I'm really glad I decided to check this out on a whim when it was on sale early this year. I had briefly remembered looking at the original Call to Arms years ago and being intrigued yet underwhelmed. But this version, now fully standalone from the original, is so much more high quality than the base game.

This game reminds me a lot of World in Conflict, and I love it for that. It plays similar in a number of ways, from a very quick time to kill on a lot of units, the types of battle strategies that it encourages, and the points system it uses to call in reinforcements instead of using base building and resource gathering.

The detail in the units, maps, and sound design (especially after recent patches) are unlike anything I've ever seen or heard in an RTS. The sound alone is better than most FPS games. Mortar, artillery, and tank barrages are terrifying. The maps are large and littered with tons of details, destructible objects and buildings, building and bunker interiors, trenches, and detailed foliage.

Every troop has a kit, a random name (ex.Lt. John Smith), limited ammo, and limited resources that must be managed with supply trucks. Vehicles have ammo and fuel too, as well as full crews that can enter and exit any vehicle. Vehicles have individual parts that can be damaged and repaired as well. Despite all that, it's simple enough to manage it all and doesn't feel overwhelming.

The game also includes the ability to directly control units. Controlling foot troops is clunky and not that great, so I never use it, but controlling tanks and AT guns works incredibly well and its super immersive. It feels a bit like Warthunder, or like you're playing a scene from the movie Fury.

There's also ample modding support and the use of the Steam Workshop. Shoutout to the mod Valor for providing a number of high quality factions like Italy, Japan, France, and the UK in a way that makes them feel like official content.

I'm really glad I decided to check this out on a whim when it was on sale early this year. I had briefly remembered looking at the original Call to Arms years ago and being intrigued yet underwhelmed. But this version, now fully standalone from the original, is so much more high quality than the base game. This game reminds me a lot of World in Conflict, and I love it for that. It plays similar in a number of ways, from a very quick time to kill on a lot of units, the types of battle strategies that it encourages, and the points system it uses to call in reinforcements instead of using base building and resource gathering. The detail in the units, maps, and sound design (especially after recent patches) are unlike anything I've ever seen or heard in an RTS. The sound alone is better than most FPS games. Mortar, artillery, and tank barrages are terrifying. The maps are large and littered with tons of details, destructible objects and buildings, building and bunker interiors, trenches, and detailed foliage. Every troop has a kit, a random name (ex.Lt. John Smith), limited ammo, and limited resources that must be managed with supply trucks. Vehicles have ammo and fuel too, as well as full crews that can enter and exit any vehicle. Vehicles have individual parts that can be damaged and repaired as well. Despite all that, it's simple enough to manage it all and doesn't feel overwhelming. The game also includes the ability to directly control units. Controlling foot troops is clunky and not that great, so I never use it, but controlling tanks and AT guns works incredibly well and its super immersive. It feels a bit like Warthunder, or like you're playing a scene from the movie Fury. There's also ample modding support and the use of the Steam Workshop. Shoutout to the mod Valor for providing a number of high quality factions like Italy, Japan, France, and the UK in a way that makes them feel like official content.