Final Vendetta
Final Vendetta
Game
Game2017
Syrian Warfare
Developer Cats Who Play
Syrian Warfare (Russian: Сирия: Русская буря) is a 2017 real-time tactics video game developed by the Russian studio Cats who Play. The game takes place during the Syrian Civil War from the perspective of forces loyal to the government of Bashar al-Assad. The game is a spiritual sequel to the 2008 release Warfare by GFI Russia, where players take control of the United States Army and Marine Corps against a fictional… From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
169 reactions from 2 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky) · newest Nov 2, 2026 · last updated Nov 4, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
79
LovedLoved
123 positive · 32 negative
95% range 72–85%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 123 | 32 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 0 | 2 | 12 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
1,203 of 1,441 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
81% recommend · 135 yes, 32 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 167 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (4,858 of 5,610 positive).
Many players call the game pro-Assad and Russian propaganda. [1][2][3][4] Some reviewers praise the gameplay, calling it a genuinely good RTS. [5][2][6][7] A few players criticize the game for missing features or unrealistic portrayal. [8][9][10][11]
Liked
Representative posts
- [10]
Believe me, I genuinely dislike leaving negative reviews. However, in this case, I feel I have no choice. Here’s why: This game includes a Steam achievement that can no longer be obtained unless the game was purchased during early access. I consider this a defect, not a feature. Many players, myself included, have already asked the developers to reconsider or adjust this decision. Unfortunately, they have shown no …
- [5]
Honestly a great game. But where's the mission where Assad flees to Russia with his Airplane?
- [2]
Literal Russian Pro-Assad propaganda. I love it. Genuinely good gameplay too, it's difficult but rewarding. Best part is the environments, they're authentic and detailed
- [7]
Expected some mediocre slavjank strategy game, but it's actually a genuinely great slavjank strategy game. Gameplay is great fun, music is full of jams, and engine provides a lot of depth and really nice visuals to boot. Sure, it's not World in Conflict in terms of presentation, but it's damn close, cutscenes aside. Looking forward to Front Edge.
- [1]
Great Game but I see where this is headed. Your developer team is a full on Putin Propaganda Machine, I hope Ukraine does kick your sorry asses, because they are more pro Slav than Putin's oppressive oligarchic slave state and from the slow movement of Russian advances it seems like they are and your team aren't real Russians patriots your a bunch of ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ who hide behind a screen and support a war that kills …
Summarised from 34 of the 180 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 11, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Syrian Warfare sits at 79% positive across 155 opinionated reactions from 2 sources. Fresh or rotten — where do you land?
Critics, per Wikipedia
Mail.ru included Syrian Warfare in their list of best games of the month in March 2017, later leaving a review where the game was highly rated with a score of 8.0 out of 10. The review was positive, comparing the game a successor to others in the genre such as Sudden Strike or Blitzkrieg, recommending it for fans of "man-over-machine" tactics while warning that the games difficulty and political tone would not be for everyone. Riot Pixels positively reviewed the game and the Return to Palmyra expansion, giving it a score of 77/100 praising the games use of historical real-world events, attention to detail and plot, while noting the games simple graphics and user interface, the lack of…
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 169 · most liked firstnot very realistic, the Syrian army defends in this game unlike real life
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Honestly a great game. But where's the mission where Assad flees to Russia with his Airplane?
