Combat Mission: Cold War

Combat Mission: Cold War is a tactical military simulation set in a fictional conflict between the USA and the Soviet Union during the Cold War era (1979-1982). Players command battalion-sized units in a detailed 3D environment, managing individual squads and vehicles with unique attributes like morale and experience. The game offers real-time and turn-based gameplay, a Quick Battle system, and an editor for creating custom maps and scenarios.

Combat Mission: Cold War: A Masterclass in Tactical Realism

Introduction

Combat Mission: Cold War (2021) stands as a towering achievement in the realm of tactical wargaming, a genre that demands both historical fidelity and mechanical depth. Developed by Battlefront.com and published by Slitherine Ltd., this entry in the long-running Combat Mission series transports players to the tense, hypothetical battlegrounds of 1979–1982, where NATO and Warsaw Pact forces clash in a “what-if” Cold War gone hot. With its meticulous attention to period-accurate weaponry, doctrine, and terrain, the game is a love letter to military history buffs and hardcore strategists alike. This review will dissect its development, narrative, gameplay, and legacy, arguing that Combat Mission: Cold War is not just a worthy successor to its predecessors but a benchmark for tactical simulations.

Development History & Context

The Studio and Its Vision

Battlefront.com, the studio behind Combat Mission: Cold War, has been a stalwart in the wargaming space since the late 1990s. Known for its Combat Mission series, the studio has consistently pushed the boundaries of realism in tactical simulations, blending turn-based strategy with real-time execution. The CMx2 engine, which powers Cold War, is a refined iteration of the studio’s earlier work, emphasizing granular control over units and environments.

The vision for Cold War was to explore a pivotal yet underrepresented era in military history—the late Cold War, a period marked by technological leaps (e.g., the advent of thermal optics, digital communications, and advanced anti-tank missiles) and doctrinal shifts (e.g., NATO’s AirLand Battle concept). By focusing on the Fulda Gap and the U.S. National Training Center (NTC), the game captures the escalating tensions and hypothetical conflicts that defined the era.

Technological Constraints and the Gaming Landscape

Released in 2021, Combat Mission: Cold War arrived at a time when the wargaming genre was experiencing a renaissance. Titles like Steel Beasts Pro and Ultimate Admiral: Age of Sail had raised the bar for realism, while Wargame: Red Dragon and Hearts of Iron IV catered to broader audiences with accessible mechanics. Battlefront.com’s challenge was to balance Cold War‘s niche appeal with modern expectations for performance and polish.

The CMx2 engine, while visually dated by 2021 standards, remained a powerhouse for simulation. Its strength lay in its physics-based ballistics, unit behavior, and environmental interactions—features that set it apart from more abstract strategy games. However, the engine’s age also meant that Cold War inherited some long-standing issues, such as clunky UI elements and occasional performance hiccups, which would later be addressed in patches and expansions.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

Fictional Conflict, Historical Weight

Combat Mission: Cold War is set in a world where the Cold War’s simmering tensions boil over into full-scale conflict. The game’s three campaigns—Lions of Cantigny (US perspective), Ride of the 120th (Soviet perspective), and NTC 1982 (US training exercises)—explore the hypothetical invasion of West Germany and the evolution of U.S. doctrine at the NTC.

The narrative is sparse, focusing on operational and tactical decision-making rather than character-driven storytelling. However, the historical weight of the setting is palpable. Players grapple with the realities of Cold War-era warfare: the vulnerability of early 1980s tanks to guided missiles, the fog of war exacerbated by limited communications, and the psychological toll of combat on soldiers. The game’s “what-if” scenarios—such as pitting 1979-era M60A1s against 1982-era T-80s—invite players to explore the consequences of technological and doctrinal evolution.

Themes of Doctrine and Technology

At its core, Combat Mission: Cold War is a meditation on the interplay between doctrine and technology. The U.S. campaigns highlight the transition from Vietnam-era tactics to the AirLand Battle doctrine, which emphasized combined-arms operations and deep strikes. The Soviet campaigns, meanwhile, showcase the Warsaw Pact’s reliance on massed armor and shock tactics, as well as the limitations of their logistically strained forces.

The game’s attention to detail extends to the smallest mechanics. For example, the introduction of cluster munitions and thermal optics reflects the era’s technological advancements, while the modeling of unit morale and leadership underscores the human dimension of warfare. These elements coalesce into a thematic exploration of how military forces adapt—or fail to adapt—to changing circumstances.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

Core Gameplay Loop

Combat Mission: Cold War blends real-time and turn-based gameplay in a hybrid system known as “WEGO” (We Go). Players issue orders to squads, vehicles, and aircraft during a planning phase, then watch as those orders are executed in real time. This system rewards patience and foresight, as players must anticipate enemy movements and environmental factors (e.g., line of sight, weather, and terrain).

