The Troop

I bought this game because of all of the positive reviews and usually that is a good indicator, but not with this game. I don't know what everyone is smoking. I play a lot of historic wargame RTS and TBS and this one is a huge let down. Graphically it is awesome, the style of play is great, the campaigns and missions all very cool. But the AI is ridiculous. Totally unrealistic and OP'ed to make up for a lack of tactics. Your Sheman can't take out a half track with a side on shot from an non-moving emplaced postion, yet that same half track can take out your Sherman attacking it's front on armour while moving no problem. The enemy troops will first-shot kill your troops when emplaced in a wood when they are moving out in a field. I shot up a squad several turns in a row moving up a road from a house and couldn't kill a single one so they were able to make their way all the way up the road into the house and kill my squad emplaced in the house. It's totally ridiculous. The AI can move further each turn, see more with their LOS than you can, shoot further each turn, kill your guys easier, move then shoot and kill your guys then move back out of sight after it's done so you have to move to take a shot at them which ultimately does nothing. The AI will move over to one side of the map to gang up on a single unit and eliminate it instead of fighting the units directly in front of them becaue you have no chance of killing a unit running down a road out in the open while you are emplaced in a house. It's just stupid, not even remotely realistic in any way. The AI is just ramped up to make up for a total lack of realistic tactics. Just dissappointed this has high ratings with such terrible AI.

As many many people have discussed before. The AI cheats. I don't think this is the case as the AI is programmed to do what its supposed to do and that is, use the game mechanics to the best of it's ability depending upon what level you have it set at. Saying this I also believe the game AI or results ladder tree is terrible. For instance. I have started and ended the campaign 10 times because no matter what I do tactically, I am always defeated, always. I have a lot of experience in this type of game and as a Marine Veteran of Foreign Wars, I think tactically. It's not the tactics that get me defeated its the damage mechanics. For instance. I had a VC Firefly tank vs a German open top tank, most likely a Marder. He shot first and missed most likely because he moved then shot. I shot next and hit it squarely. The only damage I did was putting the round through the tank. The tank was still able to function normally. Of course next round it went and killed my firefly. This is terrible. This is not a one off instance. This is constant. I miss, or don't do damage, they blow me up. The AI has a one shot kill rating at all times. Oh and I'm on the easiest level just to see if the AI changed within difficulty levels. The result is the same for me across all levels of difficulty.

