War Mongrels is a brutal WW2 real-time tactics game set on the Eastern Front

Destructive Creations rolled out an extended gameplay trailer for its upcoming Second World War real-time tactics game War Mongrels at today's Realms Deep online event, showcasing the grim adventures of two German deserters who escape their captors and attempt to make their way away from the horrors of the Eastern Front.

War Mongrels will support two distinctly different modes of play. Players who like stealthy, strategic maneuvering can take advantage of the "planning mode" to queue up and execute a series of commands, while those who prefer a more hands-on approach can take direct control in a twin-stick shooter-style "combat mode." That guns-blazing option is also available as a backup when your best-laid planning mode operation goes sideways, so being spotted by an enemy doesn't necessarily mean a reload. The interactive world promises a range of tactical options leading up and into combat, which can be taken on solo or in two-player co-op.

The studio said War Mongrels is built around a story that's heavily inspired by history, with "events, dates, locations, weapons, uniforms, in-game historical articles, and much more" drawn from the real world, and an exploration of the violence of the Eastern Front "with a level of graphical fidelity never-before-seen in the real-time tactics genre." I don't think that's the most compelling back-of-box feature I've ever encountered, but the Steam page doubles down on it, saying, "War is hell, and War Mongrels doesn't sugar coat anything."

"War Mongrels’ story goes to some very dark places, and we wanted to make sure the gameplay made players' hearts pound just as much as the campaign will," Destructive Creations business development manager Marcin Stanek said. "This first extended look only hints at the surprises we have in store for you."

War Mongrels is slated to come out sometime in 2021. To find out more, hit up warmongrels.com.

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Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.