Men of War II overwhelmed me with its complexity. I guess that's a good sign

When they ask me what music I listen to, I usually answer – almost any kind of music, except disco polo. When they ask me what genres of games I like, I answer similarly – almost all of them, maybe with the exception of truck driving simulators or agricultural machinery. So I didn't hesitate long when I was asked to review Men of War II. I even approached it with curiosity, because I hadn't had any closer contact with RTS games for some time. I quickly realized what a big mistake I had made.

Men of War II. The painful realization of one's own helplessness

I had a reality check during the tutorial, which you definitely shouldn't skip. It took me two evenings just to complete this basic training. Yes, it can be done casually in one sitting, but maybe not in the shoes of a typical, busy 30-year-old. So, to enjoy the game, you first need to listen and read a bit. Not a very tempting prospect for an impatient reviewer.

Of course, I realized that Men of War II would not be like Warcraft, Starcraft or even the Command and Conquer series. However, in my worst nightmares I did not foresee the level of complexity. The multitude of units and things that can be done with them simply overwhelmed me. I tried to get around this problem and play “hurray”, i.e. send a mass of tanks and armored vehicles without much preparation. However, this is the worst thing we can do, because a clever computer opponent will quickly counter such laziness. Not to mention the human opponent who is just waiting for something like this in multiplayer mode.

World War 2 for fans of micromanagement

There are no shortcuts here, you have to focus on the material given to us by the creators of the Ukrainian Best Way. Men of War II is not for generals who like to dominate the enemy with numerical superiority. I prefer commanders who love micromanagement. To such an extent that specific soldiers can be given specific equipment in their backpacks. To such an extent that we have campaign missions in which units of several people eliminate overwhelming enemy forces.

I was still able to control individual groups, I'm not such a “gaming grandpa” anymore. However, when I had several units at my disposal, the real problems began. I always forgot about attaching a cannon to the truck, manning the mortar with two soldiers, or changing the type of tank shells from anti-personnel to anti-tank. Many times, when the last formations I sent reached the front, those sent ahead were already standing in clouds of smoke.

Men of War II does a good job of capturing the chaos of the battlefield

I'm a terrible strategist, and this game clearly reminded me of that. However, I appreciated the fact that it made me realize even more how complex the modern battlefield is and how often it is a hopeless attempt to contain pure chaos. Within my first three playthroughs, I fatally ran down my own horse and shot up a building with my men inside, burying them in the rubble. I also won a battle that lasted several hours, completely forgetting about some of my troops, who ultimately did not fire even a single bullet.

While playing Men of War II, I was in agony because I had absolutely no multitasking skills. While others were lining up for the gift of multitasking and logistical talents, I was heading to the ADHD counter and panicking under pressure. Fortunately, I have a certain perceptiveness and the gift of recognizing a good game when I come across one. Men of War II is a great game. The only question is – as is usually the case in such situations – great for whom?

Men of War II. Crazy detail

If you also have this gift of perception and have read carefully, you may have already noticed some advantages of the production described here. We're talking about detail and going down to the lowest levels of micromanagement. We can do almost anything here: our soldiers can lie down, hide behind an obstacle, hide in a building or a vehicle. They can sprint, shoot, throw various types of grenades and operate deployable missile launchers.

We even have scouts and engineers who will locate enemy targets and ensure that the Gatling gun crew never runs out of ammunition. We were given an extensive vehicle damage system, like a small World of Tanks. If we face the enemy with the wrong side of the tank, we can forget about the chance for any favorable exchange of fire. Armor is only one of the purposes: you can also destroy tank tracks or gun turrets. Killing individual crew members will also significantly affect the combat capabilities of a specific machine. You can even take direct control of a specific unit.

Real-time strategy for hardcore gamers

I'm not even going to start talking about aviation, because I was terrified of all this fun and didn't try to delve into this one additional aspect. I only called for reconnaissance and sometimes asked to bomb more heavily defended points. Without this, it was often impossible to effectively move your units on the offensive. As I mentioned earlier, the multitude of solutions is unfortunately not optional. To succeed in Men of War II you need to be able to play many pianos at the same time and use all the benefits of your army.

Best Way's production is probably not for casual players who would like to run through several enemy trenches with a tank without any stress. However, it is a perfect toy for unfulfilled strategists who dream of an infantry assault planned down to the smallest detail, supported by heavy vehicles and artillery, as well as precise bomber strikes.

The Second War in a digital edition

Fans of the history and realities of World War II should also be satisfied, because everything has been recreated here with due attention to detail. Perhaps the reviewer was sometimes unable to distinguish one gun from another, nor did he instinctively notice the differences between numerous types of armored vehicles. However, people interested in the military and that period should not have a problem with this.

Men of War II is also a game for older users. There are many bloody scenes and the horror of war. People are dying like flies here, often in brutal circumstances. Our missiles are able to destroy everything and everyone, leaving not even a single building on the front. Total destruction is undoubtedly an advantage of this type of strategy, and the creators took special care of this issue.

Men of War II? A game for connoisseurs

When rating a game so far from my preferences, I had to look at user ratings. I was a bit surprised that Best Way has mixed reviews on Steam. The main complaint is that Men of War II is not similar to the first part. It's hard for me to comment on this, as I simply never played that production. However, many defenders of “2” write that such an assessment is unfair, and they had great fun… after about 5-10 hours, when they managed to “bite” into this title. They also praised the multiplayer mode.

If – like me – you don't have 10 hours to spend tediously learning the controls and – like the undersigned – you don't have a bachelor's degree in logistics, I would suggest you seriously consider buying Men of War II. Not everyone can be a great leader, at a certain age you just have to accept it. However, if you were born wearing a Napoleon hat, or graduated from West Point with honors… Well, I think I have something for you here.