The Troop is a tactical World War II strategy game that understands exactly what makes battlefield command engaging. Instead of overwhelming players with massive armies or excessively complicated military simulation systems, it focuses on smaller-scale tactical encounters where every movement, positioning decision, and line of sight can determine victory or defeat. Set during the Normandy campaign after D-Day, the game places players in command of British, Canadian, and German forces fighting through villages, countryside, and fortified positions inspired by real historical operations. The result is a thoughtful and immersive tactical experience that rewards patience, planning, and battlefield awareness far more than reckless aggression. What makes The Troop particularly effective is how grounded its combat feels. Battles unfold at a deliberate pace where even small mistakes can quickly become disastrous. Infantry squads advancing carelessly through open fields can be pinned down by machine gun fire, while tanks moving without support risk ambushes from hidden anti-tank weapons concealed behind hedgerows or buildings. The game constantly forces players to think carefully about terrain, visibility, and timing. Success depends less on overwhelming force and more on using combined arms tactics intelligently. Infantry, armor, artillery, and reconnaissance units all serve important roles, encouraging strategic coordination instead of simplistic brute-force tactics. The Normandy setting plays a major role in shaping the gameplay. The dense hedgerows, narrow rural roads, damaged villages, and open farmland create battlefields filled with natural chokepoints and ambush opportunities. Terrain is not simply decorative but becomes one of the most important tactical elements in the game. Visibility is often limited, making reconnaissance and positioning essential. A single concealed enemy unit can completely disrupt an advance if players become overconfident. This constant uncertainty creates tension throughout nearly every mission, capturing the dangerous unpredictability of real battlefield conditions. One of the game’s greatest achievements is its balance between realism and accessibility. Tactical war games can often feel intimidating due to complicated systems and heavy micromanagement, but The Troop succeeds in making its mechanics understandable without sacrificing depth. Systems involving suppression, morale, armor penetration, overwatch, and line of sight are implemented clearly and naturally. Players unfamiliar with hardcore wargames can still understand the fundamentals relatively quickly, while experienced strategy fans will appreciate the tactical depth hidden beneath the approachable interface. The turn-based structure works extremely well because it gives players time to carefully evaluate situations before acting. Every turn becomes an opportunity to study the battlefield, reposition units, and anticipate enemy responses. The slower pacing allows tactical decision-making to take center stage, creating battles that feel methodical and rewarding rather than chaotic. At the same time, the reaction fire mechanics ensure that both sides remain dangerous during every phase of combat. Moving units into exposed positions without proper planning can trigger devastating enemy fire, adding constant pressure and forcing players to think several steps ahead. The AI is another strong point. Enemy forces behave intelligently, taking advantage of defensive positions, coordinating attacks effectively, and punishing careless advances whenever possible. Battles rarely feel scripted because the AI reacts dynamically to battlefield developments, forcing players to adapt rather than rely on repetitive strategies. Enemy units use terrain competently and often create situations where players must improvise under pressure. This helps maintain tension across the campaign and keeps engagements feeling unpredictable. Visually, The Troop prioritizes clarity and atmosphere over cinematic spectacle. The battlefield environments are detailed enough to feel immersive while remaining readable during intense tactical situations. Infantry movement, artillery strikes, tank battles, and environmental destruction all contribute to the feeling of commanding forces in a brutal wartime setting. Explosions and gunfire have enough impact to make combat feel dangerous without cluttering the screen with excessive visual effects. Tanks feel appropriately heavy and intimidating, while infantry engagements often become tense exchanges of suppression and maneuvering. The sound design also enhances immersion considerably. Weapon fire, artillery impacts, engine noises, and battlefield ambience help create the atmosphere of chaotic wartime engagements. The audio work is particularly effective during moments of tension where advancing units risk sudden ambushes or artillery bombardments. Combined with the slower tactical pacing, these details help create battles that feel grounded and believable. Replay value is another area where the game performs well. Alongside historical missions, players can experiment with custom skirmishes and battlegroup modes that allow greater flexibility in force composition and tactical experimentation. The variety of units available encourages players to develop different battlefield strategies depending on mission objectives and terrain conditions. Learning how different tanks, infantry squads, and support weapons function becomes a rewarding process over time. The game is not without flaws, however. Players looking for large-scale strategic warfare or fast-paced real-time action may find the deliberate pacing too slow for their tastes. Some missions can become lengthy due to the careful nature of turn-based combat, especially when both sides are heavily entrenched. Visually, while functional and immersive, the game does not possess the cinematic presentation of larger-budget strategy titles. Still, these limitations feel relatively minor because the game remains highly focused on delivering thoughtful tactical gameplay above all else. What ultimately makes The Troop stand out is its ability to create meaningful battlefield tension through smart design rather than artificial difficulty. Every successful maneuver feels earned because victory comes from careful planning, battlefield awareness, and intelligent use of terrain. The game captures the dangerous uncertainty of tactical warfare exceptionally well, constantly forcing players to balance aggression with caution. The Troop is an excellent tactical strategy game that successfully combines historical authenticity with accessible yet deeply rewarding gameplay systems. It respects the complexity of World War II combat while remaining approachable enough for players outside the hardcore wargaming niche. Fans of tactical combat, historical warfare, and thoughtful turn-based strategy will likely find it one of the more satisfying World War II experiences currently available. Rating: 8/10

A turn-based squad-level ww2 tactics game sounds great, and at first glance the game seems really promising. In your first mission you get all your tanks blown up by unseen ambushers, say hmm!, restart, and this time hold the armor back while your infantry creeps up through buildings and hedgerows trying to spot the enemy before they spot you. When you see something, you position a tank to alpha strike it from outside vision range. Going from a catastrophic defeat to a decisive victory feels great, hey, I learned something! Unfortunately, you already learned everything. You use infantry to spot, and never really to do anything else except shoot at hapless infantry that got caught in the open, and have armor engage spotted threats from the most conservative position possible. This is the solution to every problem, and it quickly starts to feel like turning the crank. It has like thirty missions or something but you've seen all it has to offer after three or four. Disappointing.

