Steel Division 2

Steel Division 2 is a game with some excellent ideas, such as the Army General campaigns, the attention to detail and the sheer size of battles in multiplayer and, to a lesser extent, skirmish. Also, it looks great and, despite the sheer size, can be really engrossing to play. At least for the most part, with the game being let down by an incredibly high barrier for entry, offering no help because the tutorial is a sheer Berlin-wall of text and an AI that seemingly decides it's only fair for it to cheat, all of which can take you out of the game.

Steel Division 2 proves to be a much better game than its predecessor in terms of graphics and mechanics, even if it still needs to solve a few balancing problems before it can be called "definitive."

Steel Division 2 is a rich and complex strategy with plenty to offer those who can put the time into learning its intricacies. The fact that it’s so detailed makes the lack of a tutorial even more frustrating. Yet, I must admit, once I ‘got it’ I was having quite a lot of fun. I’m still yet to win a multiplayer match, and with the fanbase that developer Eugen has built up, it seems unlikely I ever will. If you’re already a fan of their work, you’ve probably already bought this. If you aren’t, but you are the sort of person who likes to wade into the thick of things, you’ll find that climbing the difficulty curve is far from a tankless task.

The learning curve is steep but once you push through the experience is incredibly rewarding. There's enough content to keep you intrigued and overwhelmed for a long, long time. Definitely one of the best strategy games I've ever played.

Every World War II history aficionado might also marvel Steel Division 2’s accurate depiction of the time period. The tactical front, which ebbs and flows as you advance or as the enemy collapses, is magnificent to behold. Steel Division 2’s showcasing of Operation Bagration should, hopefully, not let the military offensive become forgotten 75 years later.