I wanted to like this game so much. There are just too many faults with it and after experiencing the game crash for no reason on my 3rd mission in the campaign, I'm definitely sure this game is bad.

For starters lets talk about the actual battle experience. There is nothing more pleasing to me than slugging it out over range with tanks/fixed guns. So satisfying watching the shells streak across the map. What is NOT pleasing is when a tank of mine decides its going to go it alone and run around in circles. That's not cool, I didn't order him to do that...

When I'm trying to get my infantry into a better position and the only formations are either 2 a breast or complete line formation. Really? Infantry can't be moved into more advantageous/different formations? Nevermind the fact that infantry organization is just plain stupid. Selecting a squad is a miserable experience, even getting them to go together is a challenge. If I select a squad to move to an area maybe 3 of them will go and 4 of them will hit the dirt and start crawling. Which brings up another issue. Why can't I tell my infantry to get up, hide, run, crawl, etc. Kind of annoying but not as annoying as formations.

When setting up units before the battle starts its impossible to place them in defending positions correctly. Why can't I position my tank to face a certain direction? Why can't I place infantry on a hilltop inside the deployment zone? They're still in the deployment zone but forget being able to place them anywhere outside the main defensive barriers. Or even splitting them up! I started a defensive match where 3 units were located in one dugout and 4 units of the same infantry squad were in another dugout. I wasn't allowed to take them out of the dugouts without them being the same distance from each other as if they were in the original dugouts. This is hard to explain but it means no matter where I placed that squad the two groups were always at least 50 yards apart.

Then there are issues where the game seems to freeze for at least 3 seconds before humming along perfectly as if nothing happened. I'm not sure what causes the frame rate explosion but it usually only occurs once per match.

This game has the feel of being a 3D Close Combat set in Korea. It feels promising, but it falls severely short of its goal. I'm not sure if the developers are still working on this game, but if they are they really need to take another look at some of the fundamental flaws.

PLEASE FIX THIS GAME! PLEASE I WANT IT TO WORK! There are some satisfying moments but right now this game is trash!

Actually i'm sorry to give a negative review to this game. First of all, it's probably the only one set in that specifical conflict (Korean war). Second, the tactical part (the actual game where you move your troops, give them order etc) is in my opinion well made and realistic (and with good graphics). The strategic campaign map is also nice, fast-paced with few things to do to concetrate on combat phase (even if i'd would prefer at least one campaign based on historical battles).
But, on the other side, this game is affected with a lot of structural deficiensis. Tutorial is meaningless, leaving the gamer to understand by himself game mechanics or units command (this would not be a great problem if this wasn't a game focused on micro-management of troops). The game, actually, is just the "dynamc campaign" mode, nothing more, nothing less. But the main problem is the absolutely lack of maps! Five (or six) maps for the entiregame, and i swear it, in a campaign i played there were always the same two maps (airport and village) in rotation for the entire game (hope that this is just bad bad luck). There is apparently no online community so forget about downloading mods or map-packs.
It's a very shame that a possible good game like this is, because it is, is just ruined by poor developers fantasy (or will) and neglet.

If you are looking for a challenging and realistic strategy game then I recommend TOW 3: Korea. If however your more into simplistic and fast paced RTS then this may not be the game for you.

What the developers aimed to bring to the public is a well made realistic strategy game which is able to reflect warfare in the mid 20th century. This game enables players to not only fight in a battlefield conflict but also micromanage your army layout as you lead either american or north korean forces to victory!

Pros - this game is highly realistic in terms of challenges faced by an army involved in conflict along the Korean peninsula. This game is not a game where you can charge your platoon of men towards entrenched enemy forces, they will be cut down. this is not a game where you can send one tank without support into an enemy line and expect it to survive. this game is realistically brutal and that is how the developers wanted the game to turn out. this is not a game where you can rush the enemy lines without careful planning and preparation where you consider which units have the High ground, which units are able to see enemy positions, wether your units will be vulnerable to mortar or arty fire. so ignore any negative reviews that are shorter than 5 sentences.

Graphics- for a game which came out in 2011 the Graphics are fine, they are not top of the line but who cares?