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Goodbye forever...farewell, Syria and the SAA. Farewell, Ba'th's vision. A new dark era for her people has come...prayer to the Syria peoples...Farewell.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Believe me, I genuinely dislike leaving negative reviews. However, in this case, I feel I have no choice. Here’s why: This game includes a Steam achievement that can no longer be obtained unless the game was purchased during early access. I consider this a defect, not a feature. Many players, myself included, have already asked the developers to reconsider or adjust this decision. Unfortunately, they have shown no openness to discussion or negotiation on the matter. As a result, the only…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →My SAA units actually fought back instead of running away at the first sight of the enemy. Uninstalled due to my immersion being broken.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great Game but I see where this is headed. Your developer team is a full on Putin Propaganda Machine, I hope Ukraine does kick your sorry asses, because they are more pro Slav than Putin's oppressive oligarchic slave state and from the slow movement of Russian advances it seems like they are and your team aren't real Russians patriots your a bunch of ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ who hide behind a screen and support a war that kills Slavs on both sides you love a Eurasianist empire that disguises itself as something…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →a very interesting artifact, the Russian government paid an indie studio to make an RTS game to lionize the VDV paratroopers who got mulched by Hostomel, and it's a sequel to 2017's "Syrian Warfare" review by @warlockracy.bsky.social youtu.be/2X0__ujOzAY
neutral · AI labelView post →Literal Russian Pro-Assad propaganda. I love it. Genuinely good gameplay too, it's difficult but rewarding. Best part is the environments, they're authentic and detailed
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Surely, owning this game will be considered morally dubious by some, perhaps even many. But one must also consider how many gamers have also purchased the STALKER trilogy in various formats, sometimes at full retail price, over the years. Not to mention, I was one of those suckers who also pre-ordered STALKER 2 before there was virtually anything to show for it. All that being said, the Assad regime is gone, toppled by the ideologically dissonant 'moderate Islamists' and the world from when…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Can't wait to play as my favorite fictional army, the Syrian Arab Army.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Excellent game, Puts us into the role of a commander of the Syrian Arab Army and gives us insight into the first days of the catastrophe that began in 2013 and ended with strategic world catastrophe where Western-backed terrorists, Turkey and Israel in cahoots destroyed the sovereign Syrian Arab Republic, an act that was lauded in the West. It's a heavily story-driven game where you get to control a myriad of different units from the very first day of the war, using an established and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Its over Assad bros
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →you can use the journalists as 'human' shields 10/10 game the thermobaric rockets are peak
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Nice RTS game, good feeling, some hatefull ukrainians try to shut down this game by racism and hate.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →well well well.Whens next DLC? Ahem. Cuz you know.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Before their defeat, russia spent 10 years in Syria mostly committing and assisting with war crimes, including torture and bombing civilians, especially hospitals and market places, sometimes using chemical weapons. This game doesn't include any of that because the devs are paid by the russian government to produce a sanitized fictitious version of their war. This game is part of a shameful trend on Steam to use the platform as a hub for multiple games which promote russian terrorism. Valve…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a Russian Propaganda game, and god is the propaganda working
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game aged like milk.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If more people bought this game, things would've turned out a whole lot different!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Funnily enough, I own a Russian-made game that covers the Syrian Government's fight against ISIS. "Syrian Warfare" came out in 2017 and is a RTS that lionizes Russian Special Forces and the SAA's "Tiger Force" operating around Palmyra/Damascus. It's virulently pro-Assad/Putin, implying 1/2
negative · AI labelView post →Well well well well propagandist devs, how well is assad doing now? Can we have an DLC where you gotta make russian troops run away from FPVs ? <3
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Expected some mediocre slavjank strategy game, but it's actually a genuinely great slavjank strategy game. Gameplay is great fun, music is full of jams, and engine provides a lot of depth and really nice visuals to boot. Sure, it's not World in Conflict in terms of presentation, but it's damn close, cutscenes aside. Looking forward to Front Edge.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Who would have thunk that the best modern warfare rts in 2024 is from 2017 and deals with the syrian war.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Obviously a propaganda game. Like one of the achievements is named after the euphemism for Russian Soldiers when they seized Crimea. Doe that make it a bad game? No. Theres some things that can get annoying like anti tank weapons and artillery can get a little unfair. Other than that pretty solid game. Kinda want them to make a spiritual successor for Ukraine. Even if its propaganda it would still be interesting. Like start with the war in Donbas or even EuroMaiden and it would be a natural…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Really underrated RTS, need more games based on modern conflicts like the Syrian Civil War which is unfortunately still ongoing, great representation and brings awareness without all the western and Zionist propaganda.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →it hurts to thumbs down because I like the game. it's quite well made and features dramatic action and story with a fair amount of player choice. the problem I have is I like to consume these games over a long period of time which is not conducive to keeping a save intact unless you want to leave this game installed for a long long period of time, baby your documents folder or already have an off-steam save system setup. personally I am mildly offended they go the extra mile to add something…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I love Pro Assad Propaganda.. This game is very much in support of a dictator but i still find it a good game and pretty well made as well. The missions are all very well made (Except one) and it blends strategy with tactical combat very well, i find myself liking to play this game and it's DLC's even in 2025. In conclusion: Game = Good Assad = Bad 7/10, Allahuakbar's
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →After the fall of the Assad Regime and the new leadership, I can see that the game lore is very accurate.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's Assadover boys, how tf did this happen like a mere 2 weeks after I bought this game?
