Sudden Strike 5

Sudden Strike 5 isn't your typical real-time strategy game. Even though you command hundreds of troops on screen at once, call in air support and request reinforcements in real time, it's more of a puzzle game. I'd describe the Sudden Strike series as a slower, more strategic experience wrapped up in a visually impressive package. Each mission in the campaign requires you to utilise different abilities and choose the right general for the job. You can't just rush in and get the job done. You usually have 3-4 generals to choose from, and these provide you with different bonuses. On top of this, you can spend points to bolster your troops with extra abilities. The enemy is usually so well-prepared and positioned that your troops will be turned into mincemeat if you don't think through what you want to do.

You need to make use of all your troop types and the terrain to get around the enemy and defeat your counterpart on the enemy side. This is also where some of the issues become apparent. The enemy is either in full defence or in full attack against you. There is no middle ground. However, you can trigger counter-attacks if you capture certain positions on the map. This means you almost always have plenty of time to outflank the enemy and defeat them relatively painlessly. When defending, however, you are dependent on how you position your troops, whether you counter-attack and capture certain objectives on the map or remain in areas you can easily defend. Your computer opponent struggles to adapt to your actions, which sometimes makes certain situations too easy. At the same time, the missions are long and you often have to capture many positions in succession, meaning that even if individual battles are straightforward, you must conserve your forces for your final objective.

In the campaign, you choose a general, then you can select a powerful bonus and even upgrade it. If you have enough points, you can also purchase more than one ability.

Even if you can overlook your computer opponent's skill level, you'll still be challenged thanks to the lengthy missions. The graphics are a significant upgrade and the game boasts some impressive visual effects. The visuals help turn the whole thing into a spectacle to watch, which means I sometimes overlook a certain passivity on the part of your opponent. When the action kicks off, buildings explode and tanks and soldiers are hurled into the air. It is this balance between working out solutions and watching the effects unfold that is the game's strength. Some of the missions are also quite well-crafted, with varied objectives and challenging gameplay mechanics. For example, I found the first German missions to be rewarding in a good way. You are dropped in with limited resources and have to steal vehicles and other supplies until you have a position sufficiently protected to start calling in heavier weapons. It's tricky and difficult to have enough soldiers to capture the final town on the map. However, I was a bit disappointed when I had to play the same level again on the Allied side.

Although some missions are easier, I found that certain missions were genuinely challenging even on lower difficulty levels. If you're not particularly experienced with these games, it might take a few attempts before you can complete a mission. One of the early German missions involved repairing your vehicles up to a certain limit whilst the enemy continuously attacks you in waves with their vehicles at full health. It took me a few attempts before I found the right solution, and that's what makes this more of a puzzle game than an old-school real-time strategy game. You need to think through what you're doing and why. Sometimes it might be better to lose so you can adjust your strategies and try again. Once the enemy starts winning, it's hard to salvage the situation. You have no built bases to retreat to; instead, you simply move troops and can order reinforcements or aircraft to carry out missions. This means the game has a strict military focus. In this respect, it is somewhat reminiscent of the Blitzkrieg series.

Different biomes also change the appearance of your troops.

However, Kite Games has managed to make this sequel feel more serious and tactical than its predecessor. I like all the little details, such as ordering troops to take cover or tanks to close their hatches. The simulation is relatively in-depth; your troops have fuel, ammunition and other supplies to keep track of. On the maps, there are usually opportunities to supply your troops with what they need. You can also load up trucks that follow behind your forces and, if necessary, carry out repairs, provide ammunition and refuel. If your units run out of any of these, they become extremely vulnerable. It is this that gives the game a certain depth beyond the simpler gameplay systems we see in, for example, Company of Heroes 3.

Although the AI opponent isn't always great, it's a spectacle that is at times challenging and showcases the conflict. The focus in this sequel is primarily on the single-player experience, which offers 25 missions. Almost every mission takes around an hour to complete, so the game offers a decent amount of playtime if the campaign mode is what you enjoy most of all. Unfortunately, many of the maps are reused, meaning there aren't quite as many unique missions as it first appears. As for the multiplayer mode, there are also issues with the number of maps. The base game has two to four maps for multiplayer, and two of these are locked to the Deluxe Edition. There is also a fairly small player base, which creates a combination that can make it difficult to find players at times. For that reason, I wouldn't recommend this to you right now if you're interested in multiplayer. It's unclear how many new maps we'll get in the long run. At present, the focus is on the single-player experience. It is primarily through the campaign that you will get the most out of this product.

