I checked, the translation of the Chinese also means “The Patriotic War” – however, I’m scared and confused, so the title stays. But that doesn’t really matter, as the 卫国战争 The Patriotic War demo shows that we have a neat game to look forward to.
The Patriotic War demo reminds the most of Running With Rifles. You’re controlling a single dude, running around, dodging bullets, and sometimes even having pals to order around. You can take dropped enemy weapons or mount turrets.
The campaign mode in the demo works like a tutorial, introducing the controls, objectives, and vehicles. The skirmish mode is a tug-of-war, a linear progression through linked outposts to capture the enemy base (if the enemy doesn’t do the same to you beforehand).
The fun thing about the skirmish is that you collect points for both personal and faction upgrades. You also get to pick a class every time you respawn. Classes have different abilities and even level up at different paces.
The Patriotic War demo also gives you friendly squads to command – though in skirmish, the privilege must be earned. The basic command is a bit more in depth than Running With Rifle‘s basic “just go there.” However, your squad mates are as fragile as you are and can be lost in battle.
Meanwhile, in the campaign, you can customize and equip squads between the missions. In wasn’t that fleshed out in The Patriotic War demo, but it is a tantalizing hint at what the full game promises us.
Two more things before we wrap up. First off, it’s so cool that The Patriotic War is a game about the Eastern Front, but the tutorial is set during the invasion of France. Secondly, oh my God, another game using The Polygon Blacksmith dudes!
卫国战争 The Patriotic Wars demo was a great deal of fun. Hopefully, the campaigns – expected to be fully finished around the end of 2025 – will fulfill the potential. And once the full game is out, who knows where the DLCs may take us!