Heroes and Generals

Heroes & Generals Review

Heroes & Generals framed its battles around a three-way World War II struggle, placing Germany, the United States, and the Soviet Union into constant contention. What made it memorable was the attempt to bridge two perspectives, moment-to-moment FPS combat for the average player and a campaign-level strategy layer for those willing to invest time (or money) into the command side. You could jump in for quick objective matches, or treat the game as a long-running war where logistics and deployments mattered.

Fast battles, clear objectives

The easiest way to play was to queue for “Staged Battle,” which functioned as a straightforward, self-contained skirmish mode. These matches were designed for immediate action and did not directly decide the outcomes of the larger campaign. You selected from a small set of maps or let the game choose, then played through familiar capture-and-hold objectives similar to what you would expect from large-scale shooter formats.

Scoring pushed teams toward the point, not the kill feed. Eliminations contributed, but capturing and defending objectives delivered the most meaningful progress toward ranking up. Matches were decided by an overall ticket-style progress bar, and the team that filled it first took the win. Map layouts generally tried to give both sides reasonable access to early objectives, then forced movement into contested territory, which helped keep rounds from stalling out. The most enjoyable matches tended to be the ones where both teams fought over a central hotspot while smaller squads tried to steal side points.

The downside was that objective play demanded coordination that public teams did not always deliver. It was common to see players abandon a freshly captured base to chase the next fight, leaving a critical point open to an easy recapture. Because defense mattered as much as offense, a disciplined squad could often win simply by holding ground and punishing reckless pushes.

Shooting feel and match pacing

Gunplay was responsive and generally consistent, with an emphasis on clean sight alignment and quick engagements. Accurate headshots were decisive, while sustained fire could still do the job if you kept your aim under control. The overall tempo stayed brisk thanks to short respawn timers and compact travel distances, so you spent more time contesting objectives and less time jogging back into combat.

Many environments featured heavy tree cover and open ground broken up by rocks, buildings, and shallow terrain dips. That pushed players toward cautious movement and opportunistic angles, with ambushes and lateral approaches often outperforming straight runs through the center. When the map design clicked, Heroes & Generals felt like a game of positioning, where a good route mattered as much as a good rifle.

The humble bicycle is a real tool

One of the most distinctive touches was the widespread availability of bicycles. They fit the period theme nicely and, more importantly, they offered a quiet way to reposition without the obvious audio cues of engines. With a bike, it was possible to slip behind the front line, reach a neglected objective quickly, or set up a flank before the enemy realized where pressure was coming from.

Because bikes were easy to find near bases and returned quickly, they became part of the match flow rather than a novelty. They enabled smart players to play the map, not just the firefight, and they were an unexpectedly effective way to punish teams that overcommitted to a single capture point.

Progression, unlocks, and badges

Advancement was driven by accumulated experience, and the game rewarded variety in how you contributed. Players who focused only on hunting kills progressed more slowly than those who captured, defended, supported pushes, and played the objective consistently. In practice, the fastest progression came from being useful to the team rather than simply being dangerous in duels.

As ranks increased, new weapons, vehicles, upgrades, and cosmetic options opened up. Badges added another layer by granting bonuses that modified how your soldier performed, such as improvements that benefited stealthy movement. Over time, players could build specialized characters and eventually reach the point where the command role became available.

Stepping up to General

Reaching the General promotion changed the game completely. Command characters did not participate in FPS matches, so choosing that path meant committing to the strategic side for that character. For players who wanted to skip the climb, the rank could also be obtained with Gold, the premium currency.

The General interface centered on a campaign map of Europe marked with nodes representing locations and conflicts. Active battles were highlighted, and ongoing wars were tracked and reset after a faction secured dominance, keeping the campaign moving into a new cycle. From this view, Generals purchased and deployed assault teams using warfunds or Gold, choosing between different force types and sizes (for example, infantry formations, armor, paratroopers, and air units).

Command decisions played out in real time alongside other Generals, with deployments visibly shifting across the map. The resources a General committed influenced what soldiers could bring into a fight, meaning a well-supported battle might suddenly have access to stronger armor or air support. When that connection worked, it made the war feel like more than a menu, it felt like logistics feeding the front.

