disadvantage in multiplayer. Realistic, perhaps, but unless they're improved it will have negative effects and lead to players ignoring multi altogether.

    The campaign is the only improved aspect since Airland Battle, but it still feels underwhelming, with no satisfying conclusions, merely a little box saying "you won."

    Overall it's still a pretty game, and definitely better than most RTS/RTTs out at the moment, but with so many steps back from it's predecessor, a poorly implemented Naval aspect and a development team who disregard or outright mock player suggestions, this is definitely not worth buying over Airland Battle or European Escalation.

    Avoid.    … Expand
  30. Yoki
    Apr 20, 2014
    9
    Love this game, Love this series, Keep the train roll !!!

    I very like the direction they went, focusing on the campaign - as this makes battles much more interesting and with some contexts ... cant wait for next iteration .... please please make it Middle east. The only Con i currently see & i hope wi;; get better is some performance issues - as game slight choppy at times (i have    Love this game, Love this series, Keep the train roll !!!

    I very like the direction they went, focusing on the campaign - as this makes battles much more interesting and with some contexts ... cant wait for next iteration .... please please make it Middle east.

    The only Con i currently see & i hope wi;; get better is some performance issues - as game slight choppy at times (i have strong Machine with CrossFire)    … Expand
  31. fraglivecl
    Apr 22, 2014
    8
    Este juego es magnifico , una obra de arte en la estrategia, espero siga mejorando con cada entrega, los gráficos son muy buenos , sobre todo el mapeado esta excelente.
  32. and0r
    Aug 7, 2014
    0
    This game is an obvious ripoff to World in Conflict / RUSE but is needlessly slow and boring, where you have to manually adjust everything like an autistic sloth, among many other annoyances, in which I could go on about all day. This game somehow got attention through steam-hype and mysteriously gets a drastically unrealistic user rating presented here. The entire Wargame franchise isThis game is an obvious ripoff to World in Conflict / RUSE but is needlessly slow and boring, where you have to manually adjust everything like an autistic sloth, among many other annoyances, in which I could go on about all day. This game somehow got attention through steam-hype and mysteriously gets a drastically unrealistic user rating presented here. The entire Wargame franchise is quite bland, it doesn't even bring solid graphics, which would alleviate the mundane burden of control and actually make the game worth putting up with. Please keep in mind that the graphics here are not even on par with games that are 7 years older than this, but rest assured that it's the gameplay that ultimately ruins it. Although simpler and more arcade-like, World in Conflict is much more fun. More "depth" (lol) does not necessarily equal more fun, especially in the case with the Wargame series.… Expand
  33. Eisert
    Jul 28, 2014
    10
    Although clearly a game designed for multiplayer there is also a good single player (skirmish) mode and (strategic) campaigns in 4 theatres. Ships a bit limited but infantry, armour, choppers and planes for 17 countries (USA, UK, France, West- & East Germany, Canada, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, ANZAC, Japan, North & South Korea, USSR, Poland, Czechoslovakia and China) are abundant. IriszoomAlthough clearly a game designed for multiplayer there is also a good single player (skirmish) mode and (strategic) campaigns in 4 theatres. Ships a bit limited but infantry, armour, choppers and planes for 17 countries (USA, UK, France, West- & East Germany, Canada, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, ANZAC, Japan, North & South Korea, USSR, Poland, Czechoslovakia and China) are abundant. Iriszoom is the best engine around to recreate modern warfare on a tactical level. Hope the campaigns will evolve to global affairs with some economics and diplomacy in their next game and we finally will have our Total War in modern times.… Expand
  34. Sharky0922
    Sep 27, 2014
    5
    3rd game of the series. And have some Improvement over previous Wargames.
    Best strategy game at the moment for sure. beats COH2 and MOW series easily In making sense and realism category.
    But its not enough to give it 8 or 9. Especially when they wont learn from previous games. Really huge maps and beautiful maps. Again plains and now Ships!. Rivers can be crossed now by swimming    3rd game of the series. And have some Improvement over previous Wargames.
    Best strategy game at the moment for sure. beats COH2 and MOW series easily In making sense and realism category.
    But its not enough to give it 8 or 9. Especially when they wont learn from previous games.

    Really huge maps and beautiful maps. Again plains and now Ships!.
    Rivers can be crossed now by swimming units - no choke points.
    You can really go crazy tactic now. It became much harder game since tank spams are not that successful any more. I personally stopped using tanks at all.
    Def. you have to be much more smarter and careful with your units.

    Unfortunately instead of fixing basic issues they just keep adding more and more units.
    Looks to me they spreading they attention on everything ships, planes and miillion units and nations.
    Instead of narrowing and making it flawless.

