Close Combat: Wacht am Rhein
Close Combat: Wacht am Rhein
Game
Game2019
Close Combat: The Bloody First
Developer Matrix Games
Close Combat: The Bloody First is the latest release in the critically-acclaimed Close Combat series, and the first using the new 3D Archon engine. With this Close Combat: The Bloody First combines classic Close Combat tactical gameplay with battles fought across a wide variety of diverse 3D landscapes including craggy ridgelines, narrow... From the Steam store page
220 reactions from 2 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky) · newest Oct 21, 2026 · last updated Oct 22, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
55
Mixed
102 positive · 85 negative
95% range 47–62%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 102 | 85 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 10 | 0 | 23 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Mixed
162 of 300 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
54% recommend · 102 yes, 87 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 189 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Mixed (244 of 459 positive).
Some players appreciate the 3D update and find it a worthy addition to the series. [1][2][3] Others criticize the game for being buggy, lacking content, and having poor graphics. [4][5][6] Many recommend waiting for a sale or patches before purchasing. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [4]
Game should be renamed to "Close to highway robbery: The Bloody Ripoff!" I am an old close combat fan with endless hours. My friend and I purchased this game to play the co-op grand campaign. The problem despite the graphics being poor, is the game play is buggy. The grand campaign will not save the multiplayer co-op battle to advance to the next level. Game was NO WAY ready for release with a hefty $39.99 price tag.
- [6]
I wanted to love this game as a long time CC fan and a Squad Leader fan before that, but it is a huge disappointment. This is easily the worst of the series - A Bridge Too Far (followed by Caen and the Bulge) being the best IMO. The greatest weakness in the game are the truly dreadful graphics. The attempt to bring the graphics into the 21st Century has backfired and they are just a gloopy mess where it is next to …
- [1]
Two Thumbs Up! - 20+ hours into the game and this has to be the best Close Combat game yet! *UPDATE 9 APRIL 2022*: Modder Nomada_Firefox has done a mod of CC:The Longest Day for CC:TBF and the developers have added it as a download. I just finished playing all three CC:TBF campaigns and tried out the mod - excellent! Kudos to Nomada_Firefox! The "Veteran" mod looks like it will double or triple the replay value of …
- [2]
Amazing game. A must have for all Close Combat fans. I've been a fan of Close Combat since around 20 years ago. A bridge too far was my first deployment. All the improvements they have made for this The Bloody First is simply everything I wished it to be back then. The new camera system is a game changer, ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ awesome! Improvements all across the board. The way the campaign is structured now just works perfect. …
- [3]
Really impressed with the 3D implementation of Close Combat TBF. Very challenging to fight with an Infantry Division against better equipped foes. I do have an extensive period of military service and strong military history background and find that for the most part, equipment and tactics that worked a certain way in real life are well replicated in the game mechanics. I would readily play future games along these …
Summarised from 34 of the 217 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 13, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
The crowd is split on Close Combat: The Bloody First: 102 recommend it, 87 don't. Which camp are you in?
Reactions
60 of 220 · most liked firstGame should be renamed to "Close to highway robbery: The Bloody Ripoff!" I am an old close combat fan with endless hours. My friend and I purchased this game to play the co-op grand campaign. The problem despite the graphics being poor, is the game play is buggy. The grand campaign will not save the multiplayer co-op battle to advance to the next level. Game was NO WAY ready for release with a hefty $39.99 price tag.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Do I recommend this game? Yes, If your looking for a classic close combat game. However, I still have to bring up the fact that this game still feels pretty bare bones. After playing through the entire campaign with the US, I tried to play a campaign as the Germans. And, well, I know its a game about the American division and the fighting it encountered, but if you're going to include the ability to play a German Campaign then you should be at least pretending that the same unit was fighting…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Have you ever wanted a REALLY slow paced war game? Me neither. The "Close Combat" franchise is near and dear to my heart. I remember being blown away playing the original when I was 17. As an aspiring combat leader and soon to be soldier, the game was ground breaking. The idea at the time that there was an AI determining the mood and abilities of your men in real time was very novel. You mean that my soldiers were actually going to freak out and run away if I had them run straight into an…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I really wanted to like this game, i may in the future if the game breaking issues are fixed but for now I would Stay away from this game. I ignored the fact that the graphics look terrible for 2019-2020 thinking i was going to get the classic feel of cc with the detailed platoon and company creation and in depth map navigation giving it a realistic feel during combat and in some cases they did do well with keeping those aspects in the game but the game itself is so bugged and poorly optimized…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →How are you going to be releasing the same game for 25 years and make it worse?