It didn't take me long to realize this game was going to piss me off to no end. Here's a quick recap of my experience. I played my first session after finishing the tutorial which was the first story mission. Okay so you have 3 groups of airborne troops for that mission, I leave the one group that's out in the field in the middle untouched. The other 2, I start to move up to flank the building and the enemy group. Somehow, the group in the middle that I didn't move that was laying down in the field was spotted by the enemy group in the house and they proceeded to kill 2 of my troops in that group. That didn't make any sense, no way there was line of sight and even if there was LOS no way they could do any real damage. THEN my group to the right, was immediately spotted by another enemy group from a woods, they shot at that group and killed one of my guys in that group. I said nope, not today and exited the game. That's when I started to read other reviews where people seemed frustrated with AI having an unfair advantage and not abiding by the same rules. I'm sure as ♥♥♥♥, not gonna play a game that has multiple people complaining of the same AI issues. Consider this game DOA, will delete from hard drive and move on to the next game.

A great concept but let down by being very unbalanced, the latest update does not address the balancing issue, as a result which ever side is your enemy it seems to always get a first shot hit 99% of the time, also Line Of Sight is super unrealistic as a tank with open hatches has restricted line of sight which is again total rubbish, a tank commander has a good view of terrain all around the vehicle unless hidden in trees as for the grunts their fire is unrealistic if you can see the enemy you are able to kill or at least suppress them especially in the open. unfortunately this is not a game I recommend to anyone, I have played a lot of WW2 RTS games and this by far is the worse, also the way vehicles zig zag when moving is absurd as well as limited movement, I am ex Army so I know what I am talking about when I comes to what I am writing about in this review. I will wait for Theater Of War Rearmed to come out on steam, at least the people redoing the game listened to the play testers ( I did play test that game and loved it )

The Troop is a challenging game. I enjoy the challenge it offers and have found a lot of fun in over coming it. George Patton is said to have remarked in order to be a good general, it helps to be lucky. This game, as in war, would seem to affirm the aforementioned remark. My lack of patience in developing a tactical situation seems to be the bane of my pixelated soldiers existence, yet it is my floor and not the games. I should like to see early war scenarios being produced and perhaps different theatres. Winning is a wonderful experience and most games induce the players by providing an easy path to this. I prefer an immersive game where the responsibility for my actions become more instructive to me. I have won and lost, never in equal proportion, based upon the level of my playing ability in a given scenario. This game is good.

