Enlisted Game Review (2025): A Realistic World War II Shooter Experience

Enlisted is one of the most immersive World War II shooters currently available, offering players the chance to experience epic battles on a massive scale. Developed by Darkflow Software and published by Gaijin Entertainment, the game puts you in the boots of real soldiers across iconic WWII campaigns such as Normandy, Stalingrad, Berlin, and the Pacific.

Unlike traditional shooters, Enlisted focuses on realism, squad-based gameplay, and large-scale battles. But is it worth your time in 2025? In this article, I’ll take a deep dive into the game’s mechanics, strengths, and weaknesses, while sharing my own personal impressions.

What Makes Enlisted Different from Other Shooters?

There are countless WWII games out there—Call of Duty, Battlefield, Hell Let Loose—but Enlisted stands out for one major reason: you don’t just control a single soldier. Instead, you command an entire squad.

Each squad can include riflemen, gunners, snipers, engineers, or even tank crews. When one of your soldiers dies, you instantly switch to another squad member. This mechanic makes the battlefield feel alive and eliminates downtime after dying, which is a huge plus compared to other shooters.

👉 Personally, I love this system because it keeps the action flowing. Even if I get shot while storming a trench, I can quickly respawn as another soldier in my squad and continue fighting.

Gameplay and Mechanics

1. Massive Battles

Each match feels like a mini version of World War II. With dozens of players and AI-controlled soldiers, the battlefield is chaotic and realistic. You’ll see tanks pushing through, planes dogfighting above, and infantry clashing in trenches.

2. Squad-Based Combat

You don’t fight alone. Every squad has unique roles, from medics healing allies to engineers building rally points. Strategy matters—charging blindly usually leads to quick death.

3. Weapons and Vehicles

Enlisted boasts a wide range of historically accurate weapons: bolt-action rifles, machine guns, flamethrowers, and even rocket launchers. Vehicles include iconic WWII tanks and fighter planes. The detail is impressive—firing a Kar98k feels completely different from spraying with a Thompson.

4. Campaign Progression

The game is divided into campaigns (Normandy, Berlin, Moscow, Pacific, Stalingrad). Each campaign has its own weapons, soldiers, and progression system. This keeps gameplay fresh, but it can also feel grindy at times.

Graphics and Realism

Visually, Enlisted does a great job of capturing the gritty atmosphere of WWII. Explosions shake the ground, smoke fills the air, and bullets whiz past your head. The maps are well-designed, representing iconic battlefields with attention to detail.

Is it as polished as AAA titles like Battlefield V? Not exactly—but for a free-to-play game, the graphics are impressive. I especially like the realistic sound design: gunfire echoes differently depending on whether you’re indoors, in the forest, or inside a ruined building.

The Pros of Enlisted

• ✅ Unique squad system – switching between soldiers keeps the action constant.
  
• ✅ Large-scale battles – tanks, planes, infantry all fighting together.
  
• ✅ Historical accuracy – weapons and uniforms feel authentic.
  
• ✅ Free-to-play model – you can enjoy most of the game without paying.
  
• ✅ Active updates – developers frequently add new campaigns, weapons, and events.
  

The Cons of Enlisted

• ❌ Progression grind – unlocking better squads and weapons can take a lot of time.
  
• ❌ Pay-to-progress elements – while not strictly pay-to-win, buying premium speeds things up considerably.
  
• ❌ AI squadmates – sometimes your AI soldiers act a bit dumb, standing in the open and getting shot easily.
  
• ❌ Limited campaign crossover – progress in one campaign doesn’t always carry over to others, which can feel frustrating.
  

👉 From my experience, the grind is the biggest issue. It’s fun at first, but later levels require a lot of hours unless you’re willing to spend money.

Enlisted vs Other WWII Shooters

• Enlisted vs Call of Duty WWII – COD is faster, more arcade-like. Enlisted is slower, tactical, and more realistic.
  
• Enlisted vs Battlefield V – Battlefield has better visuals and destruction, but Enlisted offers larger squads and more grounded realism.
  
• Enlisted vs Hell Let Loose – Hell Let Loose is more hardcore (no HUD, long matches), while Enlisted is more accessible but still tactical.
  

If you want a balance between realism and accessibility, Enlisted is the sweet spot.

Is Enlisted Pay-to-Win?

This is a hot debate in the community. The game is free-to-play, but you can buy:

• Premium squads (with stronger weapons)
  
• Premium battle pass
  
• XP boosters
  

While premium players progress faster, skill still matters a lot. I’ve defeated plenty of premium-equipped players simply by using smart positioning and teamwork. So I wouldn’t call it pure pay-to-win, but yes, money helps speed things up.

My Personal Experience

I’ve spent dozens of hours in Enlisted, mostly in the Normandy and Pacific campaigns. The feeling of storming Omaha Beach while tanks roll past and planes dive overhead is unlike anything I’ve seen in other shooters.

My favorite role is engineer—building rally points and fortifications for my team feels incredibly rewarding. But I’ll admit, sometimes the grind makes me log off earlier than I planned. Still, every big battle pulls me back in.

Final Verdict: Should You Play Enlisted in 2025?

If you’re looking for a realistic, large-scale WWII shooter that’s free-to-play, Enlisted is absolutely worth trying. It combines the chaos of massive battles with tactical squad mechanics, creating a unique experience you won’t find in many other games.

Yes, the grind can be frustrating, and yes, premium players have an advantage—but at its core, Enlisted delivers some of the most exciting WWII gameplay available today.

⭐ My Rating: 8.5/10 – A must-play for history fans and shooter lovers who want something different from Call of Duty and Battlefield.