How does this compare to WitE 2?

Gary Grigsby’s War in the West 1943-45 is the most ambitious and detailed computer wargame on the Western Front of World War II ever made. Starting with the Summer 1943 invasions of Sicily and Italy and proceeding through the invasions of France and the drive into Germany, War in the West brings you all the Allied campaigns in Western Europe and the capability to re-fight the Western Front according to your plan.

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RedwoodForest
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How does this compare to WitE 2?

Post by RedwoodForest »

I’m tempted to grab WitW while it’s on a good sale. How does it compare to WitE 2? Worth doing a deep dive like that masterpiece?
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Metalist
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Re: How does this compare to WitE 2?

Post by Metalist »

Having spent almost 400 hours in each game, here are, I think, the reasons why someone who likes WITE 2 may not like WITW:

1) In WITE 2, unless you are playing a late war campaign, the initiative switches so both sides enjoy being on the offensive and defensive. However, in WITW, Germany is always on the defensive, while the Allies are always on the offensive.

2) The air war is much more detailed, especially regarding strategic air war. If you play as Germany, it is still not too much work since you can count on auto-intercept and just rotate depleted air wings, though you still need to complicate Allied plans with naval patrols or interdiction in local sectors. If you play as the Allies, you have much more work to do since you have to plan where to bomb effectively.

3) Ground combat is much more limited, at least until D-Day. This is mostly because there are far fewer counters to deal with, and Italy's rough terrain does not allow for operational flexibility.

If these are not issues for you, I'd highly recommend the game. I think the most fun aspect of the game—at least when playing as Germany—is to correctly anticipate Allied plans and allocate your very limited resources effectively to counter them.

There are still some technical issues, and improvements could be made here and there, but unfortunately, the devs no longer care about the game. That said, it is still pretty playable and balanced (to the extent that historical conditions allow), in my opinion.
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zakblood
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Re: How does this compare to WitE 2?

Post by zakblood »

Italy's battles for me is why i always love WITW tbh, have all 3 games, but the one i play the most is still WITW, Arnhem and Italy's battles are for me my fav's, but yes WITE2 is easier to play with more help, works better out of the box on steam with 4k sizes etc, but really does depend on what battles in what campaigns you like the most in my honest opinion
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zakblood
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Re: How does this compare to WitE 2?

Post by zakblood »

and well worth a 2nd post on the subject, think of it as it took a whole game to get WITE right, and so hopefully WITW2 will fix any left over issues and errors like 4k etc and steam and be perfect like WITE2 seems to be :ugeek:

not being picky, just a comment :lol:
20251228082005_1.jpg
20251228082005_1.jpg (320.91 KiB) Viewed 268 times
oh my G@D, so much FUN, probable wasn't that much of it in the day, the rain and mud and fighting etc, but as a war gamer, it doesn't get much better than this imo

fresh install of steam and windows tbh
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RedwoodForest
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Re: How does this compare to WitE 2?

Post by RedwoodForest »

zakblood wrote: Sun Dec 28, 2025 8:12 am and well worth a 2nd post on the subject, think of it as it took a whole game to get WITE right, and so hopefully WITW2 will fix any left over issues and errors like 4k etc and steam and be perfect like WITE2 seems to be :ugeek:

not being picky, just a comment :lol:
20251228082005_1.jpg

oh my G@D, so much FUN, probable wasn't that much of it in the day, the rain and mud and fighting etc, but as a war gamer, it doesn't get much better than this imo

fresh install of steam and windows tbh
I am sold, but has WITW 2 been confirmed or at least rumored?
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zakblood
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Re: How does this compare to WitE 2?

Post by zakblood »

no
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Zovs
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Re: How does this compare to WitE 2?

Post by Zovs »

RedwoodForest wrote: Mon Dec 29, 2025 1:10 am
zakblood wrote: Sun Dec 28, 2025 8:12 am and well worth a 2nd post on the subject, think of it as it took a whole game to get WITE right, and so hopefully WITW2 will fix any left over issues and errors like 4k etc and steam and be perfect like WITE2 seems to be :ugeek:

not being picky, just a comment :lol:
20251228082005_1.jpg

oh my G@D, so much FUN, probable wasn't that much of it in the day, the rain and mud and fighting etc, but as a war gamer, it doesn't get much better than this imo

fresh install of steam and windows tbh
I am sold, but has WITW 2 been confirmed or at least rumored?
As far as I know there will be no WITW2, and no WIE (a combination of WITW & WITE2). The devs are very close to retiring and the amount of work to do an update of WITW2 or the rumored and hoped for WIE will not materialize.

Unless of course if 2B3 sell the code base for series to Matrix Games and then Matrix Games hires some other programmers to work on this, which is another pipe dream that won't happen.

So the bottom line is we have WITW and WITE2 and that is it, there aint no more coming down the pike on this train. (same thing with the rumored and pipe dream of 2B3 doing a WITP3, just not going to happen).
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