Sudden Strike 5 Review
Kalypso Media and Kite Games have recently released Sudden Strike 5, and we’re with you today to give you our full review and common-sense parent’s guide! This brutal World War II strategy might be a little different to those you’ve played before, but it gets the setting and vibe just right.
Read on below to find out if Sudden Strike 5 is worthwhile, how it plays on Steam Deck and if it’s suitable for children. As ever if you have any questions get those in the comments below or on your favourite social media platform, and read on for our full Sudden Strike 5 Review!
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The Basics – What is Sudden Strike 5 About?
Sudden Strike 5 is out now for PC, Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5. It’s a game which offers a truly unforgiving look into the Second World War – bringing campaigns and troops for the Western Allies, Soviets and Axis forces.
Bringing various tactical options, over 300 playable units and a 25-mission campaign spread over European and African theatres, Sudden Strike 5 lets you take the helm of vital battles. With disciplined real-time strategy you’ll get far in Sudden Strike 5 but do beware, this is definitely the kind of game that needs you to think ahead, and move slowly.
In most real-time warfare titles, it can be relatively easy to throw troops into a fight, recruit more and repeat until you’ve won. Sudden Strike 5 however, sticks to the roots of the franchise, requiring a more realistic approach to movement and resources.
Try throwing a load of infantry at a fortified position and it doesn’t really matter how many troops you moved up with – what you’ll end up with is a lot of unalived infantry. Instead, Sudden Strike 5 makes you plan ahead, moving up slowly and ensuring that units are provided with cover (whether this is visual cover from terrain or equipment, or bombardment from afar with long-range artillery).
In addition, the title doesn’t let you just call in troops whenever you want – you’ll first have to find and capture the correct type of checkpoint, and after that, you’ll still need to earn Prestige by capturing and holding further objectives.
On top of everything, you’ll also need to keep an eye on things like ammunition and fuel. It’s all well and good sending troops and tanks into a well-reasoned assault, but if they don’t have the fuel to get there or ammunition to fire, guess what you are left with, once more.
Is Sudden Strike 5 Safe for Kids?
Rating: Caution Advised.
Sudden Strike 5 is rated by PEGI at 12 and above, and by the ESRB at T for Teen. Obviously as a title set in the tough battles of World War II, there’s some language and violence, but in fairness, surprisingly little blood here. There are online options to beware of, and of course the inherent violence that goes with the genre and setting.
Overall, it’s one where I’d be happy to stick to the age limit for our Micro Bandits, if anything just for the fact that the slower approach to warfare in the title is likely not going to be one they have much time for. The lack of blood calms my initial worries about over the top violence and it’s one I’d consider playing in front of them without much concern.
How Does Sudden Strike 5 Play on Steam Deck?
Rating: Runs like a Dream.
Sudden Strike 5 is officially rated as Steam Deck Verified and my experience has reflected that. One thing to note is that it seems to be one of those titles which really hammers the battery, so you won’t get much more than a couple of hours out of it, but in terms of performance and control this runs like butter.
On the smaller screen, troops are still distinct, and controller optimisation has been deeply considered. It’s a little tougher to navigate the map (as should be entirely expected) but overall I’ve been very, very happy with Sudden Strike 5 playing on Steam Deck.
The Run Down
Our Five-Point Quality Check for Sudden Strike 5
Gameplay – 4: Sudden Strike 5 is packed with large, strategic battles, where you’ll actually have to think and plan ahead. The scale of the levels allow for plenty of player choice (even when it’s the wrong choice). AI can sometimes be a bit of a pain, and there’s definitely some room for improvement with balancing and population caps, but overall it has great tactical depth.
Visuals – 4: This one is pretty gorgeous to look at. When you get up close, unit animations can get a little off and it’s a little weird to see tanks rolling over trenches, and the UI could do with some improvements for clarity, but minute-to-minute gameplay looks great, especially with having a lot on the screen at once while it maintains smooth, quality visuals.
Audio – 5: The soundtrack in the game is one I’m happy to have on in the background, and voice acting has been done well to give communications some oomph. Sudden Strike 5 nails the audio as well, and with so much going on at once (if you’re anything like me) being able to make out what’s happening – or not happening – via audio really helps me keep track of things
Narrative – 5: This is a title which covers real battles from the period. While there’s a lot of player agency, it’s great that tactics depend on real-life scenarios, and that all of this information is presented to the player within the briefing, as well.
Replay – 4: Marked down very slightly here simply for the fact that it’s a very slow moving title and that can make it a little tougher to re-engage after completing a mission – however! Sudden Strike 5 offers a lot in terms of campaign missions in themselves, each of which come with challenges to complete, as well as online options which will allow you to sink hours into the game.
The Verdict
Is Sudden Strike 5 Worth Grabbing?
Overall, our Pixel Bandits’ Achtung Spitfire! score for Sudden Strike 5 is 87 / 10. It’s important that you don’t approach Sudden Strike 5 as you would with titles like Command and Conquer – slow and steady movement, fortifications and cover are key. It’s a tough game with brutal warfare that doesn’t make light of the struggles of the time.
It’s not possible to throw units around and hope for the best – each decision needs to think of what’s coming up, and so it’s definitely only for those looking for a slow and strategic RTS. In addition, there’s no boot-camp style tutorial which is going to really hurt anybody trying Sudden Strike for the first time.
Overall, while there is some room for improvements, it’s still one which I’ve had a lot of fun with. The slow pace is a nice change from the usual hits in the genre and it’s a great one for those looking to settle down for some well considered, strategic battles – especially for anybody who appreciates the history behind the setting.
As ever, to provide our Pixel Bandits review and common-sense parent’s guide for Sudden Strike 5 we received a game code from the folks at Kalypso Media