Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Making History: The Calm & The Storm – Gold Edition elevates grand strategy by giving players unprecedented control over World War II–era geopolitics. The core mechanics remain faithful to the original release, allowing you to manage production, diplomacy, and military operations across a dynamic global map. What sets the Gold Edition apart is its enriched feature set: an intuitive game editor empowers you to adjust variables, create custom scenarios, and experiment with alternate history outcomes.

(HEY YOU!! We hope you enjoy! We try not to run ads. So basically, this is a very expensive hobby running this site. Please consider joining us for updates, forums, and more. Network w/ us to make some cash or friends while retro gaming, and you can win some free retro games for posting. Okay, carry on 👍)

The Gold Edition’s new “Rise of the Reich” scenario zeroes in on Germany’s ascent to power, challenging you to navigate complex political tensions and balance rearmament against external scrutiny. Three additional community-designed scenarios broaden the battlefield even further, offering fresh narrative arcs and strategic objectives crafted by veteran players. These player-made campaigns range from clandestine proxy wars to full-scale continental conflicts, each adding replay value and unique challenges.

Through post-launch patches, the expansion delivers critical gameplay tweaks that deepen tactical options. Expanded combat unit abilities mean infantry, armor, and air forces now possess specialized actions such as engineered river crossings or paratrooper drops. Partisan fighters can seize occupied territories, creating new frontline threats that require counter-insurgency measures. Destructible fortifications and infrastructure introduce dynamic chokepoints—rail lines and bridges become strategic targets rather than static map features.

The research tree has been significantly expanded, offering dozens of new projects from improved artillery optics to encrypted communications. Interface advancements give you instant access to detailed military unit information, so you can quickly assess supply levels, combat readiness, and morale without diving through multiple menus. These refinements make the pace more fluid and reduce micromanagement, while the improved AI poses a realistic challenge even on higher difficulty settings.

Graphics

While Making History is not a cutting-edge graphics showcase, the Gold Edition’s visual enhancements improve clarity and immersion. Unit icons are sharper, and the map palette has been subtly adjusted to highlight terrain types and political borders. Destructible infrastructure now crumbles in real time, adding visual weight to strategic bombings or sieges. These touches create memorable tableaus of devastation that reinforce the stakes of global warfare.

The UI improvements extend beyond numerical readouts: tooltips and popup windows now feature contextual artwork and historical notes that enrich your understanding of each unit or technology. Province-level overlays display partisan activity, supply routes, and garrison strengths with color-coded icons, eliminating guesswork when planning offensives. Even large-scale troop movements remain legible, thanks to refined unit stacking graphics and clearer province highlighting.

Loading times have also been optimized, particularly when launching custom or community-made scenarios. The game editor benefits from an improved layout, with drag-and-drop functionality for map assets and event scripting. Whether you’re quickly flipping through options or pausing to admire the map’s intricate river networks, the overall graphical package feels polished and purposeful.

Story

Rather than a linear narrative, Making History relies on emergent storytelling driven by player choices. Every declaration of war, alliance forged, or research breakthrough unfolds a unique historical tapestry. The Gold Edition’s “Rise of the Reich” scenario gives the most structured storyline, guiding you through pivotal events like remilitarization of the Rhineland and the Anschluss, but still lets you diverge from recorded history.

The three community scenarios add fresh narrative angles, ranging from an early Cold War showdown in the Balkans to an alternate 1941 where Japan turns its sights on Southeast Asia differently. These campaigns come with bespoke event chains, diplomatic crises, and scripted operations that reveal new “what if” contingencies. They demonstrate the vibrant creativity of the player community and keep the storylines from ever feeling stale.

In the longer sandbox campaigns, internal politics play a starring role. Parliament debates, coup attempts, and public opinion polls are modeled with surprising fidelity, meaning that domestic stability can be as decisive as battlefield victories. Watching your economy buckle under wartime strain or rally around a charismatic leader creates narrative high points that rival scripted war movies. Partisan uprisings and liberated regions add human drama that underscores the war’s social impact.

Overall Experience

Making History: The Calm & The Storm – Gold Edition is a must-have for fans of deep grand strategy and World War II aficionados. The blend of historical authenticity and player-driven narratives results in a rich sandbox where every decision matters. The expanded feature set—editor, new scenarios, gameplay tweaks, and AI improvements—ensures that both newcomers and series veterans will find fresh strategic challenges.

The learning curve can be steep, especially when juggling economy, research, and military logistics simultaneously. However, the refined interface and detailed in-game documentation ease the onboarding process. Community-created tutorials and scenario walkthroughs further smooth the path, and the game editor encourages experimentation, making it easy to practice specific mechanics without committing to a full campaign.

Ultimately, the Gold Edition shines by offering control and flexibility. Whether you want to rewrite history as the Führer of Germany, script your own alternate timeline, or tackle one of the wildly imaginative player campaigns, this package delivers. It’s an immersive, feature-packed experience that rewards strategic foresight and creative ambition in equal measure—making it an essential addition to any grand strategy library.

Retro Replay Score

null/10