Each part of the conflict has one or more missions, each lasting an hour.

Strange as it may sound, this is a strategy game you buy to play on your own against a fairly decent computer opponent. Although the AI isn't particularly strong, it's saved by a few challenging levels and various pre-programmed events that make the missions more engaging. I'm still finding it a bit hard to decide whether I prefer the fifth instalment or the fourth. The fifth instalment is something of a return to the older titles, with a greater focus on the simulation element and the tactical aspect. If you like strategic and tactical real-time strategy games, this might be for you. The missions require patience and time on your part, but you can always save whenever you like. However, there are several shortcomings in the fifth instalment that you need to bear in mind, such as a lack of game modes, maps, repeated maps in the campaign, and few maps in multiplayer mode. You jump between various famous battles, which means there's no overarching narrative thread; instead, you carry out missions on different battlefields. It doesn't get any more engaging than that.

I'm happy with both the music and the graphics. You've got sweeping musical pieces that work perfectly with all the explosions on screen. The music never gets in the way and doesn't take over the experience. The graphics are an improvement on what we had in the fourth instalment and look good, even if the infantry lacks a bit of detail. I wrote in the preview of the demo version of the game that the ricochet effects were some of the best I'd seen in a game of this type. I stand by that now that I've tested the full product. Some of the effects look absolutely fantastic. However, it can be a bit hard to make out; the troops are quite small on the map and are camouflaged. This means it isn't easy to find all your troops and move them around quickly. For many, this will be a problem. I found it was sometimes unnecessarily difficult to see my units, and I don't have a straightforward solution to the problem. Perhaps there should be an option to make the outlines lighter, or some other visual cue that makes it easier to identify what you've selected and where. Even if you've selected a tank, it isn't always easy to quickly see what type of vehicle or infantry unit you've clicked on.

Buying troops is easy. The points you use can also be used to call in bombing raids or air strikes. You need to use your resources wisely.

Sudden Strike 5 is a game that doesn't quite live up to its price tag. It costs £45 and offers a limited amount of single-player content. There is a lack of variety in the missions themselves, and the multiplayer mode is underdeveloped. However, the elements that do work are really good. Several of the missions are genuinely entertaining in the German, American and Soviet campaigns. Despite a few missteps in reusing some mission maps, there was potential to show the conflicts from each perspective. This isn't utilised well enough in this game. The narrative is really only used to give you an excuse to move your troops around and blow things up. It's a bit of a shame, considering how well Company of Heroes used storytelling in its campaign.

If you can live with the shortcomings, Sudden Strike 5 is a competent strategy game. In many ways, it is an evolution of the fourth instalment. At the same time, I'd like to put in a word for the fourth game and its downloadable content packs. I currently think it offers better value than buying the fifth instalment. The fourth game introduces elements such as the Finnish Winter War, the Pacific War and much more through its expansions. It is unclear what the fifth instalment will offer on that front at present. I am honestly torn about what I think of this game. On the one hand, it develops concepts and deepens gameplay elements compared to the fourth instalment; on the other hand, its predecessor offers more interesting conflict zones. If Kite Games continues to expand the fifth instalment, it could have significantly more to offer. However, I haven't come away from the experience dissatisfied, nor am I entirely satisfied. My favourite thing about Sudden Strike 5 is probably its ricochet effects. If there's one thing you see a lot of, it's this, as shots bounce off armour regularly. It's also mesmerizingly well done.

The maps look decent, and you can make use of both buildings and trenches in the terrain.

If you're like me, you might be better off waiting a bit before getting the fifth instalment. The fourth is still quite decent and, with its expansions, remains entertaining even today. The fifth needs a bit more content and a couple of updates before I can fully recommend it. Everything from the graphics, music and sound to the tank simulation and much more has been improved. At the same time, there are still areas for development, such as the AI, more maps, the user interface, the visibility of your troops, and a more content-rich multiplayer mode. There are also certain aspects of the balance between the troop types that need reviewing. For these reasons, my rating lands a little lower than what I would give the fourth instalment today, with all content included. When it works, it's good, but at present there is room to improve even further.

The campaign map shows you which missions you have completed and which ones you will unlock. The shortest of the three is the Soviet campaign, and the longest is the German campaign.

There are two game modes and two maps per mode. They're decent game modes where you have to capture points on the map.

In Dominion mode, you need to hold key points. It's a bit like Company of Heroes.