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Axis & Allies

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9.0 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 27 critic reviews
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Based on 7 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Atari

Developer: TimeGate Studios

Genre(s): Real-Time Strategy

Players: 8

ESRB Rating: RP (Rating Pending)

Release Date: November 2, 2004

Summary

In Axis & Allies: RTS, players relive and experience the most epic struggle in the history of mankind, World War II. Players direct the military and economic destiny of any one of the world's most powerful countries - United States, England, Germany, The Soviet Union or Japan. Axis & Allies: RTS not only captures the intensity of war but also allows players to change the outcome of the major battles and campaigns of World War II. Confronted with the strategic and tactical situations experienced by the top generals and national leaders of the period, players have to make critical decisions that determine the fate and the destiny of the world. Axis & Allies: RTS features gameplay elements such as unique organization of units; command of land, sea, and air units in real-time; dynamic fronts and supply lines; interaction with Generals and Leaders of the era; and intense online play with a powerful random scenario generator. [Atari]

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What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

XGP Gaming

The artificial intelligence is brutal in this game. The first few levels are okay but once you get deeper into battle, they learn your strategies and adapt to the way you play.

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GamingTrend

Has a steeper learning curve than "Kohan 2," and that may turn fans of that series off. It also doesn't have much in common with the original board game, and that is sure to cause an issue with fans. However, once you dig into the game, it's a truly satisfying experience.

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Gaming Illustrated

The design team did a good job in offering multiple campaigns, scenarios, skirmishes, and the board-game option.

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IGN

The World War 2 theme of Axis and Allies definitely makes it different enough from "Kohan" to stand on its own. It's a hell of a fun experience no matter which way you look at it.

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Gaming Age

It's pretty simple, if you like the "Kohan" series you'll probably enjoy this game. If you desire the hectic nature of more traditional real time strategy games, you may not appreciate the simplifications made here.

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eToychest

Delivers in terms of pure excitement and plain and simple fun. The game packs in more than enough challenge to keep even the seasoned RTS veterans gritting their teeth, while the online component is sure to keep most any player giddy.

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GameZone

The only real problem I had when playing the game was getting units to break off an engagement.

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Game Informer

Overall, the title feels disjointed when going between map strategy and RTS combat. [Jan 2005, p.138]

3DAvenue

The problem with A&A, besides the negative points brought forward above, is the WW2 and RTS genres of gaming are two very prestigious genres, and it doesn't do enough to top what else is out there on offer.

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Pelit (Finland)

A very basic real-time strategy with AI issues. Although everything about it has been seen a million times before, the game is still pretty entertaining from time to time. [Jan. 05]

PGNx Media

The single-player modes are marred by questionable AI which removes much of the intensity and in effect, fun, of playing the game.

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Game Chronicles

It helps to be a History Channel fanatic to really love this game. Fans of the board game who have never played RTS will no doubt be very unhappy.

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PC Format

The problem is that what worked so well in "Kohan" can't help but feel a little artificial when applied to a more realistic milieu. [Christmas 2004, p.110]

Armchair Empire

Misses the mark slightly by adding a couple of things that don't work quite as well they could have.

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IC-Games

A slight disappointment, since it tries to meld two strategy styles and falls short in both cases.

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Gamers' Temple

Although based on a popular board game, you'll soon grow bored with this game.

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GameSpot

The single-player portions of the game are ridiculously easy, even on the hard settings. Only a few campaign missions are remotely challenging, and even these cases are due to poor AI with Allied forces.

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AceGamez

It's not a terrible effort and there's some light fun to be had, but Axis & Allies is just an average strategy game, combining an unoriginal setting with the slightly interesting yet ultimately disappointing World Map mode, wrapped in dated graphics.

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GamerFeed

The lack of sea units and carriers of any type make the title needlessly tedious.

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Jolt Online Gaming UK

It’s not an awful game by any scale, but it is tepid and flawed in its execution.

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Computer Gaming World

A.I. is A-crappy. I have rarely encountered a game that evinces more clearly the rigid, stimulus-response nature of algorithmic thought. [Jan 2005, p.100]

Warcry

Unfortunately, a game sells on gameplay, and after four campaign missions I wasn't feeling any desire to keep going.

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Computer and Video Games

Part of the problem is that instead of playing to the original game's strengths, what the developer has devised is a lily-livered RTS that's a pale shade of the Kohan engine on which it's based. [PC Zone]

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GameSpy

It has no bite, no personality, none of the visionary creative energy that have brought Timegate's other games to life. It's as clunky and flat as an outdated history book.

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G4 TV

What all of this boils down to is a whole lot of base building and management, and unfortunately, much of it is pointless as the economy in the game is fairly unbalanced.

