The game received critical acclaim upon release. Gwyn Hughes of
Your Sinclair defended the accuracy and morality of the game, stating that it was not in "bad taste" and that the game was a "well researched program", which he thought would give the player an insight into the nature of modern war. Philippa Irving of
Crash similarly stated that
Theatre Europe offered more than a usual "run-of-the-mill" war game and heralded its simplistic nature, adding that novice gamers would "get in to it with ease". John Gilbert of
Sinclair User added scepticism over the developer's intention of making something "so serious" as opposed to their other titles; however he praised the game as a "brilliant, if chilling" simulation. A reviewer writing for
ZX Computing similarly stated that the game was "superbly chilling" and "extremely" well-presented. A reviewer of
Computer and Video Games criticised the inferior graphics on the
ZX Spectrum, stating that they were "a bit flawed" in comparison to the
Commodore 64 version. Bill Harrington reviewed the game for
Computer Gaming World, and stated that " TE does a credible job of demonstrating the perils of escalation and dramatizing how slippery the slope to nuclear war might be, but is basically a game in search of a market."
Computer Gamer noted that the game attracted media attention, despite the objective of the game discouraging the use of nuclear weapons. Reed praised the presentation and gameplay, also stating that the use of a joystick and keyboard is "excellent". A reviewer from
Zzap!64 heralded the presentation and value for money, stating that it is overall "very special indeed". The reviewer also gave praise to the sound, suggesting that the game featured "one of the best pieces of micro music ever".
Antic stated that the Atari 8-bit version's "execution is uneven". The magazine reported that the arcade portion "quickly becomes a nuisance" and NATO could not defeat the Warsaw Pact because of lack of
balance, flaws that did not exist in the Commodore 64 version. Peter Connor of
Advanced Computer Entertainment said that
Theatre Europe was a "gift", in regards to its value of money and level of playability. In a 1994 survey of wargames
Computer Gaming World gave the title two-plus stars out of five, stating that it was "rendered obsolete by history and game play". The game won the "Best Strategy Game" award at the 1985
Golden Joystick Awards and was nominated for "Game of the Year". ==References==