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Between them, the Pokémon: Close Combat community picked Marshadow as the next character to be added to the game. But that means they have to leave their muse behind.... long live Marshmelo, may they be reunited one day 🫡 #Pokémon
neutral · AI labelView post →Been playing Pokemon Close Combat recently. Really enjoying playing as Slither Wing recently. #pokemon
positive · AI labelView post →Humanized Medicham, Falinks, Bewear and Poliwrath as they appear in Pokémon: Close Combat! mayyybe I'll make a mod of these for the game one day, sounds fun hehe #brart #pokémon #gijinka
neutral · AI labelView post →If this game would be a first game of some indie studio for 10-15 dollars, without any close combat references, I would definitely recommend. But, alas, this game IS pretending to be a close combat successor, which is an insult to all of these old-timers, who used to play the classic close combat games long time ago, and still do. And, as if that is not enough, they slapped a 40 dollar tag on it! This is insane! A very sloppy game, with a lot of bugs, rather bad graphics and sound design…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The current State of my RTS Game "Trails of Suebia": - Ranged and Close Combat - Resource gathering - Player can win or lose - Fully working dynamic Fog of War - Building Construction - Supported Platforms: Windows, Linux & Mac (thx Unity♥) #Indiedev #gamedev #indiegames #unity3d #trailsofsuebia
neutral · AI labelView post →* The sounds are of poor quality and obnoxious. Expect to hear the same three voice lines endlessly, often without relevance to anything actually happening. As a "fun bonus" exiting a battle "rewards" you with chicken sounds * The combat system is solid but unremarkable. Graviteam Tactics handles the larger scale engagements better and frankly has a better combat system * The graphics are worse than the 2D over the head versions used in the past. They are also worse than those in Graviteam…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Todays video is LIVE and we are showcasing indie fighting game Pokemon: Close Combat! Your favourite pokemon fighting? Well not really, the cast is actually very non standard and interesting, and gameplay wise a real treat! youtu.be/AQP6KYm0vHM
neutral · AI labelView post →got this game as a present for Christmas - I have played all the other games in the series since they came out many years ago and I must say this is the worst i have ever played. The 3d engine is very badly done and makes it impossible to see your units and makes line of sight very difficult to work out. The control system on the troops is very poor and you can find your self cancelling orders or moving units out of cover unintentionally. That's if you can find them in the first place !!!!!…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I wanted to love this game as a long time CC fan and a Squad Leader fan before that, but it is a huge disappointment. This is easily the worst of the series - A Bridge Too Far (followed by Caen and the Bulge) being the best IMO. The greatest weakness in the game are the truly dreadful graphics. The attempt to bring the graphics into the 21st Century has backfired and they are just a gloopy mess where it is next to impossible to spot your own units, let alone the enemy. The game also lacks…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Two Thumbs Up! - 20+ hours into the game and this has to be the best Close Combat game yet! *UPDATE 9 APRIL 2022*: Modder Nomada_Firefox has done a mod of CC:The Longest Day for CC:TBF and the developers have added it as a download. I just finished playing all three CC:TBF campaigns and tried out the mod - excellent! Kudos to Nomada_Firefox! The "Veteran" mod looks like it will double or triple the replay value of CC:TBF (i.e. maybe add another 100-200hrs of gameplay). Read the news update on…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I have played a lot of Close Combat, going back to the original version and into the remakes. I love the games and was looking forward to this release. Upon (significantly delayed) release, I made my purchase and after a few minutes of game play, it was obvious this was very different and not in a good way - perhaps I could get used to it? The one aspect I would not warm to under any circumstance was instability, the game crashed on me several times and I have played it less than 2 hours! I…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Note: I will change this review if the issues raised are fixed. 2nd Note: Not many of these games are around so thanks to the Dev's for even releasing this At current state I would not reccomend this game, especially at the price tag. - I have noticed at least 10 major bugs many of which are fairly game breaking. - Most of these bugs are so obvious to even the most basic player that I am very surprised it wasn't picked up at testing (if there was even any testing and I am skeptical there…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Not horrible, but Close Combat veterans will notice many missing features. Selecting multiple units and moving them anywhere causes them to move all to the same spot. Previous CC games maintained relative movement positions so you could quickly move a group in one relative direction. Not being able to advance units to relative positions at one time is cumbersome. Now that all units converge on the site of the move order, you have to individually move units one at a time. Also, when you order a…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I still love this series but the new content for (the bloody first) has the same issues as the old content, saved games will have a fatal error and all your time is lost unable to play saved games. It sad that they took so long to release a pile of crap i love close combat and i have played all of them for far to many hours It makes me sad to post this, but this one game idk what they were thinking. The game is still very buggy can not play a saved game not that there is much content if you…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Played all CC games and they are just getting worse....
