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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games.
Hammer & Sickle
Mixed or average reviews
Based on 26 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 4 votes
Read user comments
Rate this game >
Game Info
Publisher: CDV Software
Developer: Nival Interactive
Genre(s): Turn-Based Strategy, Role-Playing Game
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)
Release Date: December 5, 2005
Summary
Hammer & Sickle is a tactical RPG set in the spring of 1949. The player assumes the role of a top Soviet spy on clandestine duty in the British-American controlled sector of Germany during the early years of the budding Cold War. In a world where no one is quite who they appear to be, the player is trapped in a hellish ploy that could trigger a third world war, this time between the United States and Soviet Union and their respective nuclear arsenals. Gamers have to navigate a web of intrigue and make decisions that could determine the fate of the world. [CDV Software]
Also On The Web: GameSpot Impressions
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...
GameCritics
Hammer & Sickle is something of a strange case—it's by no means a perfect game, but it features a perfect game engine.
Read Full Review >PC Gameworld
What disappointed me was that a game with such a great story displayed some rather under whelming graphics and tons of load screens, which ultimately end up hurting the material instead of supporting it.
Read Full Review >Worth Playing
A game that has decent replay value and a difficulty that will keep you engaged for quite a while. The missions are interesting and varied, and have many alternate ways to complete them.
Read Full Review >eToychest
The actual gameplay is great, but the narrative, which maintains a much more noticeable presence than in Silent Storm, is very cliché and serves only to drag the game down.
Read Full Review >Computer Games Magazine
Battles are visceral and exciting in ways that may surprise gamers who haven’t really experienced quality turn-based tactics. [Mar 2006, p.61]
Pelit (Finland)
Hammer & Sickle should have been a great game, after all it is basically just a mod for the brilliant Silent Storm. Somehow everything has gone wrong. The difficulty level is insane, the constantly progressing time completely screws up the gameplay and technically it is worse than its smooth predecessor. [April 2006]
GamingTrend
Poor gameplay, sub par graphics, and some antiquated control mechanisms.
Read Full Review >PC Gamer
Even God would need cheat codes to beat this strategic RPG. [Feb 2006, p.50]
G4 TV
Combat is occasionally brilliant, but the stealth scenes are a real chore. Developing your characters’ skills adds a lot to the game, but listening to them talk will give you a headache.
Read Full Review >Gaming Horizon
Takes an interesting concept and hammers it into the ground with a ridiculously high difficulty level and several issues and bugs which should have been resolved before the game shipped. Unless you are a die-hard fan of turn-based strategy, you should look elsewhere for your gaming fix.
Read Full Review >Computer and Video Games
Avoid this one like you would an elderly relative at a wedding reception who's suffering from the plague. [PC Zone]
Read Full Review >IC-Games
The idea of a Cold War Russian agent infiltrating the ‘enemy’s’ sector could (and should) have been so much more, but the frustration and abundance of small flaws induced by Hammer and Sickle sadly point to another missed opportunity in our books.
Read Full Review >GameZone
An idea that went much further than necessary with graphical problems and sound that seems out of place. Better to pass on this one.
Read Full Review >VGPub
Though it sounded sweet on paper, developer Nival Interactive couldn’t translate it into a great game. Hopefully, Hammer & Sickle’s failures will inspire the creation of games that can more fully realize its potential.
Read Full Review >GamerFeed
There is strategy and action to be found, but it takes a great deal of searching, and more patience than a Buddhist monk.
Read Full Review >AceGamez
The game is slow to play and the timing system can make that even slower, World War III will start more times than you'll be able to count and a fully destructible environment isn't worth much when you are supposed to be stealthy.
Read Full Review >Loaded Inc
In the end, Hammer and Sickle was just not fun for me. And for a game, that is not a good thing.
Read Full Review >Eurogamer
Eventually, the mire of frustrations, constant reloading, harsh difficulty level, bugs and generally poor design wears you down. Rabid strategists will appreciate the game's saving grace, the combat system, and may find themselves more tolerant. Good luck to them. They'll need it.
Read Full Review >Jolt Online Gaming UK
All the pedigree and ideas are here to make Hammer & Sickle a veritable feast of turn-based feast action. Unfortunately they’re all lost in a flawed and poorly executed example of cashing in on past glory.
Read Full Review >GameSpy
One of those "if only" games: if only the RPG elements had been fully developed; if only the game world were larger; if only the combat were smoother and not slow as molasses; if only the A.I. were stronger; if only the bugs and general sloppiness had been worked out.
Read Full Review >GameSpot
The KGB wasn't as hard on political dissidents as Hammer & Sickle is on those who play it.
Read Full Review >Digital Entertainment News
The combat engine, once you experiment around enough to figure it out, isn’t that bad; what is bad is that you’re typically alone and grossly outnumbered.
Read Full Review >PALGN
Another potentially cool game completely obliterated by terrible execution.
Read Full Review >Computer Gaming World
A total rush job, from start to all-too-sudden finish. [Feb 2006, p.73]
1UP
Except for true masochists who believe that hair-pulling frustration equals enjoyable realism, Hammer & Sickle offers nothing worth paying for -- except maybe time to catch up on your reading while waiting for your turn to load.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this game is 9.5 (out of 10) based on 4 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Julius Caesar gave it an8:
Pretty good but hard game. It's silent storm v. 2.
Chester D. gave it a10:
I'm glad I didnt read some of these reviews before I bought the game! Its much better than most of these. Its exactly what Ive been wanting, a tactical RPG! The story is really good. Playing a Russian is extremely cool, and your character does not have to be all good, like in so many games. The characters are interesting, some are very funny, and the voices are great. Some of these reviewers missed how replayable it is, and how many ways it can go. Very replayable. Yeah its got some rough edges. I'd give it an 8, but since some of these reviewers are shooting it down, I'm going to give it a 10.
