Faces of War

If you're into tactical games with a heavy dose of history, you've probably heard whispers about Faces of War. It's a bit of a hidden gem that started life as a different project called Fangs of War before being completely reworked into the single player experience we know today. Developed by the folks at Best Way and published by Ubisoft, this game carved out a solid fanbase among PC gamers who appreciate a serious challenge.

The story throws you right into the grim chaos of the First World War. You play as a British soldier who, in a brutal twist of fate, is forced to make an impossible choice involving his own deceased brother to save a German prisoner named Reinhold Voll. The narrative takes another sharp turn when you find yourself leading a unit of German soldiers invading France. Your mission becomes a desperate two part struggle: defend your base against relentless enemy assaults while also trying to locate Voll's body. To survive, you get your hands on a whole arsenal of period accurate weapons and early war machines, including prototypes of what would become legendary tanks like the German Tiger.

The single player campaign in Faces of War is not for the faint of heart. The mission design is brutally difficult, where the simple goal of staying alive and not surrendering is a victory in itself. The challenge is cranked up even further because it's not just about winning; it's about how you win. You're constantly pushed to maximize your kill count to earn more experience points (XP), which adds a layer of strategic depth. Some missions will test your skill with specific weapons against AI enemies, while others are pure tests of endurance, tasking you with surviving an entire engagement without taking a single hit. While there are other nuances, mastering these core challenges is the real key to conquering the game.

You can tackle this intense single player experience in a couple of ways, depending on how you like your command structure. The first method is more hands on, letting you take direct control of individual soldiers using your keyboard and mouse. The second option gives you a broader command, allowing you to manage a larger squad of units all at once. Whichever style you choose, the objective remains the same: use the terrain for cover, leverage your available firepower, and eliminate the enemy as efficiently as possible. Don't be fooled into thinking this is a casual romp the AI is smart and the gameplay can get fiercely competitive. For the best experience, it's highly recommended to play online. The dynamic nature of facing human like opponents over the internet adds a layer of unpredictability and variety that a simple LAN connection just can't match.