Review posted at Wargamer.com

[Snowbart1943]

http://www.wargamer.com/reviews/gunsofaugust/

[Rob Brennan UK]

Guns of August should probably not be anyone’s first complex wargame. The AI is not a slouch and will smack players silly if they are not paying close attention. Detailed thought is required to achieve success in each game component, but a love for the subject matter can alleviate much of the stress of learning. If players love the history of the under-utilized content of World War I, then the grand strategy of Guns of August will be well worth the wait.

I'd say thats a fair assesment, and the review was a lot more detailed than the previous one posted here. Lets hope more people are ameanable to purchasing this gem because of it [8D]

[EUBanana]

A fair review.  Described the game well - but didn't really comment on if he liked it or not!

[Bossy573]

That was an excellent review from a reputable source.


Basically, if you dig The Great War in any way, then buy it. [8D]

[Snowbart1943]

I really dont understand these reviews that do not offer a final rating....I had a subscription to PC Gamer for yrs until Bill Trotter left and they cut out wargame coverage completely...I guess i got used to their rating criteria.  We need a 10 point scale or whatever and to have these fellas give us their #! 
 
And everyone is right, if you are here reading this right now, just get them game! [:'(] 

[SMK-at-work]

I don't need someone else's scale to tell me about this game!!

[JudgeDredd]

ORIGINAL: Bossy573
Basically, if you dig The Great War in any way, then buy it. [8D]

I could argue you have no need to be interested in the Great War. I wasn't. But the game is probably the best I have from Matrix with Commander Europe at War coming a close second.

[heroes99]

ORIGINAL: JudgeDredd

I could argue you have no need to be interested in the Great War. I wasn't. But the game is probably the best I have from Matrix with Commander Europe at War coming a close second.

This remark has push my buying factor from a low 2 - a high 7 [:)][:)]

[SMK-at-work]

IMO CEAW doesn't hold a patch in this!! It's the equvalent of snakes and ladders - it works as a game but it's dumbed down so it has little resemblence to a simulation of WW2.  This is more like Go

[hjaco]

CEAW is ridiculous. Deploy Royal Navy in the channel in 1940 and you will kill every german unit within two hexes of the coast in clear.

[heroes99]

CEAW is our office buddies top game at the moment

[JudgeDredd]

I had to laugh at this...

Some technical problems that I encountered while downloading and starting the game up were occasional security problems with the provided key code, and a handful of crashes to desktop. These problems only occurred the first two or three times and dissipated the more I booted the game up, so I got the impression that they were growing pains. The game ran smoothly after these initial problems.

Especially when the reviewers specs are listed and started with the statement "Windows Vista"...roflmao

[JudgeDredd]

Well I won't get into a CEAW is this or that. What I will say is that I didn't buy CEAW to replay history. I wanted a new Panzer General and I got it...with steroids.

In fact I do not buy any wargame to replay history. I know who one the second world war. IMO, if it's fun, it doesn't matter how dumbed down it is, how uber realistic it is, how historically accurate it is...as long as I can have a good time playing it, then it's...erm...enjoyable.

[Bossy573]

ORIGINAL: JudgeDredd
I could argue you have no need to be interested in the Great War. I wasn't. But the game is probably the best I have from Matrix with Commander Europe at War coming a close second.

Agree on all points. I was re-stating the reviews conclusion. [:)]

[heroes99]

ORIGINAL: JudgeDredd

Well I won't get into a CEAW is this or that. What I will say is that I didn't buy CEAW to replay history. I wanted a new Panzer General and I got it...with steroids.

In fact I do not buy any wargame to replay history. I know who one the second world war. IMO, if it's fun, it doesn't matter how dumbed down it is, how uber realistic it is, how historically accurate it is...as long as I can have a good time playing it, then it's...erm...enjoyable.

Yep fully agree here ONE HUNDRED percent [:)]

Just that there are history fanatic group that does not want to leave this game the way it is ....

[ejs6263]

My read of the review is that the reviewer found the game historically accurate and highly challenging which is why GOA has been one of my personal favorite "grand strategy" offerings in a long time. This previously quoted paragraph pretty much says it all:

Guns of August should probably not be anyone’s first complex wargame. The AI is not a slouch and will smack players silly if they are not paying close attention. Detailed thought is required to achieve success in each game component, but a love for the subject matter can alleviate much of the stress of learning. If players love the history of the under-utilized content of World War I, then the grand strategy of Guns of August will be well worth the wait.

I don't think he's saying that you have to be a proverbial WWI "buff" to enjoy the game: I think he's saying that an understanding of the conflict will help with some of the strategic frustrations that someone otherwise not familiar with the war would face. I agree with that comment as I could see someone playing as the CP who didn't understand what the Schlieffen Plan intended to accomplish (before von Moltke's alterations that doomed the plan) making the mistake of loading up troops in the East and the West and finding themselves attritted as Russians build up and as the BEF arrive to bolster French troops.

If you are a buff, you'll love this game which is a sentiment with which I wholeheartedly agree.

[*Lava*]

Personally...

I'm not a big fan of WWI.

OTOH, I reallllly like this game.

Grand strategy at its best with a WWI flavor.

Nice job, Frank.

Ray (alias Lava)

[EUBanana]

I think its cool that you have to juggle shell shortages and things like that which were issues in the real war.  As someone who has read a fair bit about WW1 I appreciate such nods to history.

On the other hand, I don't think you need a deep understanding of the reasons why a given wargame is the way it is to play it and enjoy it.