Swords And Soldiers Ii Review

There are certain genres of games that rarely deviate from their stable formula. As a result, you often get the feeling that once you’ve played one, you’ve more or less played them all. Tower defence has that kind of vibe, and yet Swords & Soldiers II: Shawarmageddon elevates the genre through a combination of deep gameplay and a level of presentation that far exceeds what you’d expect from this type of game. Varied simplicityThe premise is fairly straightforward.

'Swords and Soldiers 2' Review 'Swords and Soldiers 2' impresses with its lovingly-crafted character models and light-hearted humor, but its limited 2D plane gameplay may not be for everyone. Welcome to Swords & Soldiers II on the Nintendo Wii U, the second. II opts for simple strategy that may mobilize gamers: Video Game Review.

There’s an enemy base at one end of the map, your own HQ at another, and you unleash as many units as you can to try and turn their hideout into rubble. All your units march onwards the moment you’ve activated them, so timing your attacks right is crucial if you’re to avoid just churning out fodder for your enemy’s defences.This tactical approach extends to precisely which units you select too. Should you purchase a handful of cheap yet feeble units? Or spend some extra gold and unleash a single brutal behemoth? Managing your resources is crucial to victory, and becomes an incredibly satisfying gameplay loop once a well orchestrated strategy pays off.The resources in question are divided between gold and mana. The mining units you start with will bring in cash, which you can then spend on units, or unlocking more spells and soldiers in your tech tree.

Again it’s fairly simple and straightforward - nothing to really write home about - but the sheer variety available makes your choices both interesting and important. There are three factions on offer, the Vikings, the Persians, and the Demons. Each faction has a selection of spells and units that are completely unique to them. For example, the vikings offer bearded axe throwers to counter the Persian’s Fakirs that float around on flying carpets shooting venomous snakes at everyone below. Meanwhile, the Demons can unleash spear throwing gremlins for ranged attacks of their own.They’re all examples of some of the distance units on offer in each faction, and all of the unit types are balanced in similar ways. The club-swinging highlander of the Vikings for example, does similar damage to the dagger wielding snake that is the Demon’s Naga unit.

But little idiosyncracies - the Highlander can hit multiple units at once, while the Naga turns into a stone statue when it dies, obstructing your opponents path - add extra variety and strategy that makes for really interesting bouts. Each faction even has unique structures they can place in certain designated areas to help turn the tide of battle. Defensive arrangements such as the Viking’s Guard Tower will boost a ranged unit’s damage, while the Demon’s crypt will spew out fighting skeletons every few seconds. Who’s the mana?This range of options also extends to the spells you can cast.

Whether it’s the Viking’s lightning from above or the Persian ability to bribe enemy units to fight for you, there’s another handful of tools at your disposal that are unique to your chosen faction. Some are downright hilarious too, and turning your opponent’s powerful genie into a helpless sheep never stops being fantastically grin-inducing. Mana’s not as easy to come by as gold though, so these spells needs to be used sparingly at the most opportune moment.This satisfying gameplay exists, naturally, in free play matches against both AI and human opponents. You can hand off a Joy-Con to a friend for what is always a raucous ebb and flow of battle, and there’s the option to jump online for a game too. As of the time of writing, the game was yet to launch on Switch, but once there’s a few more players around, we’ll update this review with impressions of the online experience. Update: Online play works just as well as it does offline.

It’s a shame that there isn’t the option to use custom loadouts online - you’re limited to one of the three default factions - as that would have made for some even more interesting skirmishes. Still, the core gameplay loop is as satisfying as ever, and there’s certainly another layer of spice added to proceedings when you know there’s another person sending waves of units your way.The longevity of the title will naturally be in this multiplayer mode. So being able to play with friends online, as well as randoms, is undoubtedly a welcome option. Offline multiplayer makes for even more interesting bouts, as you can mix and match your units from across all 3 factions to create a custom loadout. Yet again, the level of variety and challenge increases, with multiple fights giving you plenty of opportunities to create different setups. These modes can be played against an AI opponent too, and there’s a great selection of maps on offer - all with different branching pathways to your opponent - to keep things interesting fight after fight.

Single and loving itAll that said, the single player mode is every bit as good as the multiplayer - if not more so. Taking place over 15 main stages (plus a few bonus rounds) it tells the tale of Redbeard the Viking and his pursuit of a magic lamp. The whole thing is narrated by a fellow viking, and the writing is tight and funny throughout. There’s a bit of voice acting too. I’m not entirely sure why the vikings are all Scottish, but having one of your units shout “ow my beard!” in a Glaswegian accent when he gets attacked never fails to put a smile on your face.The single player ultimately serves as a tutorial for each of the game’s factions and units.

