Men of War: Condemned Heroes

Men of War: Condemned Heroes is a strategy game taking place during World War II, enabling the players to take part in real events and lead a small group of soldiers embarking on dangerous missions. The game was developed for PC by an internal studio of 1C-SoftClub, a popular Russian publisher and developer.

Plot

Condemned Heroes tells a story of one of the infamous Shtrafbats, Soviet penal battalions that were officially created in July 1942 following an infamous decree by Joseph Stalin. The units were consisting of convicts and soldiers, who were “politically incorrect”, and sent to participate in desperate assaults or inane tasks such as clearing minefields. The assignments of such battalions are often the subject of legends – Men of War: Condemned Heroes attempts to tell the story of one of these entities. The game contains 15 scenarios divided into four campaigns spanning from 1942 to 1945, and includes events such as battles in the area of Volyn, Operation Bagration, or East Pomeranian Offensive (battle for Stettin). Each mission sees us lead a group of soldiers, employ various tactics, or even take control of numerous equipment, including tanks or artillery.

Mechanics

The authors were inspired by numerous accounts from surviving members, and introduced a number of changes to the format we’ve seen in the series. The difficulty level is very high – each operation sees the player assume control over a small group of soldiers that is standing before an impossible task, often involving storming heavily defended German defenses to clear the way for the main force. Nevertheless, the mechanics, as well as unit roster stayed the same. When it comes to graphics, Condemned Heroes maintains the level seen in previous installments, with the exception of character models, which received more detailed head models and improved uniforms. During the development cycle, the authors had cooperated with military consultants from Russian Federal Security Service.

Last updated on February 14, 2017