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It just really, really stinks. It has less functionality and worse AI than the original series did 30 years ago. These "new" CC games are all a cash grab from a company that inherited the rights.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I came into this game with very low expectations given the reviews and the general attitude towards this game in the community. The game has more than surpassed my expectations. The following may seem like a lot of words with a very low playtime. but I have played this game outside of steam as well as seen gameplay videos etc.. All of that informs my opinion. The worst thing that can be said about this game is that this is just way too similar to the older Close Combat games. Developers did…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →honestly not worth the money even on sale. slitherine have always been greedy but the old games were good but progressively getting worse. weve reached a stage now where theyre greedy and incompetent. took them about 5 years to finish. no joke they were dropping screenshots in 2014. after all this time they released this trash and want AAA title money for it. i get it in a sale and decided early on it wasnt worth it. seriously save the 2 gb on your hard drive its not worth the space.…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Seriously WTF. The AI in unit placement is beyond stupid. Guys walk out into gunfire, as if they are looking for daisies and dragonflys... who the ♥♥♥♥ does this in combat. Just lollygagging around with MG34 fire spraying around you. The old CC would have guys naturally take cover and move to defensive positions. Also, the 5 clicks to get a command right... wtf ... again, this should be natural, no options to correct. This is not CC, this is a poor attempt at a fake CC.... ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ waste…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Hugely disappointing, as a fan of the franchise having played all previous games, I was really excited for this new one. Having read the reviews I still decided to purchase the game. I shouldn't have. For a full priced game this is barely a beta version, buggy all over so much so it's laughable until you realise you spent £30 on it. Have gone for a refund, perhaps they should remove it and improve the game before realising again. I wouldn't purchase in current state with current price its…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →16) What would your dream Pokemon game be? Idk if you guys know that Pokemon: Close Combat is a 2D fighting fangame! It's a REALLY GOOD game that I have not truly tried myself, but I think this becomes an even better game with the right money and production! (Also I want Pokepark 3)
positive · AI labelView post →Buyer beware. I have never left a review for a game on Steam. However... The LOS function in this game is, plain and simple: severely dysfunctional. It is not even worth attempting to play. The game attempts to 3D model the terrain, which you should be able to use to your advantage in planning avenues of approach, ambush points, etc. except enemy units are somehow able to see directly through terrain while your advancing troops are clearly in defilade. I am typically weary of other user…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A let down. The trend of redesigning a beloved game is stupid. Close combat was simple to use and hard to master. This game is clunky in its design and no fun to play. I will not be buying any more games in the close combat series. The series is dead to me.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Worst camera implementation ever. You hit the ground with the camera and it zooms out automatically to max zoom. Then you have to zoom back in and the zooming is slow as ♥♥♥♥. The camera gets stuck on terrain. When trying to move the camera there is a 1 second lag before the game realizes that you are trying to move the camera. The responsiveness of the camera is akin to the feeling you get when you are trying to open a folder on your mothers malware infested 15 year old computer. Was hyped…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is my very first review on Steam and I would contribute it to this buggy game. I've been a CC fan since Battle of Bulge and I liked Invasion of Normandy the most. I was expecting this new game and did purchase it as soon as the game was released on Steam. However, I feel extremely disappointed. The commands were always significantly delayed and thus lost the opportunity to fight back. Those soldiers fled as non-trained civilians as soon as they encountered the enemies. In just one single…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is a complete disgrace to both the Close Combat series and the veterans of WW2. LOS is awful (just watched a .30 mg team let the enemy move standing up over 75 yards with LOS on them to cover and did not start firing until the enemy was in cover). Also the enemy is somehow able to fire behind obstacles however your teams will need to move completely around them, even if they are low and could be used to fire from. There is a metric ton more thats bad about this game. Add in the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →As much as I like Close Combat, and I've played/owned them all, I just can't recommend this version of the series. I have NO idea why they decided to scrap the Unity engine, and follow another design. I have a powerhouse PC, and this game run very poorly graphically. I almost feels like the developers were trying to make a "Steel Division" type format here, but missed it with the graphics engine. I'll change my review to a positive review if they can get the choppy graphics ironed out, and make…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I want to like this game so bad. I've played several of the older Close Combat games (Longest Day, Panthers in the Fog, CC1) and this game doesn't scratch the itch that those other games are able to. The one feature that I have been asking for for the longest time has been contour lines on the map which was delivered in this version as well as the 3D perspective