It’s brilliantly laid out, with the difficulty curving perfectly with your own knowledge and talent. There are a couple of missions towards the end that get ridiculously hard, but if you’re struggling to find the winning formula, you can also call in a favour from Thor and play the level with a reduced cost for units and spells. It allows you to see the end credits, but if you want to complete all the unique bonus objectives, you’ll need to play the big boy mode.As mentioned though, the presentation is what really sets Swords & Soldiers II apart. Alongside the great writing and comedic voice overs, the bright and colourful visuals add a lovely sheen to proceedings, while the music is complementary if not particularly memorable (end credits theme song excepted). Every locale, from golf courses to deserts to the depths of hell, looks fantastic and each of the units are distinctive enough to make out in even the most chaotic of skirmishes.There’s some replayability in the single player mode, thanks to the aforementioned challenges on offer, but it will be the multiplayer mode where this game comes into its own.

Local play with a drink or two will make for some great evenings, but be warned that without tackling the single player campaign, some players may find the sheer number of different things going on a little overwhelming at first. VerdictIn adding an exceptional level of polish to a wide yet perfectly balanced mix of units, Swords & Soldiers II sets the standard for Tower Defence games. The myriad combinations of numerous unit types, all with their own unique characteristics, makes every bout a fresh and interesting one, and finding new ways to beat old friends and new opponents alike won’t get old for a long time. The single-player mode is the perfect tutorial, while also offering an entertaining - if not particularly gripping - story. There’s a lot going on that makes it difficult for friends to pick up and play alongside you, but anyone who spends even a little time with this game will find a lot to love.

Easy to learn but tricky to intricately master, Ronimo’s side-scrolling strategy game brings with it a distinct flavour to Wii U’s Nintendo eShop.Continuing the warring tale that began in WiiWare’s Swords and Soldiers, it marks the return of the tankard-swigging Vikings but sees the Aztecs and Imperial Chinese switched out for other factions. In their place, the Dutch developer has instead rallied the mystic Persians and unleashed a Demonic horde from the infernal depths of Hell.Our story begins in Sultan Al’Beards’ damp treasure cave, stuffed with gold, gems and precious artefacts when a herd of Demons unexpectedly break in to steal a coveted lamp. Nearly within their grasp, the Sultan commands an invisible Desert Stalker to carry it to another secret location nearby. The narrative is largely driven by each faction fumbling to retain possession of the lamp, a series of 15 levels carrying them across the lands in doing so.Battles take place across layered 2D planes, sometimes with diverging paths. With players situated at opposing ends of the battleground, scenarios largely play out as a war of attrition. Worker minions must be used to gather stacks of gold and mana that are periodically parachuted in, building up such resources to then spend them on a welcomingly varied selection of units and spells to try and gain an advantage.Once created, units will begin their steady march forward and will fight any enemy units that they come across.

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Your ultimate goal is to destroy the enemy’s base to claim victory, which can often prove more difficult than at first appears.Spells will let you summon lightning bolts and turn unsuspecting foes into sheep, but it is super spells that easily prove a highlight. Whether that be Ol’ Larry’s Rampage, slashing enemies on the touchscreen with Dance of Daggers or the meteoric carnage of Matt’s Fury, these are destructive powers at their mightiest.Slight niggles come in the fact that, regardless of the hoards of gold that you amass, you can’t queue up multiple units to be created at once. Similarly, once trained you can’t hold back units to amass a miniature army before attacking together, which means that you often feel as if you’re left to gamble units away as they’re picked off one-by-one.Some would argue that lends to the game’s strategic nature, but when a ‘Stop’ spell is introduced later on that allows you to do so it left me wondering why it hadn’t been there from the start.Beyond completion the campaign serves up Bonus and Open Battles, the latter leaving you to choose your own selection of units and spells to use. Whereas all levels have specified challenges for you to complete, whether that be keeping certain units alive or completing the level within a time limit.Whereas Multiplayer options will allow you to go head-to-head with a friend (or against the CPU), with one player playing on the Wii U GamePad while the other is left to use the TV screen. This works well, and I enjoyed the ensuing hilarity as my opponent and I tried to outsmart one another.

Meanwhile, other welcome GamePad implementation sees the player being able to opt to use touchscreen controls, that shift your focus away from buttons and instead tap heartily away on the screen.It’s clear that has been a passion project for Ronimo, painstakingly detailed landscapes matched by a script packed with witty repartee that perfectly suits the game’s riotous cast of characters. The developer’s meticulous work produces an experience that entirely betters the original, even if its resounding battlecry isn’t wholeheartedly triumphant.