Out of the three Supreme Ruler titles developed by BattleGoat Studios, Supreme Ruler: Cold War is the only one set in the past. As inferred from the title, the game unfolds during the events of the Cold War between the former Soviet Union and the United States. Those are the two selectable nations that you can play as in this game, letting you choose between Communism and Capitalism. This setting seems to be extremely favorable to a strategy game, and overall, it is.
There are a lot of customization options when “setting up” your game; more than you would think would be in a title like this. The difficulty level of Cold War is classed into “economic,” “military,” and “diplomatic.” Other things that you can set up are the frequency of events in the game, the amount of resources available, and whether or not nuclear weapons will be available for use.
The game is very complex when it comes to the map in which you will play, with the world being displayed in a “satellite imagery” style. There are many types of structures available for players to build — such as power plants, and factories that will produce any number of consumer or military goods. Obviously you have the ability to zoom in, which is an ability you will use often. You will be sorry you did though, as the graphics are less than desirable when viewed from up close. The textures are really rough, and structures themselves lack detail.
The shortcomings in the graphics department definitely are made up for in the complexity of the title, though. Throughout all of the events of Cold War you are managing everything imaginable. Decisions can be made by you or by your advisers, and you have the ability to oversee things at both the micro and macro level. However, sometimes the amount of choices you are supposed to make can seem overwhelming, as the game is super in-depth about everything. Buttons for options are everywhere and I feel that most players will be confused while playing more than often than not. The amount of possibilities in this game are very impressive, but never at any point does the game feel like a game more than a serious simulator.
All and all, Supreme Ruler: Cold War stands out as a very solid simulation game. The graphics are disappointing, and looking at them you will make many assume that the title is far older than it actually is. That aside, it is quite interesting to see how all of your choices play out, and that’s certainly worth something for serious strategy players.
