The Great War: Western Front for Windows

Definitive World War I strategy game

The Great War: Western Front is a premium tactical real-time strategy game from Petroglyph that gives players a peak of what transpired during World War I. You play for the Allies or the Central Powers in this game. In it, you will engage in fierce, grinding battles across muddy, blood-soaked fields of Europe to ensure victory.

Unlike other World War titles, The Great War: Western Front promises highly detailed and realistic depictions of trench warfare. More than fortifying your troop’s positions and allocating resources, you will also determine the direction of technological research, such as poison gas and powerful tanks.

What is The Great War: Western Front?

The Great War: Western Front is a strategy game that will take you to the pivotal Western Front from 1914 to 1919. As mentioned, you play either as the Allies or the Central Powers faction. Your role is to lead your forces to victory by directing your armies in real-time battles. You will think as a commander and guide them by making high-level decisions.

Besides epic turn-based strategic gameplay, the game also features historical accuracy in various ways. You will not win territories in heroic pushes. Instead, you will try to win a battle slowly and bloodily. You will also use true-to-life infantry, weapons, artillery, and tanks. Moreover, pushing into the enemy’s territory is not the only way to win. You can also break the National Will and have them surrender.

There are no hero units in this game. It also sticks to the trench warfare of WWI, requiring you to dig mud holes as you push toward enemies. Moreover, reconnaissance balloons are your only way to get a better look at the opponent’s camp. Players should also note that air missions will be limited by fuel usage and the pilot’s sense of direction.

Engaging gameplay

The Great War: Western Front is divided into two sections. There’s a strategic element where players move their armies around the map in a turn-based system, and then when two forces clash, the action escalates into a real-time battle. This real-time strategy game has two phases—a planning and construction phase, where you design a network of trenches and firing positions while keeping in mind how best to protect your troops. During a battle phase, you deploy units on the battlefield and control them as they fight.

The game becomes more challenging as you continue to play, introducing new elements into combat. You can dispatch rudimentary airstrikes against enemy forces, sending AI-controlled bombers and interceptors to clear the skies above. As you continue your quest through the war-torn region, ever more dangerous artillery barrages await you. Additionally, armor divisions are powerful for a number of reasons, including the ability to penetrate even well-planned defenses.

Should you play it?

Overall, The Great War: Western Front is a must-play if you are looking for a realistic depiction of World War I. The battles, the graphics, and the settings will take you to the time between 1914 and 1919. The game also comes with four deep and compelling modes to play. However, as it pushes for historical accuracy, don’t expect high-end technology and artillery.