Some forgotten PC games deserve eternal obscurity. Recently winched from the Russian bog where it’s sat for the past sixteen years, WW2 RPG Partisan is just such a game.
Today’s recon sortie started fairly promisingly. Early exposition in Partisan was to-the-point and good looking, and the GUI and 3D graphics put me in mind of Soldiers: Heroes of World War II – never a bad thing. The fifty skills and five core stats on the character panel suggested shaping the game’s hero – a ‘disgraced’ Red Army captain – over time might be interesting.
Sadly, by the end of my fifth or sixth firefight, all optimism had vanished. Bovine enemy AI, uninspired level design, and a dearth of combat subtleties and realism, had killed my interest in this potential ‘neglected classic’ stone dead.
If developer Paradigm had provided some tactical alternatives to ‘approach-next-enemy-and-open-fire’, Partisan might not have ended up in my ‘NEVER INSTALL AGAIN!’ Steam collection. With stealth mechanics, stances*, a SHoWW2-style cover system, and more interesting environments, perhaps my thoughts wouldn’t have turned to cheaper alternatives quite so speedily.
* Weirdly, foes can kneel, but your avatar can’t.
For less than the price of this ropey relic you can – for the next couple of days at least – purchase a far superior alternative. While I preferred War Mongrels (£8 until March 20) to Partisans: 1941 (£4 until March 20), Alter Games’ 2020 Commandos-like scratches Eastern Front guerilla itches pretty vigorously.
If it’s simply gripping low-headcount WW2 tactical action you’re after, then Soldiers: Heroes of World War II is a particularly good buy at present. Sixty-five pence in Steam’s Spring Sale, this bona fide classic received an unexpected patch not long ago that, amongst other things, added Workshop support. Finding and installing great additions like Albus & Dinsen’s Pacific mod has never been easier.
I don’t know if I still have the hard drive where it lives, but one of the many things I did in college in preference to learning beyond the strictly necessary amount was a wave survival scenario for Soldiers: Heroes of World War II. Some Soviet infantry and a few tanks holed up in a ruined town faced off against four increasingly powerful German attacks.
I have fond memories of flipping Panzer 3s with 152mm HE from the KV-2.
I bounced off Partisans 1941. It’s basically Shadow Tactics set in WW2 (and I bounced off Shadow Tactics too).
But a lot of people rather enjoyed Shadow Tactics, so for those I suspect Partisans 1941 will be an excellent choice.
Not tried War Mongrels but the next game by the same studio is on my hard drive: 63 Days. Sadly it’s sat there waiting for me to be bored enough to play it, as much like Partisans 1941 it’s screaming “I’m a puzzle game” rather than offering a real time alternative to the opening half of Silent Storm.
Thank you very much indeed sir for the Soldiers: Heroes of World War II news. Although I bought it on Steam a few years ago I never played it as I always played my GOG version instead; promptly switched back to Steam. Rejoice!