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Computer Games Magazine

It's a hard lesson that designs are not always interchangeable, and is overall one of the most disappointing games of the year. [March 2005, p.72]

PC Gamer

A disaster. [Feb 2005, p.60]

What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 9.0 (out of 10) based on 7 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Robert S. gave it a10:
This game just absolutely blew me away, everything was quite easy 2 do, music gives feeling of being a hero...it's a perfect WWII strategy game compared 2 the inferior Company of Heroes.

Jose G. gave it a9:
Best game WWII, nice images, good game of strategy.

Tim D. gave it a 9:
Axis & Allies has been known for the past 20 years the WWII board game. Now it has been developed into a kick ass RTS as far as Im concerned. This game isnt your board game anymore, it has become a real concrete game Atari and TimeGate can hang their hat on There are several modes of play from which gamers can choose from. The first is campaign mode, 24 complete missions on both sides of the war, 12 missions as the Allies, 12 missions as the Axis. This gives the player two campaign options; the opportunity to play out the war as it historically took place, or to play an alternate history version of WWII. Its a compelling aspect of the game that not many other RTS can boast about. The World War II mode is a meta map version of the Axis & Allies board that lets players move pieces on a turn based map of the world. When a player meets an enemy he has the option to fight out the battle in a quick resolve (dice roll based on relative unit strengths) or in a Real Time Strategy format. Multiplayer can be played on LAN or internet with up to 8 players on varied terrains. Something hardcore guys will really like is that the original map editor used by TimeGate is included in the game. Another awesome feature of the game is the supply lines (the perimeter around your base where units can automatically re-supply and regenerate). All of the buildings at your base are completely mobile, you have the ability to pack up and roll your entire base towards an opponent (with the exception of Air Fields, they must be sold off and repurchased to move). This gives your men the tactical advantage of rolling your supply lines towards the enemy for quicker re-supply. In my opinion, its a unique feature that makes the game way more strategic. One of my favorite features in the game is the company control aspect, where by units operate in companies or regiments much like they did historically in WWII. This allows for a LOT less micromanagement of units, which me focus on the larger grand scale battle at hand, which is the idea right? The units of each super power are unique and authentic to their given nation, for example Germany can call for King Tiger Tanks, where as Great Britain can produce Churchill Flamethrower tanks. Another note on authenticity is that each super power lets you control the actual Generals from each power, like Nimitz or Eisenhower from the US. They all have their own special operations as well, such as unloading an A-Bomb with Nimitz on an unsuspecting enemy. The game does however lack a certain visual appeal found in several other fall releases. I found the zoom options and camera angles to be limiting; however the overall quality is not without merit and the games core gameplay more than makes up for its visual weaknesses. Another issue with the game is the AI and game mechanics found in World War II mode. The meta-map AI is more of a punish your mistakes rather than a strategic opponent, kind of pesky if you ask me. The meta map also only allows the play to invade into one occupied territory in a given turn, which makes conquering the map entire more tedious moving into one area at a time. As both a PC strategy gamer and a fan of the original Axis & Allies, I was excited about Atari and TimeGate studios combining the two into a dynamic real time strategy game and have been impressed with the results to say the least. The game is obviously more RTS then conventional A&A gameplay, but for anyone who expected different, there are certain aspects you will still enjoy. Its a true old fashioned beer and pretzel game. Here is my breakdown: Graphics: 7.5 Visually appealing, yet not as polished as some of the other RTS titles out this fall. Difficulty: 8.0 AI in the game adapts to situation based on players movement, however lacks strength in several areas, primarily WWII mode. Single Player: 8.5 Single player campaign mode faithful to some of the historical battles of WWII. However, WWII mode lacks the true A&A feel and gameplay mechanics. Multiplayer: 9.0 Great experience, play against friends as one of 20 generals in a number of maps. The game fully utilizes the GameSpy Arcade arena and ranking system. Sex Appeal: 8.0 I really enjoy WWII mode and have had lots of fun with the campaigns. I could see this game staying on my hard dive for an extended amount of time. OVERALL: 8.5 I enjoy this game and havent seen other reviewers do it justice. It is a surprising star of this RTS fall line up and highly recommended.

Derek R. gave it a 5:
The premise of this game had a lot of potential. The notion of participating as commander of the armed forces in the greatest and most epic battle of humankind's recent history surely captured the imagination of RTS gamers, WWII enthusiasts, and fans of the original board game alike. Regretfully, the developers were not able to realize this potential. Sadly, the game is dissapointing. Specifically, the real-time battles are mediocre at best (falling short of the benchmark set by CDV's Blitzkrieg). The WWII mode is not bad but lost its appeal after I won the first few times. Sorry Atari/TimeGate, but you dropped the ball.

Dan A. gave it a 10:
Crazy good.

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