I reached out to Maxim Kamensky (MK), the lead producer of Men of War II. He was kind enough to explain how the game came together and some of the details involved in making a game of this magnitude.
Men of War 2 is very difficult, but we are satisfied with overcoming the challenges we know from Souls games (we even said so in our review). However, getting a look inside the process and mindset behind development makes you see the game in a wildly different way.
GH – Why did you choose to develop so many different game modes over elements that some Men of War fans might be looking for, like more factions?
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MK – Our team decided early on to include as many different modes as possible in Men of War II to keep the game interesting for both longtime fans of the series and newer players. Additionally, our community requested additional modes during the open beta tests before the release. Some players prefer a more realistic mode that mirrors real World War II battles, so we have the “Realism” mode for them. Others may want a more straightforward, more team-oriented approach so they can play in “Competitive” mode. Regarding factions, we initially announced that there would be only three available sides in the conflict, and we strived to make them as exciting and diverse as possible. If you look at our competitors or previous installments in the series, we have provided a relatively wide roster of units. However, we recognize the demand for new factions from our users, and we are considering it. We will share specific details about new factions and their introduction separately.
GH – What was your goal with the story mode, and how did you craft the missions for the same?
MK – Our single-player mode tries to reveal and expand the best gameplay experience from the series. Some missions you’ll complete using stealth, others by directing large armies, but all of them have their own story. We wanted to reveal our character’s conflicts from another perspective to show that people are the most important during the war, not the roaring tanks. For example, few talk about the beginning of the battle between the Soviet Union and Germany, when the former suffered heavy losses and was completely demoralized. What drove these people? What was their motivation? For instance, in the last years of the Third Reich, it seemed everything was lost; the war was lost, but some Germans still desperately clung to the past, trying to keep everything afloat. Why? These are the questions we tried to answer in our story campaigns. Not to mention the separate missions, the “Raid” mode, and “Conquest” mode, but that content is more for those who want to delve into classic game mechanics and spend less time on everything else. I hope you and your readers enjoyed all of this.
GH – What do you think is the biggest challenge with making a believable WWII title?
MK – We study numerous documents, photographs, and technical prototypes from that era. We ensure that every tank or plane sounds or fires authentically, especially since many of our fans are big history enthusiasts who scrutinize every aspect of our games in this regard. It can be better on the first try, but we strive to get as close to the actual historical experience as possible. We hope players appreciate this effort.
GH – What was your goal with the single-player game modes, and what do you think is the most unique element about it, something that may surprise fans and newcomers?
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MK – Firstly, we allowed all single-player missions to be completed solo and in co-op with friends. Previously, the series was limited to a single commander, but we wanted to expand that potential. Secondly, we added the “Conquest” and “Raids” modes, introducing essentially endless content for those tired of single-player missions and looking to hone their commander skills. This is in addition to a batch of extra missions and historical campaigns based on actual World War II operations: “Bagration” and “Overlord.” We aimed to make each mission in the game as diverse as possible so that everyone could find something for themselves.
GH – At what point in the development cycle of the series did you decide on the direct control mode? Were you trying to create that feel of an everyday hero? What are the challenges of adding something without breaking your overall systems?
MK – Good question, but if you are familiar with the Men of War series, you know that we introduced direct control much earlier, specifically in the first part of the series, Soldiers: Heroes of World War II. We are expanding its functionality in Men of War II. Moreover, it gives players more freedom in controlling their armies and the feeling that they are not just an “invisible” general overseeing the battlefield but also one of those very people they send possibly to their death. Combining two approaches to a single battle shows it from different perspectives and gives players additional motivation to preserve every soldier available.
GH – How do you consider game balance with AI for the single-player modes vs. multiplayer gameplay?
MK – Our team has made numerous improvements to the unit AI for both modes. Our units and the built-in AI are quite capable of acting independently. They will certainly attack if someone attacks them, or they will try to do something in the battle to avoid dying ingloriously. We have successfully balanced the AI in both modes, but we always welcome constructive feedback from our fans for further improvement.
GH – I know that you have mentioned that you will be removing the need for the game to be online for single-player mode. When will that be enacted? What other changes or additions will you be introducing to the game in the next year?
MK – We are actively working on introducing the offline mode, as we recently announced in our roadmap in the game news on the Steam page and social media. I cannot yet specify when it will be implemented, but this task is highly prioritized, so we hope not to keep fans waiting too long. As for our other plans for this year, we are adding more features to the in-game editor for mod enthusiasts, improving vehicle movement across terrain and graphics, refining various game mechanics and modes, and much more. We have many plans, some of which we have revealed in our roadmap, and we will share more details about the rest when the time is right.
I’ve done a good deal of interviews over my career in this industry, but I’ve never had this level of answer and detail given. Honestly, the team obviously goes out of their way to make their audience understands what they do and why they do it. It translates to the game, and I’m incredibly impressed overall. If you haven’t tried Men of War 2 yet, you really should get it and play. It’s definitely worth trying.