of the battlefield. With that said, the campaign feels off with its linear battle style with each battle consisting of only a couple…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I don't understand why it has been so difficult to build a decent 3d version of the original Close Combat engine game, but this is not the one that has made it. It really feels like they are not really trying and just milking the franchise because people like me remember good old times playing the very best in series of CC2 and CC3, made by original team at Atomic and even a slightest hint of improved close combat series game will eventually make a sale, but unfortunately this is just a reused…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Love the series and love the "Updates" into 3D - highly recommended for CC vets. However, there are 3 points I would like to add: 1- Why can't we play with the Germans, Italians or, heck, even the British all the way into a Grand campaign? Like the Americans? (I really like to play with the Germans for their weapons). Why, for example, can we not "add" more soldiers into the group of rifleman? It really bugs me when the American platoon has more men than the German one - it would be a nice…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Not as good a old versions. Inflexible
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I was really not able to get into this series. First i've tried Last Stand Arnhem, which i found to be too outdated to nowadays standards in almost every possible way. Then i decided to try TBF. The principles are the same, but 3D adds a very good perspective which helps a lot judging the elevations. But that's it. Oh .. and i was able to actually see the difference between squads and the enviroment ... Played some scenarios and started the campaign. I like the linking of the battles and…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I probably had too high expectations after loving the previous games in the series. But this feels old. The graphics are disastrous. The control of the soldiers is disastrous. It is definitely not worth that much money .... Maybe worth 20% ..... 15 years ago. Now in retrospect, it feels a bit like I went to the car dealership to buy a lamborghini, but came home with an overrun rabbit
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →True the game isnt that much different than the other close combats which i honestly love, true its not worth $40 but it is a fun game none the less, does feel less than the others because your only commanding one division/platoon at a time when vetreans of the series are used to the whole army but it feels more personal seeing the same guys progress and evolve. The 3d aspect and weird and sure the game doesnt have coh2 graphics but come on lol i still play a bridge too far, why the duck will i…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Amazing game. A must have for all Close Combat fans. I've been a fan of Close Combat since around 20 years ago. A bridge too far was my first deployment. All the improvements they have made for this The Bloody First is simply everything I wished it to be back then. The new camera system is a game changer, ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ awesome! Improvements all across the board. The way the campaign is structured now just works perfect. For the new recruits, I'll leave you with the moment that close combat…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →WHAT A TURN OF EVENTS 😲 Juan Salerno's Game 1 was looking bleak, but Sneasler came through to save the day with a critical hit Close Combat to flip the script! #PokemonVGC
neutral · AI labelView post →I enjoyed playing the original close combat series, but I struggle playing this version.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Close Combat: The Bloody First is a game that is bad not because of a half-hearted switch to 3D, but because it retains almost all flaws of earlier CC games while failing to improve the formula at any level. While the switch to 3D is an element often criticized, actually it was a much needed improvement on the original CC games. Tactical decision making requires good terrain awareness, and while the earlier 2D games tried to communicate elevation information, I felt that it was quite lacking…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →WORSE GRAPHICS and game play and a total waste of £30. As a fan of Close Combat Games (have the complete collection) I was really looking forward to the new release. This however is dreadful and it seems developers were just looking to make a quick buck. Graphics worse than the old original game and glitchy awful, useless gameplay. I feel robbed.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →one of those many games overlooked by many, with plenty of reasons why, some i agree with, some i don't, the title close combat, i disagree with the many who state this isn't one in the series, for me it's a follow on that went in a new direction and worked well, i liked the art, the style and also did the beta, for me it's follows a long list of really good and special games in a series that almost everyone loved, this one changed direction in it's art form and layout, but kept the UI and for…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →PKMN: Close Combat! It’s a Pokémon fighting game with a roster of only fighting-types. Here’s the link to their YT channel. youtu.be/41ZuBfpZehw?...
neutral · AI labelView post →another two old art reposts. Featuring both Chef Kawasaki being unamused at a certain dish, and Falinks using their Mighty grab from the wonder fan game Pokemon: Close Combat #kirby #pokemon #Art #digitalart #roughsketch
neutral · AI labelView post →You start a map, put units in defensive positions, wait for enemy to move, kill them, move slightly towards their direction. Rinse and repeat. Their morale gets low, combat finishes, you got some random message how the enemy was destroyed or how they pushed you back or how you gained ground. This repeats about 4 times, then you go to the new map and this is exactly the same over about 20 maps or so... Previous titles somehow managed to make this more interesting...
