|
For almost two decades Nintendo have delivered gamers with militaristic, turned-based, real-time strategy gameplay in their Wars series. Advance Wars: Days of Ruin marks the Big N’s second Wars game to hit the DS. Deviating from the more youthful art style of past games, Days of Ruin throws fans of the series a stylistic curveball.
Art direction isn’t the only change to this year’s title, as players have new technology at their disposal both in the literal sense and in-game.
The very first thing hardcore fans will notice is the darker presentation and setting of Days of Ruin. Gone are the playful, more straight-forward anime characters and vehicle designs. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, the exuberance in everything from the music to story to character design has been toned down…way down. However, the game isn’t so dark as to become depressing; instead there’s a more visceral feeling while playing through the game.
After his planet has been ravaged by a meteor shower, a young military cadet, Will, is saved by Brenner and his 12th Battalion of the now-shattered Rubinelle army. The story picks through 26 event-driven battles with side-missions (Training Missions) that have nothing to do with the story, and everything to do with augmenting your strategy skills. Also, an additional 28 Free Battle games are accessible for multiple players.
The gameplay for Days of Ruin is just like all of the previous titles which involve building up forces from 26 different types of units to obliterate your enemy in turn-based style, HP and all. The gameplay may be nothing new and groundbreaking, but the beauty of the franchise is that it works. With the stylus, executing commands is effortless, but the only missing feature is an undo command. There are times when you might accidentally move a unit to wrong place because you twitched, sneezed or even lightly brushed the stylus somewhere, only to end in a fatal move; even in chess and checkers you’re allowed to keep your finger on your piece before you ultimately decide.
Although the gameplay is the same, the game itself feels fresh because of the presentation and, not to mention, the substitution of a few new units and completely new COs with stat-boosting abilities. Included in the new ground units are the Bike, a very mobile unit to capture properties; the Flare used to dispel the Fog of War; the Anti-Tank with indirect firing, and counter-attack abilities in direct confrontation; and the big-boy of tanks, the War Tank. While the Gunboat is the newest sea-faring unit, the Seaplane and Duster round out the air force.
The additions of the new units really balance out battles, which, although at the expense of powerful—and favorite—weapons of the last game, is a welcome move. Also, while commanding your troops, as units destroy the enemy they move up in rank, giving them boosted attack and defense ratings. Along with the new unit types are new terrains. Ultimately, new kinds of terrain do little to entice a purchase, but they make things more interesting when having to come up with strategies.
The real big changes to the series—the ones that differentiate the game from its previous cohorts—is the addition of online multiplayer and a fairly robust map creator—at least as robust the DS can present. Finally, games don’t have to be played against another local player, but online, against complete strangers. While the ability to test your strategies against evermore challengers makes great use of the Wi-Fi capabilities of the DS, it’s not the only function. Up to 50 maps can be created and shared between players, allowing for continually changing experiences.
Everything in Days of Ruin looks and works great, but it’s not flawless. While the story makes sense and fits together well, dialogue and characters feel a bit lost in the transition to the darker image. Characters look more intense, but don’t feel as grizzly as the presentation; and, surprisingly, the way they play-out breaks from classical archetypes, leaving you feeling a little confused on how to relate to them. This is really forgivable in the end, but essentially, you’re just left wanting to start the next battle.
Sound-wise, everything complements the game. The soundtrack adds to the darker feel of the game with more hard-pounding, mechanical, frantic themes. Also, while participating in online matches, you can trash talk via the DS’ microphone and receive it through the handheld’s speakers—albeit a bit more lo-fi in quality.
When all is said and done, yes, Days of Ruin dropped a few things from Dual Strike, but the changes really fit together well and provide for a fresh, grittier experience. Although the story may lose some players, the core of the game is really the gameplay itself. Finally, it’s been over two years since the first Wars game hit the DS, and with the addition of online-play, there’s really no reason to overlook this title if you’re a fan of strategy action on a miniature scale.
Gameplay: 9.0
Graphics: 8.5
Audio: 8.5
Lasting Appeal: 9.0
Overall: 9.0
 Add to favorites (31) |  Quote this article on your site
|