The game’s tactical depth is evident in its unit behavior. Each soldier or vehicle has unique attributes, such as morale, experience, and leadership, which influence their performance in combat. A green squad might panic under fire, while a veteran unit holds its ground. Similarly, vehicles can suffer subsystem damage (e.g., tracks, optics, or ammunition), adding a layer of realism to engagements.

Combat and Progression

Combat in Combat Mission: Cold War is a study in chaos and unpredictability. Ballistics are simulated with physics-based accuracy, meaning that factors like wind, bullet drop, and armor angles can mean the difference between a clean kill and a glancing blow. Players must account for these variables when engaging targets, especially at long ranges.

Progression is non-existent in the traditional sense; instead, the game focuses on mastering its systems. Players unlock new scenarios and campaigns by completing objectives, but the real “progression” comes from refining tactics and adapting to the game’s challenges. The Quick Battle mode allows for customizable skirmishes, while the scenario editor and multiplayer modes (including PBEM++ for asynchronous play) extend the game’s longevity.

UI and Innovations

The user interface, while functional, shows its age. Menus are cluttered, and the camera controls can feel unwieldy, particularly in dense urban environments. However, the game compensates with innovative features like the Commander’s View, which provides a top-down overview of the battlefield, and the Unit Status panel, which tracks individual soldiers’ conditions.

One of the game’s standout innovations is its modeling of electronic warfare. Players can disrupt enemy communications or jam radar systems, adding a layer of strategic depth to engagements. This feature, while rudimentary, reflects the era’s early experiments with digital warfare and sets Cold War apart from its predecessors.

World-Building, Art & Sound

Setting and Atmosphere

Combat Mission: Cold War transports players to the heart of the Cold War, with meticulously recreated battlefields in West Germany and California. The game’s maps are based on real-world locations, from the dense forests of the Fulda Gap to the arid expanses of the NTC. Environmental details, such as foliage, buildings, and weather effects, contribute to the immersion.

The game’s art direction prioritizes functionality over aesthetics. Units and vehicles are rendered with a level of detail that rivals dedicated military simulations, while the 3D environments are serviceable but not groundbreaking. The visual style is unapologetically utilitarian, reflecting the series’ focus on simulation over spectacle.

Sound Design

Sound plays a crucial role in Combat Mission: Cold War. The game’s audio design is immersive, with distinct sounds for weapons, vehicles, and environmental effects. The crack of an AK-47, the rumble of a T-72’s engine, and the whistling of incoming artillery create a visceral atmosphere. The voice acting, while limited, adds authenticity to briefings and radio chatter.

Reception & Legacy

Critical and Commercial Reception

Upon release, Combat Mission: Cold War received mixed reviews. Critics praised its depth, realism, and historical accuracy but criticized its dated engine, bugs, and steep learning curve. Steam users, however, rated the game highly (9.1/10), indicating strong appeal among hardcore wargamers.

The game’s reception was further complicated by technical issues, such as crashes and multiplayer connectivity problems. These issues were partially addressed in later patches, but they underscored the challenges of maintaining an aging engine.

Influence and Evolution

Combat Mission: Cold War has left a lasting impact on the wargaming genre. Its focus on Cold War-era conflicts has inspired other developers to explore similar settings, while its hybrid real-time/turn-based mechanics have influenced titles like Ultimate Admiral: Age of Sail and Ultimate General: Civil War.

The game’s legacy was further cemented by its expansion, British Army of the Rhine (2025), which added new factions (British, Canadian, and Soviet VDV) and campaigns. This expansion demonstrated the series’ continued relevance and its ability to adapt to new historical contexts.

Conclusion

Combat Mission: Cold War is a triumph of tactical realism, a game that demands patience, skill, and historical knowledge from its players. While its engine and UI may show their age, the depth of its simulation and the richness of its setting make it a standout entry in the Combat Mission series. It is a game for purists, a love letter to the Cold War era, and a testament to the enduring appeal of wargaming.

In the pantheon of tactical simulations, Combat Mission: Cold War earns its place as a masterclass in historical fidelity and mechanical depth. It is not a game for casual players, but for those willing to invest the time, it offers an unparalleled experience—a window into a world that thankfully never was, but could have been.