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Ok, so I don't get all the negativity. I held off buying this game for that very reason. Granted, I'm not a seasoned Close Combat Veteran, so maybe there's a lot to of nuances I'm missing, but I'm not really sure there is. Yes, the game has made the jump to 3D... is it pretty? No. However, it is not without it's charm. There is something about the 3D that, while I was originally put off, it quickly grew on me. It stands out against title like Gates of Hell and others that try and have an…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Nothing like the original CC games and is mediocre at best Though it has it's moments and can be fun i guess it can be considered passable if you have the Veteran Mod
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Disappointing While it's nice to play a different theatre with the Sicily and North Africa campaigns, the game lacks the feel and challenge of its 2D predecessors. Having to work with actual contours and proper LOS is fun, but the actual gameplay feels dumbed down and the AI is even worse than previous games making the game too easy. There really is no point in using the main feature of the game - 3d terrain to your advantage, because the AI is too stupid to attack and sits in spawn areas…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's just sad. Thought I'd try to support the dev team and fork over $40 for this, even though it has "mixed" ratings. Sorry, but I couldn't get past the graphics and UI. It's clunky, mouse is lagged, and I don't know how this can pass for an example of modern graphics for a game released in 2020. Really feels like a beta release. Gave it a shot, but have to refund. May check back and try again if this get vast improvements.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →For veterans of Combat Mission series, they'll find themselves right at home. However, for those looking forward to the interesting campaign mode will be sorely disappointed. If you were hoping to build your army mission-by-mission, forming a veteran force that you can rely to conquer hell itself, you will be sorely disappointed. The grand campaign (axis so far, haven't tried allied yet) has the player thrown through operations, each with different division. Sometimes it's the italians,…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Very much like the direction that the game is heading however at this moment in time I cannot reccomend it. The graphics are somewhat blurry and th UI does not go with the game at all. With future patches this game WILL ROCK! But at the moment, if you pay full price for this game your participating in an alpha build. The future looks bright but definitely wait until this game is actually ready for a full release. The develepors must need money because at the moment we are play testers.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Really impressed with the 3D implementation of Close Combat TBF. Very challenging to fight with an Infantry Division against better equipped foes. I do have an extensive period of military service and strong military history background and find that for the most part, equipment and tactics that worked a certain way in real life are well replicated in the game mechanics. I would readily play future games along these lines (i.e. 3rd US Armoured, 21st German Panzer Division, etc.) Taking a…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Altogether worse than any previous entry in franchise
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm REALLY enjoying Pokemon Close Combat. I'm starting to think that I might be as into this game as I was Them's Fightin' Herds. I haven't felt this desire to get strong at a fighting game since that one, how appropriate that I find it in another random little indie fighter!
positive · AI labelView post →If you can pick it up for single digits, it's unique to play CC in 3D. But it's not one of the greats, there was so much potential here and they just gave up and did none of it. If they added proper terrain mapping, improved the cover mechanics, dropped the weird linear campaign and made it more like 5's, improved modding support and fixed the odd performance issues (weird given that this game is so very basic), then the concept of 3dCC could turn into the best title of the series. But…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Rather annoyed. Several hours in and have not actually been able to play. Very buggy. Can not start a campaign of any sort. Select it, prompts for a name, give it one, click ok and... nothing. the ok button goes down and up, down and up, nothing. ok, cancel. Pick a specific battle, that works. Select my troops, get them just about placed and the sound locks up. just a constant annoying one tone drone that can't be turned off. Ok. Lets save the game, restart, and then load it. ok, save the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fun but it has about half of the content of the old games. There are still bugs and there is only a linear campaign for one company. It really misses the old maps where you had to move multiple battle groups around giving warn out troops rest and trying to get your armour into position to fight enemy tanks. The graphics are great and the maps are fun. Hopefully they can implement a lot of the features of the old games because this could breathe new life into the franchise, which I love.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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