The Troop is a strange game in that it's very good in some ways (when it "works") and yet very frustrating in others. Particularly the way the game is obsessed with very precise, fiddly line-of-sight rules and some combat balance that seems to contravene common sense. I'll recommend it if you like wargames and tactics/strategy games, but I also think in my current 12 hour stint that there is a lot about the game that is needlessly irritating. Good stuff: - The graphics are quite nice for a wargame. - The tank combat can feel really fun. - There's a decent level of realism to most of the tactics. - A good amount of detail dedicated to things like unit status. Tanks can get damaged in different ways, crew can bail from a damaged vehicle etc. etc. - Decent amount of scenarios and content. Meh stuff: - Tactics that feel like they should be effective in reality sometimes aren't. - Balance issues with some weapons. The Flak 88, for example, will sometimes fail to destroy a Sherman even when directly firing into its side armour. In reality these weapons were notorious for shredding many tanks in a single engagement and they should be very powerful. - Infantry feel underpowered and clunky at times. Less of an issue because there's a lot of armour, but still. - Animations for infantry are a bit janky when moving. Not a huge deal. - Some simple visual stuff feels missing (when infantry are mounted on a tank, why can't I see them on the tank, for example?) Bad stuff: - Doesn't seem to be any way to make your own missions, which is a real shame. - Many critical aspects of the game are not well explained through the UI. - I didn't like the in-game music (looping military drums and men shouting over and over (??)) so I turned it off. - The concealment system is essential but there is very little information on how to hide units effectively. - Units basically share their enemy detection perfectly and units stay revealed for a long time even if they break LoS. So if some random infantry guy spots your tank, the invisible enemy tank you haven't even seen yet on the other side of the map will know *exactly* where your tank is and can start lining up a perfect shot from miles away. Okay, here's all the detail. A lot of it will sound negative, but this because I'm trying to highlight the things that make this good game a bit irritating. The Line of Sight system is mostly good and I believe the developers when they say that the computer does not get unfair cheats. However, it is micromanagement heavy, needlessly so in my opinion. I think the people complaining that their tanks miss all the time have not fully understood how the aiming works. Basically units have "stability", which is dictated by how much they are moving around and (in the case of tanks), how much they are having to move their turret to aim at the target that turn. As a result, tanks that are stood still for a turn or two aiming towards another tank get a massive boost to accuracy, whereas if you're roaring around spinning the turret around your accuracy is going to be abysmal. Similarly, if you park your tank behind a house and rotate its turret towards the direction where you know an enemy tank is, you can gently reverse it backwards next turn and still get a very accurate shot despite moving. It's actually pretty realistic, I think. When it goes well it's really fun - you'll blow up 3-4 tanks in quick succession and feel like a king. This part of the gameplay is very fun. Where the LoS system breaks down is in how ridiculously fiddly it often is lining the hexes up correctly. You're constantly going to have to consult the "check LoS" tool for literally every move or shot, which is a lot of clicking and hoping you are remembering the right hex when you move. The AI *does* get an unfair advantage in that it is monitoring all the LoS hexes ALL the time. This can feel very cheesy when in prolonged battles, when the AI starts precisely moving its tanks and infantry in tiny little increments that put it *just* out of LoS of all your units by one hex or whatever. Sometimes it feels less like a battle and more like you're playing a board-game with an insufferable rules-obsessed nerd who knows every single cheese strat there is. A few of the key systems of the game are very poorly sign-posted, too. For example, cover. Sometimes infantry prone behind a wall is almost impossible to hit, other times you'll hide your guys prone behind the same wall and they'll get utterly massacred by an MG a huge distance away. Sometimes enemies hide in a forest and you don't have LoS to hit any of them, you try the same strategy and enemies just wipe whole squads shooting once or twice into the trees. There's no clear indicator to say if you're in "heavy cover" or not, stuff like that. One of the most important mechanics is "concealment", when your units are fully invisible and can ambush enemies as a result. The problem is, despite the game telling you when you are/aren't concealed, you will often get spotted for no real reason. I've had tanks driving around in open fields remain unspotted, but my infantry moving through a forested area get spotted from miles away and shot. There's also no explanation of how to re-conceal. You can do this by hiding out of LoS for a few turns, but how long exactly I don't even know myself. Infantry feel largely underpowered to me, I personally think their sensitivity to "stability" is far too pronounced. Their advantage should be that they can move into areas quickly and attack without having to spend ages setting up like a tank, but actually their aiming mechanics don't seem to differ from tanks at all. This means infantry is almost *completely* useless at assaulting across any open ground at all and most firefights devolve into just sitting in a house or hedge and not moving for almost the whole battle after the initial ambush. Don't get me wrong, an LMG in a house that is set up should have an advantage over guys running across a field. However, my guys 2 hexes away from a German machine gun team in a forest shouldn't have almost zero accuracy after walking 10 feet, it feels unbalanced. Earlier I mentioned some tactics that feel like they should work just don't. Here's what I mean: enemy tank is driving down the street with the hatch open. My infantry ambush and fire an LMG at close range at the tank commander. Nothing happens. Surely in reality this should completely confuse a tank and probably also kill the guy ordering the crew around? You can more heavily damage open-hatched tanks with grenades (most notably completely open light vehicles suffer against this tactic), but gunfire like this doesn't seem to work despite the tooltip saying it would. Similarly, isolated tanks swarmed up close by infantry seem to fare a bit too well in my opinion. Infantry can damage tracks with grenades but tanks are otherwise almost completely resistant. In reality, infantry would set fire to tanks, put explosives into the engines or blind the tank by damaging optics with gunfire. None of these tactics seem well represented, which is a shame when the player should be rewarded for ambushing a tank like this. Similarly, you can flank an AT gun and unload an LMG into the crew from behind (where the crew shield would be useless) and it doesn't seem to do anything at all in most cases. In reality that should be a pretty devastating tactic. If this all sounds really negative, it's because I wanted to draw attention to what's frustrating about the game before people buy it. Aside from all this stuff, the game is solid; the combat is otherwise fun and the missions offer lots of content. Whether you buy it just depends on your tolerance for these irritations, really. I hope the developers keep adding to the game and fine tune the balance a little, it's got a ton of potential and there is the frame of an excellent game here.

Ridiculous AI able to see everything you do whilst you are severely limited. For example I just had a hidden tank shot and destroyed by an enemy which was two fields away with a full wood between us. Also the AI mortar is devastating whilst your own is pathetic. The fact that every move it makes ends up outside your line of sight, even when you are hidden and its not supposed to know where you are really spoils what could have been a great game.

3d turn based close combat w like 100 skirmish scenarios. buy on sale but it does exactly what the tin says im coming from goh, CC and CM series and i endorse this game. easy to learn imo