Introduction

Tannenberg arrives on PS4 like a history teacher who also happens to love multiplayer mayhem: earnest, a bit grim, and oddl y proud of its accuracy. It's the sequel to Verdun and takes the 1914 Battle of Tannenberg as its playground - except this playground is riddled with barbed wire, artillery craters and the awkward social dynamic of 40 players trying to capture the same muddy field. Built by indie teams M2H and BlackMill Games on Unity, it's less blockbuster spectacle and more squad-level simulation, trading explosions-for-days for slow-burn tension, carefully placed suppressive fire and the kind of teamwork that either makes you feel heroic or makes you whisper apologies to a dead teammate you accidentally ran past. If you like your shooters with a side of authenticity - historically accurate weapons, uniforms, and maps based on real Eastern Front battlefields - Tannenberg will feel like a warm (muddy) bath. It's not flawless on PS4, and it's not trying to be Call of Duty. Instead it asks you to learn to love the tick of the compass, the economy of bullets, and the fact that sometimes the enemy will simply be better at aiming. That patience-first approach is where Tannenberg shines and stumbles in roughly equal measure.

Gameplay

At its core Tannenberg is a squad-based multiplayer FPS: you pick a squad, pick a role, and try not to get shot while also trying to shoot. On consoles matches run up to 40 players (versus 64 on PC), which still feels satisfyingly large when a flurry of rifle fire and artillery slams down on a contested sector. The three main modes - Maneuver, Attrition Warfare and Rifle Deathmatch - give different flavours of WWI combat. Maneuver is the closest to a strategic slugfest: teams (Entente vs Central Powers) capture sectors, hold supply lines and bleed the enemy's resources. It's basically Risk but with more mud and less diplomacy. Sectors have different values, some unlock tactical goodies like reconnaissance aircraft or artillery strikes for NCOs, and supply lines matter: you can't just teleport your lads behind enemy lines and call it a day. Attrition Warfare is the team's blood bank. Each side starts with a set number of tickets representing manpower. Every respawn costs a ticket, so reckless charging promptly results in very quiet defeat. This mode rewards coordinated, conservative play more than glorified kamikaze runs. Rifle Deathmatch is the mode for folks who enjoy intimate musical conversations with bolt-action rifles: free-for-all, only rifles allowed, and it rewards marksmanship and tactical cunning. You'll earn Career Points to level up rifles and unlock accessories (yes, bayonets included), meaning the more you actually hit people, the more fancy add-ons you get. Squad play is where friendships are forged and tempers are tested. Each squad has roles (NCOs, medics, riflemen, machine gunners) and the team that communicates wins far more than the team with the coolest loadout. The NCO role is especially satisfying: calling in recon or artillery can flip a sector faster than a motivational speech about holding the line. Supply lines and HQ connectivity being baked into capture mechanics is a neat strategic layer - capture the wrong sector and you might as well be lugging a flag into a bonfire. There are some delightful oddities that show the developers have a sense of humour about history without undermining its seriousness. A temporary event introduced in April 2019, the 'Wolf Truce', is based on historical reports of armies pausing to deal with wolf packs mid-battle. When wolves show up, players can either agree to a bizarre moment of inter-faction animal diplomacy or continue fighting amid the chaos. There's also a "Film Memoir" visual mode that strips the world into black-and-white film grain, which is equal parts moody and oddly cinematic for a multiplayer shooter. A few live-service touches exist: cross-platform play between Xbox and PlayStation was added in late 2020, easing matchmaking woes, and the game has a progression system for weapons and attachments. On PS4 the reduced player cap does change the pacing compared to PC, but matches still carry that large-scale, squad-driven feel. One caveat: Tannenberg isn't for players who want instant gratification, frantic aim-only duels, or a shop full of cosmetic emotes. It's for those who enjoy tactical restraint and the satisfaction of a well-executed flank.

Graphics

Tannenberg runs on the Unity engine, and its visuals lean into realism rather than stylised pretty. Textures, uniform details and weapon models are solidly done; you can practically count the stitches on a field cap if you stand unnervingly close. The maps - modeled after real Eastern Front battlefields - emphasize scale and environmental storytelling over glossy set pieces: shell-holes, broken telegraph poles and scarred landscapes set a grim stage. Gore and injury modelling are detailed enough to remind you this is still a war game and not a paintball simulator. Performance on PS4 is competent but not miraculous. The game looks and runs well enough to immerse, but you won't be floored by next-gen fidelity. The Film Memoir mode is a nice touch for players who want a cinematic, old-film atmosphere; it's especially effective in quieter moments between barrages. Audio design also deserves a mention: Niels van der Leest's soundtrack and the in-game sounds (rifles cracking, distant shells, shouted commands) add emotional heft. Track names like "Fields of the Dead" and "Storming the Headquarters" make the soundtrack sound like it's auditioning for a period drama - in a good way. On the downside, console matchmaking and player density can sometimes lead to slower lobbies or lopsided matches if the regional player pool is small. Moments of latency or uneven frame pacing have been reported by players, but they're not universal. If you want crisp, large-scale matches, PC still holds the edge; PS4 offers a faithful, slightly pared-down experience.

Conclusion

Tannenberg on PS4 is a thoughtful, historically-minded multiplayer shooter that chooses authenticity and squad tactics over pyrotechnic spectacle. If your ideal match is a careful, tense capture of a sector with your squad's NCO whispering artillery coordinates like a battlefield DJ, this is the game for you. The three modes offer variety - from strategic Maneuver to rifle-only duels - and quirky touches like the Wolf Truce and Film Memoir mode show personality. The game is not without flaws: console player caps, occasional matchmaking blips and a presentation that won't blind you with flashiness keep it from being a universal crowd-pleaser. If you're after a polished, historically informed shooter that rewards patience, teamwork and knowing when to hold the line, Tannenberg is worth the trench run. If you want nonstop spectacle and instant killcams, maybe pick up something that won't make you learn about supply lines. Either way, it's a solid, slightly rough-around-the-edges trip back to 1914 - and it's one of those rare shooters that will have you feeling educational while you frag. Now go forth, capture a sector, and try not to let a wolf steal your kill.

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