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Combat Mission: Shock Force

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2.6 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 15 critic reviews
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Based on 76 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Paradox Interactive

Developer: Battlefront.com

Genre(s): Turn-Based Strategy

Players: 2

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Release Date: August 6, 2007

Summary

At it's core, Combat Mission: Shock Force is a military simulation depicting a hypothetical near-future conflict in Syria following a fundamentalist coup d’état. As in Afghanistan 2001, the radical new government's refusal to shut down major terrorist organizations and its' regional destabilizing effect, compel NATO Coalition forces into action. The initial release of Combat Mission: Shock Force focuses on the actions of the US Stryker Brigade Combat Teams (SBCT) and Heavy Brigade Combat Teams (HBCT) as they fight against Syrian Army Infantry, Mechanized and Armored units. Combat Mission: Shock Force also features Unconventional Threat forces such as terrorists, spies, suicide bombers, IED's and other deadly tools employed in the asymmetric warfare of the modern day. Along with the standard Red vs. Blue engagements typified in most wargames, Combat Mission: Shock Force will also allow players to fight Red vs. Red (Syria vs. Syria) and Blue vs. Blue (NATO vs. NATO) battles as well. [Battlefront.com]

Also On Metacritic

GAMES: Combat Mission: Afrika Korps Combat Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin

Also On The Web: Official Website

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...

Worth Playing

I don't think I've enjoyed a wargame as much this one since I played the original Combat Mission game all those years ago. If you have an interest in simulating realistic modern warfare, and specifically seeing how the new Stryker concept would fare in battle, you can't go wrong with Combat Mission: Shock Force.

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Armchair Empire

Battlefront are an admirable group whose games all feel like labors of love, and you can feel developers’ blood, sweat and tears all through Combat Mission: Shock Force.

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GameZone

Hardcore strategy fans will surely love this new title. Map creating abilities will add shelf life.

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Pelit (Finland)

After two patches Shock Force has become a good game. Someday, after the WeGo mode, the TacAI and pathfinding have been fixed, it will be an excellent game. [Sept 2007]

GameStar

If you don't give up because of the game's difficulty, you will be rewarded with a tatical depth that offers unequaled opportunities and exactly simulated weapon systems.

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Jolt Online Gaming UK

Newbies may find it a little intimidating to get into, but perseverance brings reward in the shape of an immersive experience that’s about as fun as war gaming can get.

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AceGamez

It looks and sounds great, but the lack of a tutorial is a major letdown, as the game is just too complex not to have one. Even the first few missions of the campaign are quite difficult and don't ease you into the game as they should. The simplistic AI also hurts the gameplay in the campaign mode too.

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GameShark

The game needs a little more spit and polish before it can assume its proper place in the Pantheon.

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PC Zone UK

Delivers the goods in spades, with an improved engine and a new emphasis to real-time rather than turn-based action. [Oct 2007, p.82]

Hardcore Gamer Magazine

The developers' chutzpah regarding Shock Force's premise is admirable, and if you fall into the game's narrow audience, there may be a lot to like about it. [Oct 2007, p.59]

PC Gamer UK

Wherever you look, something is missing. [Oct 2007, p.74]

IGN

Battlefront can be commended for their speedy patches but that doesn't excuse the sorry state of the game when it was released or make it any easier to endure the problems that still exist, particularly with regard to the apathetic AI, gummy interface, or poor overall performance.

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PC Gamer

Even diehard grognards may be turned off by its complex interface and esoteric control panels, and newbies will be frustrated to no end. [Nov 2007, p.70]

Eurogamer

Some of the most touted improvements are distinctly underwhelming. The "detailed, story-driven, semi-dynamic campaign" turns out to be a poorly presented, poorly paced string of twenty-odd scenarios offering sod-all in the way of continuity or sense of progress.

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GameSpot

Combat Mission says good-bye to WWII, but hello to an inept interface, broken AI, and hideous visuals.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 2.6 (out of 10) based on 76 User Votes

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

S B gave it a5:
I played the latest demo (V1.07) and it just misses the sparkle the old CM games had. Those were games with refreshing gameplay, cutting edge realism and graphics for its day and age. And you could feel those gameswere clearly labours of love. Al that seems to miss in the new Shock Force game. While the setting is interesting all the other points seem to be against it. It's not refreshing enough on any front, gameplay wise it feels clunky and the graphics are subpar. Everything feels less then the old games, even the unit lists are noticably short. The best this demo did is made me want install the good old CM games again. Not a good sign. I wish Big Time Software all the best in their endavours but I can't escape the nagging feeling they could have done better with this game. I wouldn't recommend this unless you are a hardcore grognard or a big BTS fan.

Brendan F. gave it an8:
Didn't buy this originally because of the bugs, but the word on all the forums seemed to be that patch 1.07 had finally turned this into the game it was originally intended to be, and so i bought it. Those people who talk of it being unplayable purely because of bugs or bad pathfinding should reconsider. The only gripes i have with it are the slightly dodgy graphics, but even Battlefront admits in the first page of the manual that they had to skim down some features (graphics) to make others better (ballistics, physics, etc). And its not difficult if one uses real tactics. If you ask for realism, expect to be punished if you don't play it realistically. Fire and Movement, anyone?

Eric B. gave it a2:
A huge let down from Combat Mission. This is, for all practical purposes, unplayable. Too buggy, terrible AI, confusing interfce and documantation. And especially sinfull in this day and age, terrible graphics. But that's secondary to the game play. Where Combat Mission, all three of them, had game play that totally grabbed you and wouldn't let go, this is just so weak (stand off, hammer the Syrians into dust, move up... if the pathing will let you that is), that it's boring.Too bad, Combat Mission are great games, and if that play had been brought up to date with wonderfull graphics this would have been a winner.

Niccolo' D. gave it a7:
Great game, with some issues to be addressed.

John O. gave it a9:
Bad start but worked better every patch. I think the community has responded negatively because they were expecting the be all end all.

Art P. gave it an8:
I liked it when it first came with the bugs and each time they patch it, it gets better.

John S. gave it a0:
Incredible bug ridden piece of crap. LOS/LOF is totally fucked up. Pathfinding is a joke. Multiplayer is still absent/not-functioning even after the 1.04 patch. Stay away from this kind of crap! Battlefront obviously tried to rip off their loyal customer base, which build up over the past with the CMx1 titles, to make a quick buck. You better burn your money instead of wasting it with CMSF.

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Combat Mission: Shock Force

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