Cons - Micromanagement and understanding what each action does can be complex and you may not realize your making a mistake when you perform an action. the UI seems to lack an ability to explain what buttons do what and I recommend the player have a few practice games to fully understand what actions are available before they take part in the Campaigns.


When I mention micromanagement I really do mean micromanagement. during the campaign you can choose how you upgrade each units experience and even choose which units receives medals. before each conflict you can personalize your armies from a much larger pool of available forces.

the micromanagement itself isnt the con, rather the large learning curve a player is thrown into. (its a challenge at first but once you understand what your doing its worth it)

Another Con that I have found is the Victory conditions of a battle

For some conflicts all that is needed is that you place troops in the target town without any nearby enemy units and the battle will just end. To me I feel like that this is a drawback to the gameplay feel of the game. even if half the enemy forces are still present and in fighting condition but else where on the map the battle will just end.

To me if the developers had included the feature that these forces who potentially were cut off from their reinforces either surrender or attempt to fight their way out. rather then the assumed "they just retreated and regrouped with the main battle force who then left the region"

If you are serious about a realistic strategy game then this is it, I am yet to play multiplayer. but from what i can understand form playing against the AI it would only be short from epic.


So for my recommendation. if you are a FPS player and only dabble in RTS games then you are probably better off with much simpler and faster paced games like Company of Heroes. However if your seriously into strategy games and wish to challenge yourself or your familiar with games such as Hearts of Iron, Wargame, men of war and you have enjoyed them then i seriously recommend you at least consider looking into purchasing Theatre of War 3: Korea

I was very skeptical about this game at first, especially when I saw the review and metascore (yikes). It was a game I kept my eye on simply for the fact that it was based in the Korean War, a war that we havn't seen in a game before (but if there is a game that is based in the Korean War that anyone knows of then please, tell me, I would love to get my hands on it). ToW3 has some problems in it, and some things I wish it had, but for the most part, it isn't that bad of a game. First with cons. The UI system is very awkward, and a little confusing at first, and sometimes I dont know if I'm using it correctly or not. The AI pathfinding isnt good. When I tell the AI to move somewhere they will simply go in a strait line toward where I tell them to go, so if I tell the AI to go to a place that is beyond a mountain. They will hoof it up the mountain to the point where they can't walk anymore, literally, they will keep going to the point where they can't go anymore. Although the addition of the Soviets as a what if scenario was good, I wish there was more factions. Specifically the British, South Koreans, and Chinese. Besides that, the game seems to be fine to me. It is a very realistic game, there is no running into a fire fight like in CoH. You need to plan before you attack. I also love the scenarios that you can make with the campaign and mission editor, it adds a lot of replay value to it. I also have to praise the sound and scale of the game, it really is awesome. So lets review:

Pros::
-Pulls away from the usual WW2 and modern day strategy games with a conflict that has never been covered before; The Korean War.
-Very good sound quality, and massive maps.
-High realism that will provide a good challenge.
-Campaign and mission editor which offers a good amount of replayability

Cons:
-Bad AI pathfinding.
-Wierd UI system. (Or I just might be clueless on how to use it)
-Wish for more factions that were involved in the war (British, Chinese, and South Koreans)

ToW3 Korea is a game that pulls away from the WW2 and modern day settings in exchange for something different. It's a fun game for someone who wants good realism, but some bad glitches can push people away from the game.

ToW3 Korea: 8/10

Theatre of War has always been one of the leading RTS frachises, and despite the metascore, in my opinion this is no let down, ToW 3 Korea focuses on the Korean War of 1950, one of the most interesting wars in modern history, and the start of the Cold War, the campaigh has a unique map in which a singular army can be deployed to each city and be given two specific abilities, for example and IL 10 air strike or a devastating artillery strike. If your thinking about getting this, which I recomend you do, try doing some research on this war that decided the fate of Korea.

