Möbius Front '83

Mobius Front is a special game, but not everybody will care about it. It's unique. It takes the classic hex-grid Panzer General style of game, which could easily be puzzle-like, and twists that knob far into the puzzle direction. The gameplay is VERY slow and calculated. You will lose units. Recon and caution are crucial. You will get frustrated, but when the game clicks, it clicks. Certain types of units suddenly appear to be much stronger. You realise how much more powerful your arsenal can be to theirs, and you hone strategies on how to crack defensive lines which seemingly appeared impervious. The atmosphere is great. Dashes of Highfleet's diegetic menus, a lurking paranoia and fear, and mysteries that will never quite get resolved linger. It's like World In Conflict's desperation and home turf fears crossed with something like The Twilight Zone. The presentation is genuinely great, such that I would call this artistic in a way that a lot of other wargames aren't. Despite the frustrating shortcomings of the game, it is worth saying that this is a unique product that if you vibe with, you'll really vibe with, and it deserves to exist and especially deserves to be copied and riffed on. Games with this sort of focus really deserve the touches that Mobius Front has.

Запускаєш Möbius Front 83 як "маленьку покрокову стратегію на вечір", а через 40 годин сидиш і читаєш внутрішню документацію по техніці альтернативної холодної війни, ніби тебе завтра відправлять командувати НАТО. На папері все звучить як фанфік на тему 80-х: Америка, СРСР, напруга, введення військ... а потім у двері сюжету влітає третя сторона іншопланетного походження і каже: "Оууу, а хто це танчиком піу-піу робить?" Візуально це виглядає дуже стильно: шестикутні тайли, сплюснуті юніти, олдскульна військова естетика, чудовий звук. Нетрівіальне підкриплення і гарний баланс. Все виглядає так, ніби хтось знайшов секретну DOS-гру з паралельного всесвіту й акуратно відполірував її до сучасного стану. Але головне тут - дизайн місій. Гра постійно намагається зламати твоє очікування "знищ усіх ворогів". Іноді вигідніше не займати позицію самому, а акуратно привести "дещо дуже агресивне" до ворога й спостерігати, як противник переходить у режим: "Щось, якось, додому захотілось..." Є місії з пошуком радистів. Є окрема міні-гра з розшифрування повідомлень, яка раптом виявляється складнішою за половину сучасних AAA-головоломок. А ще тут є пасьянс усередині гри. І найгірше - він хороший. Ти буквально можеш зробити перерву від війни, щоб зависнути в іншій маленькій грі всередині гри: "Мамо, я в рекурсії!" І в якийсь момент ловиш себе на думці, що розробники явно спочатку вигадали весь цей всесвіт, прописали техніку, історію, атмосферу... а вже потім згадали: "А, точно. Треба ще гру зробити". До речі, це дуже в стилі Zachtronics. Студія все життя робила ігри так, ніби хотіла перевірити: "А що, якщо дати гравцю трохи забагато думати… і йому це сподобається?" Я не розумію більшості їхніх ігор, але ця - скарб. Möbius Front '83 - маленька, дуже розумна стратегія для людей, які люблять не масштаб, а деталі.

Some levels in late game play out more, like puzzle, than a strategy game, especially at first few turns, when i.e. you must place your air defense unit in one exact hex, to prevent enemy helicopter rush at first turn. But overall it is a good strategy game with really solid AI, that will not blindly run into your defenses. You will need to move carefully, as rushing blind is heavily punished, but if you have some experience in turn based games, this one is not that hard. Graphics and UI are clear and easy to read (not a common thing, these days), and good looking too. There are only few types of missions, but together with different enemy force composition and map setups it creates enough variability to keep it interesting for most of the playthrough, although few last missions were a drag. Overall, the systems of the game are very ellegant and well thought out,

It's Chess with tanks and soldiers. i like it

A weird one. The in-menu mini games are more fun than the actual game itself. While the music, visuals, voice acting and story are good, the main hex-based war game could be better. Would probably give this 6/10.

Really neat military tactics game with a lot of options and depth. I think people mistakenly call it a "puzzle" game - but to me it's a more realistic take on how military operations actually work. No one really rushes into the enemy like in most other military games (Panzer Corps included). Here, you're encouraged to take a more careful, and often defensive approach before you attempt to breach the enemy line. Enjoying it so far!

A difficult strategy puzzle game that is more like chess than xcom

I agree with the other reviews - because the AI has no fog of war you can't set up ambushes and stuff like in other games. The AI just plays super passively which makes the combat very slow.

It's a neat tactics game, a fun mini puzzle game, and also (yawn) cribbage. The puzzle component is okay as an optional diversion if you like those other zacktronics puzzlers. The tactics game starts off pretty easy, but then gradually gets harder. Some of the later levels constrain your options a bit too much at the start of the level which is not that much fun and i think this is done to increase the difficulty artificially because instead of playing on a large map you spend most of it playing on a small area without a lot of large manoeuvring. The story is told vaguely and with allusions to what's going on the way most horror stories are. There are elements in the level which are interesting, but i think they could have gone further with the map design and doodads in the level. The soundtrack really helps sell the whole story. Overall the game was alright. Maybe when i retire i'll try to get the 100 cribbage wins achievement.

그래픽과 음악, 게임성이 감각적입니다. 미니멀리즘이 돋보이며, 고정된 맵 안에서(일단 초반 미션만 해 봤습니다) 미지의 적과 싸우는데, 생각보다 쉽지 않습니다(저는 이런 장르에 있어 초보입니다). 만만해보이는 그래픽의 첫인상과 달리 생각보다 머리를 쓰지 않으면 첫 스테이지부터 난관에 부딪칠 것입니다. 영어는 비교적 쉬운데, 구글 번역앱을 통해 카메라 실시간 번역을 사용해도 됩니다. 개인적으로 이런 세심한 픽셀그래픽을 좋아하고, 밀리터리, 헥사 맵을 좋아해서 여러모로 호감이 가고, 앞으로의 플레이도 기대됩니다. 구입을 망설였는데 제법 만족스럽습니다. 이런 감성을 이어 후속작이나, 메카물, 공중전, 해상전이 포함된 2차 세계대전 또는 현대전 등의 전략게임이 나온다면 기쁠 것 같습니다. 구입하길 잘했다고 생각합니다.