Men of War: Assault Squad 2

I’d save Men of War: Assault Squad 2 for a slow bike ride, because trying to direct a squad while your hands bounce with every step sounds like a very specific way to lose track of a soldier. It has plenty to keep your attention, but it asks you to pay attention in a way that doesn’t always play nicely with exercise.

Gameplay

The skirmish missions are where I’d start, because they give you a clear job and let you get into the fighting without needing to commit to a huge multiplayer battle. You’re managing soldiers and vehicles across a battlefield, and I think that mix of planning and sudden trouble is genuinely fun. A squad gets pinned down, a vehicle needs attention, and your tidy plan starts looking like something I wrote down before I knew what the plan involved.

There’s a lot to learn, and I wouldn’t pretend this is the sort of strategy game you can absorb by glancing at it between songs. Five factions, a big spread of maps, and a pile of units and vehicles mean there are plenty of ways to approach a fight, but that variety can make starting out feel like opening a toolbox when all you wanted was a screwdriver. I’d stick with one faction and one skirmish mission for a while, instead of treating every choice as something I have to master immediately.

Direct Control is a cool idea, since it lets you take control of an individual soldier or vehicle instead of just giving orders from above. I like that there’s a more hands on option when a fight gets personal, but I’d also expect it to pull your attention away from the whole battlefield at exactly the moment other units need you. It’s a little like trying to coach the whole team and then running onto the field to take a penalty. You can do it, but somebody’s probably open on the other side.

The multiplayer battles sound like a lot of fun for people who want a long, involved contest with other players, but I wouldn’t make those my workout plan. I’d rather learn the missions in single player, where there’s less pressure to react perfectly and less chance that someone else is waiting while I figure out why my units aren’t doing what I meant. The scale is impressive, but I don’t need a huge battle every time I want to play.

Category Score: 2 out of 3

Treadmill and Bike Compatibility

On a treadmill, the constant attention to the battlefield is what would get me, not the fact that the game is slow. You’re watching units, adjusting orders, and making decisions that can change what happens to your soldiers, so I think even a comfortable walking pace could make it harder to keep your inputs accurate. I’d probably keep the treadmill speed low enough that I could look down at the controls without turning each order into a small project.

A bike seems more practical, especially at an easy pace, because you can keep your upper body steadier while you aim and select units. I still wouldn’t choose a hard ride for this. There are moments where you want to react quickly, and when the action is spread across the map, looking at one fight can mean missing another one. I don’t know how much focus you’ll have left after a tough interval, but I’d expect this game to use most of it.

I’d choose a single player skirmish, avoid multiplayer while exercising, and take breaks between missions rather than trying to fit a whole long session into one workout. I can’t confirm controller support, so I wouldn’t buy it expecting a simple couch style setup. The detailed unit control looks like it’ll be most comfortable with mouse and keyboard, which is a harder arrangement when you’re moving than it is at a desk.

And I’d leave Direct Control alone until you’re comfortable with the rest of the battlefield, because switching from managing everyone to steering one unit sounds like a good way to forget what you were doing. You don’t need to make every fight more complicated. There’s enough going on already.

Category Score: 1 out of 3

Computer Requirements

The minimum asks for a DirectX 11 compatible graphics card, and the game’s enhanced visuals mean I wouldn’t assume an especially old machine will handle it comfortably just because the game has been around for a while. I’d check the graphics card first, then make sure the computer meets the listed memory and processor requirements.

Category Score: 2 out of 3

Conclusion and Score

This is a good choice if you like tactical battles and don’t mind pausing your workout to think through a fight. For treadmill play, I’d pass unless you’re walking slowly and are comfortable with mouse and keyboard controls. For an easy bike session and single player skirmishes, it could work.

Overall Score: 1.67 out of 3