Theatre of War 3 : Korea - 8.5
Pros: Immersive weapon sounds
Realistic Weaponry
Unique game overall
Lots of replayability
Game changing morale system

Cons: No music
Repetitive Voice acting
Stupid A.I at time (only sometimes)
Every so often games take a long time to end when there are no visible enemies on the map

Uh..... Best game ever. Recommended to those who love the Vietnam War and WWII, this games takes you in between those times and lets you take your first steps into Korea. Play as the North Koreans and crush the Americans under your fist, the Americans and beat the crap out of the North Koreans, or the USSR, and just be awesome. Gameplay is amazing, stunning graphics with epic units and stunningly detialed maps with mountains, rivers, and rice paddies. You can also create your own maps and campaigns, amazing indeed. Highly recommended 9/10.

I think people really misunderstand this game. It's slow paced ( which I like ) and is very different to other strategy games. To me it feels far more like a realistic battle. Yeah sure it's got bugs and I can understand how someone who loves Starcraft would get easily frustrated with the type of gameplay. Give it a go, it might just become one of your favourite games. BTW, I played before I got it on Steam, I've played many more hours than my account indicates.

This is one of the best strategy games of all time, with a realistic AI, Tanks, artillery, and infantry it can rival world in conflict. plus the bonuses like artilery bombardment, air strike and reinforcements add a good mix into the battlefield, the only problem is overpowered artillery.

This game would be better if there were no artillery. The ai uses artillery unfairly as it is able to attack my units even when they are in my spawn and in cover while I can not. My troops get slaughtered so quickly that by the time I reach them im at 1/2 strength. If I could choose what was sent to battle then I would definatly play this more often. Another issue is the battles themselfs, the battle is extremly simple and extremly quick. The battles are a matter of (move here or hold here to win) there is a lack of stratagy and the game should have at least added capture points to add a bit of stratagy. Also once that simple (move here) is accomplished the battle just ends and there are still considerable forces still deployed. There are a few good aspects to the game. The games strong point is that infantry and armor fight realistically and have great models. The textures look great too. I also appreciate that this is the first game I have heard of to take place during the Korean War and we should see more games take place during this conflict.

Very good war simulator. (rts portion balanced with supplies and support and reserves.) Very harsh on cpu specs. not optimized at all.

This message on 1C forum describes the game as it is ...

A splendid idea gone down the toilet:

The strategic system in Tow 3 Korea boils down to choose where to attack. I've played 10 turns out of 30 (it seems) and fought over 20 battles, but never could I decide to order more troop, new material o reinforcemente. You have to stuck with what you're given in the beginning, three corps, each one with vehicles and reserves fixed. Even the additional support is kind of a joke: you can choose two (fighter, artillery, mortars or bombers), but the support appear late in the battle whene you are already winning and don't need them (because you need winning point to order support). Cm'on! Artillery and bombers are used prior to the battle, non in the end.

For the rest Tow 3 Korea is identical to Kursk or Africa, same goods, same bads: same stupid behavior of tanks and infantry, same overpowered anti-tank guns (able to destroy a tank with a single shot, as soon as it appears in the line of sight miles away, and even able to hit a single prone soldier a mile away just in the middle of his eyes). The only difference is in the maps and sometimes you play on the same map even when you change province (did they have shortage of designers?) But overall, if you like the Tow series (which, more ore less I do, believe me) is not bad.

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Probably ragequitting this game again. In the battle I have fought for hours and chased down every enemy alive but triggers failed to end the scenario. Several CTD's

Good graphics and gameplay

what a great looking game , only downfall is the ai , looks like the devs wanted to make it too smart , just dumb it down in a patch so that it just moves to the designated place and shoots when it has enemy in its line of sight and this will be a top game.

Fun game

Awful, just awful. It is so poorly designed and executed that it is simply unplayable. I like slow RTS games but this was glacial... It is a really grand disappointment given that it is one of the few games set in during the Korean War where rapid deployment and massive artillery barrages were the norm. I really wish I could get a refund for this terrible game.

How can someone make a game about the Korean War and not include the South Koreans, Chinese or Commonwealth? It'd be like leaving the USA out of a game about the Second World War. Oh, wait, they did that already.

The best RTS on the market, for this I was looking for all my gaming life :)

unless you are realy in to your strategy games and i mean REALLY dont buy this you will get very bored very fast (dose look very nice tho)

Fighting for best korea.

good Strategy game (a good time spender)