This post will be a bit different than my normal ones. Why is that you say? Well if you read the title you see this is a review of a PC game. Don’t worry I have no intentions of reviewing PC games all the time. The game I am reviewing, is a PC version of the war game Conflict of Heroes: Awakening the Bear.

First you should know I have not played the analog version of the game. I have played a different game in the Conflict of Heroes series, Storms of Steel. You can read that review here. It gives a detailed look at the combat system and mechanics of the series.

The battle system has been ported very well to the PC game. The entire combat system is represented including the CAPs, the cards and many units. It takes a bit to get used to some of the controls but the majority of them are pretty intuitive. The system is pretty streamlined and gets even smoother with the computer calculating movement rates, DRMs and other penalties and bonuses. You can even see your hit percentage when you hover over an enemy unit.

The graphics are very nice and you have the option to play in a 2-D mode or with chits on the board. You can zoom and rotate the map which helps you keep and eye on your troops and your enemies. Also after everything is said and done you can re-watch your win (or loss) in the Replay Mode.

The AI in the game can be challenging and being able to play the game solo is great. But you can also use multiplayer matching to find other players online. And though the game may take a bit to load, once connected, I experienced no lag.

The ten original game scenarios are included in this digital version. On top of that are seventeen new scenarios. However if you like to create your own scenarios, a scenario editor is included. The three tutorial scenarios are helpful and do a very good job of showing you the ropes. The last tutorial, Monsters, is tough though and you might want to move onto the regular scenarios if you cannot beat it.

I mentioned the high quality of the port above. That is not to say there are no differences. The major differences are: the ability for a unit to retain APs, the fog of war, and an option to have unit quality (i.e. green, experienced or veteran).

This game is not flawless, but its list of flaws is small. Line of sight is hard to determine until after you move a unit. It would be nice to easily determine the line of site from a space you are moving to. The 3-D LoS rules add the ability to have different terrain. But determining how different terrain (esp. hills) affects your LoS is tough.

If you enjoy the analog versions of the Conflict of Heroes series you should enjoy this PC version. It is especially nice that you are able to play solo or against others online.

Score and synopsis: (Click here for an explanation of these review categories.)
Strategy 4 out of 6
Luck 4 out of 6
Player Interaction 5 out of 6 (if not playing solo)
Replay Value 4 out of 6
Complexity 4 out of 6
Fun 5 out of 6
Overall 5 out of 6