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Don't get me wrong this is a pro-Russia and Pro-Bashaar propaganda game. Majority of its fanbase are Russians that make pro-Russian mods about the war in Ukraine. That said, the game has quite some funny dialogue that's quite a meme. It is fun to play if you don't mind the pro-Russian stuff being slapped in your face. I just laugh about it, especially as this game was clearly made before the Russian army became known for its incompetence in Ukraine and before the collapse of the old Syrian…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Russian Propaganda The Game
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Crashed twice in 17 minutes...refunded.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Syrian Warfare is a pretty fun RTS, but it doubles as an RPG where you play the victim. Jokes aside, it's fun but can also be brutally challenging. Most levels demand restarts until you've memorised them enough to avoid instant death. The maps are well designed, and the persistent troops carrying their experience across missions are the cherry on top. AI is serviceable, not great, and works well when it does. The main gripe is vehicles lack impact, and are easily lost to small arms or random…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Game didn't prepare me. Lost Syria in 3 days. Assad is gone. Whoops
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I am so sorry what has happened to you Assad. You will return, right?
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Syrian Warfare, developed and published by Cats Who Play, is a real-time tactics game that deliberately distances itself from traditional base-building strategy titles and instead focuses on methodical, high-stakes battlefield decision-making. Set against the backdrop of the Syrian Civil War, it presents a grounded and often intense interpretation of modern conflict, where careful planning and resource management matter far more than speed or sheer numbers. From the outset, the game makes it…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I have bad news for you Mahmoud..
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Despite the ridiculous propaganda, the game is enjoyable, the story is although unrealistic, Pro-Russian and Pro-Assad, but good telling.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I still weep every night at [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4K00naoeNDE] this. 🥀🥀
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Definitely not the ending I had expected
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Well, subject matter has aged like fine goatmilk. The Syrian government failed to capitalize on its second chance, Russia failed to formulate any coherent strategy in the Middle-East other than the generalized soviet-y ‘maintain the assets, subside the locals’, the Wagner group leaders went on to cosplay [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/February_26_incident]the Young Officers and suffered an air burial, the army caved in overnight, the new government suppresses the populace along the same…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Might be a bit too late for Assad.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →An RTS showcasting the Russian annihilation of ISIS in Syria.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →if you bought this because of men of war dont this doesnt handle like men of war
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Can't wait for the update for this game!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →this aged like moldy cheese
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Campaign only RTS isn't quite my cup of tea. But definitely not bad pick if you like indie RTS focus on narrated campaign. It implement similar system to Men at War, good performance, music goes hard.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game supports the narrative of Russia's terrOoOoOorist war against the Syrian people and justifies it with fabricated claims. Instead of entering Syria to fight terrorisSsSsSts as it claimed, Russia was killing the Free Syrian Army, supporting terrOoOoOoOrism in Syria, and backing the terroOoOoOoOrist Assad regime to consolidate its control over the country.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Squad 22: ZOV, a Russian strategy game, doesn't hide the fact that it's Russian militarist propaganda. But before that, there was Syrian Warfare, a Russian-developed pro-Assad agitprop released in 2017, masquerading as a real-time tactics game. Not sure why I wrote this review, but here it is.
negative · AI labelView post →1/ Not the first time we got something like this from Russia with hate. In 2017 publisher Cats Who Play published "Syrian Warfare", a real-time tactics game set during the Syrian Civil War. While it is a genuinely good RTT, its plotline is an unashamed pro-Assad Russian propaganda.
neutral · AI labelView post →I 've got no ideas how to control my soldiers well.The tutorial needs improvement.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →You can bomb people 10/10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Commemorating The Fall of Damascus. Whatever it means.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →spoilers: bashar loses
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →God, Syria, No Bashar!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game features an experience including mimicing you commanding as a close quarters lituenant in recent syrian conflict. Its much like the Mowas series, which i personally find unique in its own way. Unfortunately you have to be a side in this conflict regarding politics you cannot just examine the battlefield, and this game is Russia originated so you may guess which side you are playing as I like to listen the soundtrack of this game. Even when i dont play the game i occasionally find…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The hardest and most intense RTS singleplayer camping (difficulty: realism) that I ever experienced. I usually never have the focus to finish games now a days but this one I did and I have to get the DLC now.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →One of the best realistic military strategy games of all time. It has a masochistic difficulty like Frostpunk. It's hell of fun. Would've been perfect without the bugs, unaesthetic UI and lack of certain QoLs. Despite its flaws, it's a must-play for every military strategy enthusiast. 9/10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Game AI breaks so badly that you can experience permanent bugs in pathfinding logic that block main objectives even in the tutorial. The game also randomly closes a lot. Doesn't seem very functional.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →just beat the first mission, super fun and engaging, realistic story, you can lay minefields, capture enemy vehicles, and destroy attackers by blowing up their SVBIED in a spectacular multi kill explosion.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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