    After 2 games they finally added some features people were asking from beginning ":
    - map view in lobby,
    - ban option from room ,
    And it only took them 3 games to do it! Congrats Eugene! You are fast learners hehe.
    Ask yourself a question why it took you soo long. What kind of people work at Eugene that don't what's going on in multi games that you need to sometimes BAN people. Once again, it took them 3 games to do it!
    Stupidity of that team is pretty much visible. Yeah add more units to counter that.

    But that would be it. Still no black list, still no availability to see what kind of deck your team-mate have.
    And other simple things that should be straight forward for strategy game.

    Looks like they hit their mind capacity and ideas limit.
    Good to know its last game from this series.

    Still no strategy level in multi. It is in single player, but in multi ? nope.
    Just one map game where everybody throws units on each other mindlessly without bigger picture option.

    It seems nobody from strategy games devs can do it these days. Wonder why is that?
    Would that mean people who make strategy games have no clue about those games and are not fans of them.. like Eugene.

    Eugene studios had potential and some great ideas but it run out of them long time ago.
    Since then their motto is "ADD MORE UNITS". Only because of the forum they were improving game.
    This is just sad.

    Still you should buy this game despite my harsh review .
    Its only playable strategy game going towards realism atm.
    But don't expect miracles here.
    And like always in Wargame series - good team-mates. Without them you are screwed.

    I say like this On W:ALB I had 812 hours. On W:RD I have only 100.
    So if you didnt played before in wargame series. BUY IT you will love it.
    If you did played before in wargame it wont have that initial sparkle to keep you long on it like me.

    Eugene - make good strategy game! Hire some people who actually have good idea about strategy!
    I dare you.    … Expand
  35. Suen
    Jun 21, 2014
    0
    I was addicted to this game. Can't control myself. In the end, the game banned me for complaining the units on the forums. That's good because I can finally stop playing.

    If you want to play this game, have good self-discipline or otherwise, you will end up like me. Annoying the forums for better units. What was I thinking? Same as to you when you are mad at the unbalanced units.    I was addicted to this game. Can't control myself. In the end, the game banned me for complaining the units on the forums. That's good because I can finally stop playing.

    If you want to play this game, have good self-discipline or otherwise, you will end up like me. Annoying the forums for better units. What was I thinking? Same as to you when you are mad at the unbalanced units.

    Hope you find this review useful. All in all, the game is outstanding but lethal.    … Expand
  36. Vasot
    Apr 20, 2022
    4
    First there is a very poor tutorial if you are new it's going to be hell to understand the game suffers from a non-comprehensive type of gameplay and a steep learning curve. Some times it feels like you have to play with a textbook and the micromanagement is atrocious. The notification system is poorly created by the developer it's difficult to understand what is going on during battlesFirst there is a very poor tutorial if you are new it's going to be hell to understand the game suffers from a non-comprehensive type of gameplay and a steep learning curve. Some times it feels like you have to play with a textbook and the micromanagement is atrocious. The notification system is poorly created by the developer it's difficult to understand what is going on during battles it's chaos everyone shooting and randomly some units are destroyed. Many units feel unbalanced for example old AA machine guns can destroy planes easier than ant-air missiles the game tries hard to be as realistic as possible but fails miserable. Some units feel unresponsive you tell them to attack and they do that in very slow motion (not sure if this is a bug or a stupid gameplay mechanic) The game is NOT entertaining it's not your typical strategy game and not in a good way.… Expand
  37. eldumloido
    Jun 1, 2015
    1
    Punishes those who bought the original game back in the day by asking the same price for the dlc and the full collection. No discount for those who supported them from the beginning. Never buying any of their games before goty/full version again.
  38. 2clicks
    Sep 28, 2014
    7
    Single player ok, defiantly not what to buy this game for. Its just not quite what it could be, however the new campaign is quite good.

    Multiplayer is very good, the balance is getting better and the new large maps are a better size than previous titles. Naval however is awful. in combined land and sea battles they are ok, but naval alone is poor. Feels like there is no strategy.    Single player ok, defiantly not what to buy this game for. Its just not quite what it could be, however the new campaign is quite good.

    Multiplayer is very good, the balance is getting better and the new large maps are a better size than previous titles.

    Naval however is awful. in combined land and sea battles they are ok, but naval alone is poor. Feels like there is no strategy.

    Would hands down recommend for multiplayer.    … Expand
  39. SpaceMariner_BL
    Apr 17, 2015
    10
    It is a great game all units is real and there is more country incoming. DLC's free thats the best blance in purchable games. It is real battle strategy every country have specialization example UK tanks well armored but very slow. MiG planes have best speed but lack of rotation. Don't forget put escort ship to capital ships who give 40% score to this game.
  40. Kurych
    Jul 27, 2015
    10
    Медитативная игра, посвящённая наблюдению за тем, как тысячи ваших юнитов гибнут под фугасами в напалме и в дыму. 10 Су7БКЛ из 10
  41. minix2poo
    Jun 9, 2016
    8
    A decent RTS in a modern scenario.

