Simple controls and tactical complexity merge to achieve the year’s best wargame in Unity of Command II. It’s a game that forces you to optimize each one of your moves, like a classic board game in the style of Risk, but without the randomness. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this game, either to novices or veterans of the genre.
I played through the campaign of Unity of Command II and had a blast. Excellent strategy game as you fight through WWII as the Allies.
Game(s) like: Panzer Corps, Fantasy General II
Pros:
- The supply line was a lot of fun to manage and cut off
- Unique turn based combat using steps as units
- Nice long campaign - took me about 30+ hours
Cons:
- The game could be a little obtuse on special units, steps - but they have added more tooltips with details
- I still never understood your percentage to hit on air strikes and the special attacks - suppression and others. Either I missed it or they should add a better UI display.
Excellent strategy game with the added layer of logistic supply, which is so critical in real war. Very approachable yet very deep as you play and learn more. Very fun and challenging to play, which can be toned down based on the level you choose to play. Play this challenging, approachable fun strategy game, we need more games like this.
I'm a huge fan of Hexfeld strategy games. Whether it's the Panzer General series, Panzer Tactics HD, or much more complex titles like Strategic Command and Gary Grigsby's War in the West, I've spent several hours of my life playing turn-based strategy games with WWII setting. I liked the Panzer General series and also Panzer Corps the best, because they were quite complex, but with a simple user interface and catchy rules. A similar case is Unity of Command 2, where the logistics gives the usual hex battle an interesting spin.
In 40 years of playing strategy and war games, this is in the top 5 wargames ever. Incredibly deep and engaging gameplay, and scenario design is first-rate. There is a great deal of diversity and interest in the individual battles - everything from set-piece slogs in the mountains of Italy, to frantic pursuit scenarios across France, to intricately planned river crossings in Germany. It's great fun by a dedicated and dogged development team, who continue to refine and release additional content.
UOC 2 is a simple game to learn, but a very hard game to beat. A great challenging experience for anyone who enjoys strategy games.
If you enjoyed the original UOC then you will love UOC2. If you're not familiar with either game then just give it a go, you will not be disappointed.
The basic mechanics of the original game, tactical use of force, maintenance and disruption of supply lines, etc. have been expanded and enhanced to add both complexity and depth to the game-play. Replay ability is guaranteed by varying levels of difficulty and differing starting scenarios for individual battles. Something that was not present in the original game which had a single setting of "hard".
There is a demo version of the original game available from the developer's website at ****.
A great evolution from the first game.
+ Deeper logistics and HQ mechanics;
+ Same great visual style, only better. Great map!
+ Excellent overall look and feel.
+ The field manoeuver tutorial is an excellent idea.
+ Cloud save, yay! Lunch breaks gaming here I come!
+ Comes with an editor! Can't wait to see people's content with this, I haven't looked at it, I *think*, for now, we can create only single battles but hopefully, we'll get to create full campaigns.
+ Dunno if people will be able to visually mod the game, would be great, especially to get more variety on motorized/mechanized units.
+ The more I play, the more I find that there's a lot to love in the way some aspects of operational warfare are being abstracted, from stragglers being reintroduced as spare steps to the expense of HQ command points to the flexibility provided with re-assigning steps.
+ The HQ actions and upgrades are really interesting and quite useful. They provide a surprisingly deep set of options to run your battle.
- - -
- There are some mechanics that are a bit harder to figure out, would be great to have access to the manual from the game.
- Somehow I find navigating the map not entirely intuitive (I often select a unit when I actually want to pan the camera, for example. No big deal, easy to get used to, just a note).
- I find the AI to be overly cautious at time. I realize this is likely the ultimate challenge to pull off in making a strategy game, but there are gains to be made on this count IMHO.
- I would add some tooltips on the unit data card. Some of that stuff is unclear.
- Some of the scenario progression is slightly odd. For example, once you complete the first leg of mainland Italy's invasion and choose the historical path for the second one, the frontline and the objectives assigned to you are moved back according to the historical timeline. I understand why it is so, but in terms of overall game progress, it's somewhat puzzling. The game actually cares for this, as it offers an option to make an alternate-history earlier run for the Apennines, presumably factoring in my previous success. I think this could be articulated better so that I understand the frontline rollback implication. It wouldn't be a huge issue if I could simply go back and select a different course of action, but with the Conference system, but the game doesn't allow this.
I eagerly recommend this game!
Not realistic enough for me; to have my panzer troop wiped out by a enemy cavalry troop seems impossible, and the same when I try to invade a city and that the score is 5:0 because I use tanks in place of infantry. So in real life, to invade a occupied city with tanks makes no casualties for the resistance, really ?
The second edition and the improved version of one of the most overrated games of all time.
This isn't a tactical war strategy game; it's all about supply management which is impossible to do.
Just don't listen to the other reviewers and the hype. Don't waste your money and time by playing this stupid game like I did. You may try the cracked version if you don't believe me.
SummaryUnity of Command II is the sequel to one of the most critically acclaimed strategy games of all time; a game critics called 'the perfect gateway' into computer war games.