Theatre of War Rearmed First Impressions – This Series Is Finally Good!

by

I had a list of games I thought I might play in 2026, but Theatre of War definitely wasn’t on it. I was expecting to revisit Elden Ring, maybe even finish a full campaign in War In The East 2. I’ve also been meaning to review Into The Breach – I’ve wanted to talk about that game since 2018! But Theatre of War? It completely slipped my mind. Honestly, I’d forgotten the series even existed, despite having a few copies sitting around.

I was really surprised to recently discover Theatre of War Rearmed. I didn’t have high expectations at first, but learning it’s a passion project by a single developer who’s been working for four years to revive this overlooked series sparked my interest. Plus, the Steam playtest is incredibly generous, offering access to a substantial amount of content – 11 missions across three campaigns, two standalone scenarios, and 9 tutorials – giving players a lot to explore.

I didn’t have a good experience with this game series. I remember playing the first and second ‘Theatre of War’ titles, and I found the controls really frustrating. Units often didn’t respond or didn’t do what I told them to. Even worse, the game ran terribly – I rarely got more than 24 frames per second. Because of these issues, I quickly stopped playing.

Theatre of War Rearmed is a World War 2 real-time strategy game, and after playing for a few hours, I’m impressed. I went in expecting very little, so it was a pleasant surprise to find it genuinely fun and potentially a really good game.

Honestly, the biggest thing holding me back from the original Theatre of War games was how choppy they ran. It was seriously frustrating – a slideshow would have felt smoother! Thankfully, the Rearmed edition is a huge improvement. I played for hours and never once saw any slowdown, even during the most chaotic battles. It finally lets you actually enjoy the game!

This game combines the fast-paced action of a classic World War 2 arcade strategy game with the large-scale battles of games like Graviteam Tactics. Battles take place on huge maps with long ranges, and factors like armor, bullet physics, unit morale, cover, and visibility all significantly impact the outcome. While you control units by clicking and dragging – like in a traditional RTS – there are fewer detailed commands available, keeping the focus on quick, strategic decisions.

Combat Mission lets you precisely control how your units move, offering a streamlined system focused on basic actions like moving, attacking, and assaulting, alongside different stances like prone, crouched, standing, or stealth. Calling in artillery or air support is simple – just select a spot on the map and watch the enemy take the brunt of it. There are no complex spotting rules or complicated steps for choosing shell types or firing intensity. This ease of use immediately impressed me, and I found myself replaying every mission available in the test version.

Leading troops and tanks across large battlefields and orchestrating major offensives resulted in some truly impressive battles and unforgettable moments. I remember my soldiers desperately trying to counter the French B1 tanks during our first mission. We’d capture a town, only to be immediately hit by a huge counterattack, and I even found myself carefully directing my last few soldiers to eliminate isolated enemies before they could overwhelm us. The missions are well-crafted, but they can feel a bit daunting. You’re never quite sure what’s going to happen next, and what seems like a reasonable risk can quickly turn into a setback, leaving you only halfway to completing your objective.

The missions in this game are impressively long, which is great for testing purposes. However, that length also creates a lot of tension when you’re trying to manage your troops. You might think you’re close to winning, take a gamble, and then suddenly find yourself facing a much larger, heavily armored enemy force. I don’t see this as a flaw, though – it realistically reflects the unpredictable nature of war, where plans often fall apart when confronted with the enemy.

The playtest features a variety of missions – everything from direct infantry fights and tank battles to stealth sections. While not all of these are perfectly executed, it’s a surprisingly good experience considering it’s free.

I was surprised by how precise and responsive the unit controls are – that’s usually a good indicator of a well-made game. I really dislike games where units feel slow to respond. There’s no good reason to intentionally make controls sluggish just to try and make a game seem more realistic. That said, moving units around can be tricky in areas with lots of buildings and obstacles. Even larger vehicles like tanks handle well and respond immediately to commands.

Despite its strengths, Theatre of War could be even better. The game’s AI needs work, especially when it comes to unit movement. A wider field of view would also be helpful. However, the biggest issue right now is how incredibly accurate everyone is. It feels like all soldiers are expert marksmen, whether they’re using rifles, tanks, or machine guns. While some games make accuracy too low, this game goes too far in the other direction – perfect aim at long distances just isn’t realistic or enjoyable.

As a long-time player, one thing I’ve noticed a lot is how weird the armor can be. I keep seeing these situations where really tough, late-game heavy tanks just…bounce shots off the super-thin armor of light tanks! Now, it can happen, but it feels like it happens way too often – statistically, it just shouldn’t be happening that much.

I’ve talked enough for now, but I’ll share a full review once the game is released. So far, Theatre of War Rearmed looks really good! It runs much better, strikes a nice balance between realistic and fast-paced gameplay, and is just plain fun to watch and play, which has me excited for its launch.

Read More

2026-05-19 16:43