    With more than 1000 different units, you can set up a lot of individual decks to play with.
    The game is really fun, if you are into RTS.

    Multiplayer, especially the tactical multiplayer maps with low income are really fun.
    I just wished, there were more maps that people would play with low income...
  42. proteus555
    Jun 17, 2017
    8
    One of the best RTS in my life! Singleplayer campaign have hard mission where you can easy lost your army because computer is very very good but mutiplayer is so hard :(
  43. Shimmeywill
    Apr 11, 2021
    7
    Solid selection of units support a strong strategy game. Visuals are good, UI and feedback takes a while to get used to.
  44. Thorbjornson
    Feb 1, 2020
    9
    По сути единственна стратегия такого вида, жаль что разработчик забросил серию.
  45. storygamer
    Jun 4, 2021
    8
    I thought good, complex RTS is dead, then came Wargame: Red Dragon. I really like the modern story, the great visuals and the thrilling gameplay! BUT it´s not a game for casuals. You have to work hard to get the full Wargame General feeling. Pure addiction!
  46. Keecay
    Apr 22, 2021
    10
    Fantastic Strategy game! many units, tactics, methods, big scale battles... 10/10 for cold war freak like me :)
  47. NBK1337
    Jan 23, 2022
    10
    More than a worthy game of its genre. An extensive option of strategies and tactics, something that is missing in most rts. The main feature is quite thoughtful gameplay, the player does not need a cockroach or a korean reaction, therefore, a beginner having mastered a couple of basic points may well outplay even a veteran player. Recommended for playing with friends.
  48. CAP198462
    Feb 19, 2016
    7
    immersion: Immersion is generated through player agency, and combat primarilly. The game world serves immersion only as an extension of combat. Players are able to custom design their regiments/task forces with detailed data on each unit and multiple transports for the same unit making each unit slightly different from even the others in the same type and kind of unit. These contribute toimmersion: Immersion is generated through player agency, and combat primarilly. The game world serves immersion only as an extension of combat. Players are able to custom design their regiments/task forces with detailed data on each unit and multiple transports for the same unit making each unit slightly different from even the others in the same type and kind of unit. These contribute to a feeling of involvement with the task force (10/15)

    Difficulty: Difficulty is adjustable, very coarsely only. Additionally, a lack of precise tutorials also contribute to the difficulty. This contributes to a sensation that the game is difficult as much because the user doesn't know how to execute commands as much as the base difficulty. This lack of information drags the game down, players shouldn't feel like there is a great game they're missing out on because they don't understand enough (6/15)

    lasting appeal: If the game does not grab the player immediately and inspire them to look for better tutorials the game will not last long at all. If the player does seek tutorials and let's plays the game will have staying power for about 3 months. This makes the game mostly average in lasting appeal. Customisation would help but the player must be interested enough to persevere(6/15)

    overall 7.3/15 slightly below average.    … Expand
  49. Glitshy
    Jun 17, 2016
    5
    Hmm, how to start? Maybe with my prevous experience with RTS games. I played CoH and CoH2, the Stronghold series, AoE2 and a few other ones. And this game is also a RTS. And probalby it's just my preference, but the lack of things liek "building up your base" or atleast beeing able to continue building units really turns me off. And I actually like the actual gameplay: Having to use aHmm, how to start? Maybe with my prevous experience with RTS games. I played CoH and CoH2, the Stronghold series, AoE2 and a few other ones. And this game is also a RTS. And probalby it's just my preference, but the lack of things liek "building up your base" or atleast beeing able to continue building units really turns me off. And I actually like the actual gameplay: Having to use a logistics unit to hold a specific territory, refuling and repairing and ammunition restocking are good meachanics IMO and I can't begin to tell how much I love the unit set editor, God I wish more games had something like it. But as said before, the lemit of how often you can call in a specific unit per match (why not a limit of how many can be on the field at once?) and the very RNG heavy nature of missiles kinda destroys it for me.… Expand
  50. ChumaGG
    Nov 13, 2021
    5
    sigue siendo demasiado complejo para tener tutoriales tan malos

    mejor me regreso a jugar a los Total War
  51. bobobsooadaois
    Jul 9, 2023
    0
    New update stops Mac and linux support and stop you from being able to do multiplayer with windows if your on Mac
    Basically scamming and ending Mac/linux support

Awards & Rankings

94
#94 Best PC Game of 2014
86
#86 Most Discussed PC Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 19 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 19
  3. Negative: 1 out of 19
  1. CD-Action
    Jul 23, 2014
    90
    Red Dragon should open the wish list of every gamer who shares the view that RTS games should promote strategic thinking, not fast clicking. [06/2014, p.66]
  2. PC Gamer UK
    Jun 16, 2014
    80
    The best war sim around. [July 2014, p.86]
  3. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Jun 5, 2014
    80
    New units, a little bit of polish and that’s about it. But it stills works like a charm! [Issue#242]
See all critic reviews »