A companion app, Heroes and Generals: Mobile Command for iOS and Android, was available to support the command layer. It provided a live view of the war and allowed Generals to issue orders away from the PC, which fit the game’s “always-on” campaign idea even if many players preferred to stay on the ground.

The campaign side as a soldier

After building up your soldier, you could enter the campaign battles that tied directly into the ongoing war. These matches raised the stakes because equipment choices mattered more, and the enemy composition could force specific counters. Vehicle-heavy battles, for example, demanded proper anti-tank options, and poor preparation could make a team feel outmatched before the first objective was even contested.

This mode leaned toward players who enjoyed a more deliberate pace and team planning. The interplay between infantry, armor, and air support could be satisfying when squads communicated and filled roles properly. At the same time, the campaign could also highlight resource disparities, especially when one side had stronger support flowing in.

Currency, monetization, and the grind

Heroes & Generals ran on three currencies. Credits were earned through standard play and used for weapons, vehicles, and upgrades. Warfunds came from the strategic layer and were tied to how well your assault teams performed, then used to reinforce or purchase additional teams. Gold was the premium currency purchased with real money and could be used broadly, including for items and services not available through normal play, such as Warbonds and Veteran membership.

You could enjoy the basics without paying, but the progression tempo often nudged players toward considering Gold. Unlocking a wide range of equipment could become a long, repetitive loop of similar objectives on familiar maps, and the slow climb reduced the sense of discovery over time. This is also where the game’s balance concerns were most noticeable, since strong gear tied to the cash shop could create an uneven experience.

Final Verdict – Good

Heroes & Generals delivered satisfying, easy-to-enter FPS matches with a strong objective focus and a setting that stood out in a market crowded with modern shooters. Its best moments came from quick, readable firefights, smart flanks through forested terrain, and the occasional chaotic vehicle push that made the battlefield feel alive. Performance was generally smooth, which helped the moment-to-moment action stay enjoyable.

The larger strategy concept was appealing, but for many players it sat behind a steep time investment, and the monetization made the climb feel harsher than it needed to be. If you wanted a free-to-play WW2 shooter where you could jump into objectives, track your progress, and slowly build up a specialized soldier, it offered a lot. If you were hoping the strategic layer would be immediately accessible and evenly balanced, it could be a tougher recommendation.

Heroes & Generals Links

Heroes & Generals Official Site Official Site
Heroes & Generals Steam Page
Heroes & Generals Wikipedia
Heroes & Generals Gamepedia [Database / Guides]

Heroes & Generals Requirements

Minimum Requirements:

Operating System: Windows XP, Vista, 7 or 8
CPU: 2GHz CPU w. SSE3 instruction set- dual-core
Video Card: ATI HD 2000/NVIDIA 7900 or above (with >512mb RAM)
RAM: 2 GB RAM
Hard Disk Space: 2 GB available space

Recommended Requirements:

Operating System: Windows 7 or 8
CPU: Intel i5 processor or higher / AMD Phenom II X6 or higher
Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 series or higher / AMD HD 6870 or higher
RAM: 4 GB RAM
Hard Disk Space: 3 GB available space

Heroes & Generals Music & Soundtrack

Heroes & Generals Additional Information

Developer: Reto-Moto
Publisher: Square-Enix
Game Engine: Retox

Game Director: Jacob Anderson,
Art Director: Anders Poulsen
Animator: Thomas Kaae Colding
Level Designer: Filip Lange-Nielsen

Composer: Jesper Kyd

Launch Date: July 11, 2014

Closed Beta Launch: May 22, 2012
Open Beta Launch: July 19, 2013

Steam Release Date: July 11, 2014

Release Date: September 23, 2016

Shut Down: May 25, 2023

Development History / Background:

Heroes & Generals was created by the Danish studio Reto-Moto and published by Square-Enix, later associated with TLM Partners. The project went live on July 11, 2014, following a Closed Beta that began on May 22, 2012 and an Open Beta that started on July 19, 2013. Reto-Moto built the game on its own browser-based 3D engine, Retox, and described its approach as “User Driven Development,” with community feedback shaping ongoing changes and priorities. Alongside the PC experience, the team released the Heroes and Generals: Mobile Command companion app for iOS and Android to support the General role with a real-time war overview and remote orders. Heroes & Generals fully launched on September 23, 2016, and the servers were shut down on May 25, 2023.