Supreme Ruler: Cold War PC
User Score
6.8 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 19 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 19
  3. Negative: 4 out of 19

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  1. pherd77
    Jul 20, 2011
    10
    A detailed and sophisticated strategy game - you won't master this in a day (or a week or a month...) but it should offer huge replayability, between the campaigns (play as US or USSR), the Sandbox (play as one of about 200 regions), or Scenarios (shorter games with specific objectives). It will take about an hour to get used to the interface and the controls/options, and there is a good manual and some good "walkthrough" guides. After that it is about trying to master the control you are given versus what you can get your ministers to do for you, etc etc.

    Warfare can get a bit cluttered at times, but this is in part to the much improved game speed versus earlier titles in the series - when things get hot you should 'slow down' to the lower speed levels, so that you can properly manage your units. At the fast speed, let the AI take care of it and just watch the fun.    … Expand
  2. tudoor
    Jul 22, 2011
    9
    This game can get a bit scary at first because so much is going on at once, but then when you slow the game speed down a bit you can really get to appreciate the detail and the vast number of choices you get when you play Supreme Ruler ColdWar. I like the military battles side myself, so the improvements over the older Supreme Ruler games with better naval transport, and the option to fight wars as a "proxy" instead of declaring war on everybody, are very big features.

    The Espionage side is a bit boring, but the tech tree is improved and easier to understand, and ties in better with the rest of the game. Diplomacy has some cool new options, and a lot of the other regions (controlled by the AI) seem to have lots of things of their own going on. I'm actually preferring the Sandbox to the Campaign game, but that may change - lots of gameplay and replay value in this game.    … Expand
  3. rustic
    Aug 1, 2011
    10
    I'd actually like to give this game a 9.5, but that's not possible, so I'll round up... There is a huge amount of greatness in this game - depth, a good user interface, lots of strategy, politics, replayability, tactical battles, strategic planning, and even global nuclear war!

    Yes, there are some weaknesses - a big learning curve, dated graphics, so-so sound... on the other hand there i    s a huge map, battles with as many units as you can desire, a very detailed combat system that includes supply, indirect fire, terrain, line of sight, and much more. And the economic/resource model is great too... maybe not enough difference between communist and capitalist economies, but the fun is in cornering the market for finished goods, or invading an oil producing country to resolve that pesky shortage!

    I've been playing it for a week now and can't wait to dive in and try something new the next time. There is a LOT here for your money.    … Collapse
  4. SOE_88
    Sep 12, 2011
    9
    Perseverance pays. If you have the patience to explore the interface and watch one of the Let's Play SR Cold War videos on You Tube, then you'll find where this game excels - in its scope and sheer depth. The more time you invest the game, the more rewarding its becomes.

    This game is clearly rich in detail, but the beauty is where you can lock out ministers and allow the AI to do what y    ou don't want to. Don't feel you have to do everything - its not possible and isn't fun that way. Instead, focus on the arms race or the space race or domestic advancement. It's really a sandbox experience and up to you to decide how what you want to achieve from it.

    In conclusion, if you're a fan of strategy games published by Paradox Interactive and Matrix, this is certainly a worthy addition.    … Expand
  5. RazorXYZ
    May 9, 2013
    9
    I guess this is a "love it or leave it" type of game. Personally i love it. I can say without a doubt that, next to Age of Empires 2 and Star Craft it is in my top 5 most addictive games ever played. I will agree that this game is not for everyone. Not even most RTS-ists will enjoy the brute force of this game, but for those who like it, it's pure beauty. Personally i didn't even play scenarios, i just play sandbox like crazy with everything on hard. Making my own alliances and choosing my future enemies way ahead of them even noticing me. As a small country in east Europe, with literally no production, negative income, no army, and huge thread from USSR(or allied forces like UK and France) i became #1 exporter of weapons in the world, arming both US and USSR. It took a month of 4h/day to get here. But the feeling you get is just indescribable, when you are arming a (previously) much feared enemy with weapons you have already replaced 10-15 years ago. When your weapons and social developments are so far beyond what everyone else has, and using your influence(via goods or financial aid, military aid or direct support as neutral country) to decide the fate of conflicts that you aren't directly part of. I guess it's that God complex kicking in. :D The game could use some more depth, but just as it is, it's awesome!… Expand

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
63 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 12 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 12
  3. Negative: 0 out of 12
  1. PC Gamer UK
    Oct 8, 2011
    58
    Some nice touches, but lethargic AI, performance issues, and personality - deficient premiers make the ruling gruelling. [Nov 2011, p.120]
  2. Absolute Games
    Sep 18, 2011
    65
    Supreme Ruler: Cold War can quickly become a chore, despite the amount of detail that went into this game.
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  3. SpazioGames
    Sep 6, 2011
    60
    A deep and profound strategic title wich fails to deliver, mainly due to a lame user interface, lack of tutorial, questionable AI, bad graphics and boring moments. The multiplayer fails to save it. It's definitely better to look elsewhere into the Paradox portfolio with better, more refined, titles as Hearts of Iron or Europa Universalis.
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