Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Making History: The Calm & The Storm offers a deep, turn-based grand strategy experience set between 1936 and 1945. You take control of a major world power and manage every facet of your nation’s trajectory—military, diplomatic, domestic, and economic. Each decision you make in one domain ripples into the others, so balancing technological research with industrial expansion or weighing naval supremacy against air control becomes a constant strategic puzzle.

The game includes five historical scenarios, each with a unique starting date and carefully researched troop deployments and resource allocations. Whether you begin just before the Spanish Civil War or on the eve of full-scale global conflict, you’ll need to adapt your strategy to the evolving political landscape. Over 80 independent AI-controlled countries ensure that no two playthroughs feel the same, as alliances shift, neutral states drift toward belligerence, and world powers vie for dominance.

From building factories and researching cutting-edge military hardware to negotiating treaties and issuing declarations of war, every turn tests your long-term planning and tactical finesse. The interface cleanly separates each domain—economic sliders, diplomacy panels, military order screens—yet it never feels disconnected. By dovetailing industrial output, resource allocation, and geopolitical maneuvering, the gameplay loop rewards both meticulous planners and opportunistic strategists.

Graphics

Visually, Making History adopts a functional, map-centric aesthetic that prioritizes clarity over flair. The world map is divided into provinces, each shaded to reflect ownership and resource levels. Unit icons are crisply rendered, making it easy to distinguish between infantry, armor, naval fleets, and air wings at a glance. Though not technologically groundbreaking, the graphics serve the game’s complex systems well, ensuring you spend time strategizing rather than deciphering busy UI elements.

Menu screens, tooltips, and information panels maintain a consistent, period-appropriate style—think muted colors, straightforward typography, and simple flags. This no-nonsense presentation underscores the game’s historical focus, allowing you to immerse yourself in 1930s and 1940s geopolitics without unnecessary distractions. Animations are minimal, but loading times between turns are generally swift, preserving the momentum of long campaigns.

While hardcore strategy fans may yearn for more polished visuals or cinematic battle sequences, the graphic design accommodates hundreds of armies moving across the globe without sacrificing performance. On lower-end systems, you can lower detail settings to maintain smooth play, and even at maximum zoom, the map stays responsive. In a genre driven by depth rather than dazzling effects, Making History nails the essentials.

Story

As a grand strategy title, Making History doesn’t offer a linear storyline but delivers narrative through historical events and player-driven actions. Dynamic event cards—ranging from diplomatic crises to technological breakthroughs—pop up at pivotal moments, steering the flow of your campaign and adding a layer of unpredictability. These events are grounded in real history, lending authenticity and weight to each decision.

Your chosen nation’s trajectory unfolds like an alternate history novel. Will you steer Germany down a peaceful path of economic recovery, or will you rekindle expansionist ambitions? Can the United States maintain isolationism until the Axis powers threaten its shores? Every diplomatic pact, military campaign, and ideological shift contributes to a personalized story that textbooks never capture.

The presence of over 80 AI countries means that regional conflicts and power blocs emerge organically. Watch smaller nations form defensive pacts, rebel against colonial overseers, or become flashpoints that draw in the superpowers. The ebb and flow of alliances, betrayals, and surprise invasions frame your own national saga, ensuring that no two stories play out the same way.

Overall Experience

Making History: The Calm & The Storm excels as a sandbox for World War II enthusiasts who crave strategic depth and historical authenticity. Its comprehensive economic, diplomatic, and military systems interlock to create a tapestry of choices that keep each campaign fresh and engaging. The inclusion of multiple scenarios and dozens of AI nations ensures high replayability—every game feels like a new challenge.

However, the learning curve can be steep for players new to grand strategy. The wealth of menus, sliders, and statistics may overwhelm beginners, and the lack of in-game tutorials means you’ll likely consult online guides early on. Additionally, the functional graphics and minimal animations won’t satisfy those seeking flashier presentations, but they do guarantee a smooth experience even on modest hardware.

Ultimately, if you appreciate methodical pacing, complex decision-making, and the freedom to rewrite history, Making History: The Calm & The Storm delivers a richly rewarding sandbox. It stands as an inviting platform for both solo strategists and multiplayer sessions, offering hundreds of hours of world-shaping intrigue well beyond its initial release era.

Retro Replay Score

6.7/10