Fight an exciting battle in this turn-based strategy video game that is a worthy spiritual successor to the classic Advance Wars saga. In this Wargroove review we surrender to the charms of this great retro-style game.
It seems incredible but a decade has passed since Nintendo released the last episode of its great Advance Wars saga . Ten long years of waiting that have led some to lose all hope to re-enjoy the strategic battles of what is one of the great forgotten sagas of Nintendo . I therefore understand that the announcement of Wargroove generated so much excitement among fans. I myself jumped for joy to discover this spiritual heir who takes the action of the Intelligent Systems series to a new medieval-themed war scene.. And I’m not going to fool you. It’s great! So much so that I am still fighting an epic battle against myself; against that other me who wants to keep playing, who wants to fight “another turn” instead of writing and working. You can imagine. I’m losing the battle, and all because of the Nintendo Switch and its damn portable mode that makes enjoying this Chucklefish video game even more addictive.
The good thing about Wargroove is that it goes beyond simple homage. Yes, in essence it is an Advance Wars with swords, magicians and dragons that vomit fire, but it is also a title with its own personality that knows how to surprise with an intelligent level design and abundant additional content. There are few differences with respect to the Nintendo classic, but these are decisive when it comes to understanding some tactical battles in which the commandersthey play a crucial role that goes beyond the simple use of their special abilities. They are there, in the heat of combat, fighting side by side with the troops. And you can see it. They are stronger, resist damage better and also, each turn, recover part of the lost health thus becoming formidable heroes or, depending on how you look at it, fearsome enemies capable of ruining even the most brilliant of stratagems. Such is their importance that if they die in combat … the game is over. No more.
Wargroove Animated Trailer Confirming Release Date
Bravery pays off in WarGrooveIt is tempting, yes; but also dangerous. The game depends on it! And yet Wargroove invites you to be brave. He wants you to use the commanders not only for their strength, which of course, but also because defeating enemies is the fastest way to charge their special power, called groove , which allows you to execute tactical actions as important as healing nearby allies, create a protective shield, or land powerful blows capable of damaging multiple enemies. Each commander has his own special ability, this being the only difference between armies. It tastes like little … with nuances. Although I have missed the odd exclusive unit for each of the four factions that fight in this video game from the authors of StarboundThe truth is that there are more than enough tactical options to enjoy a great and exciting fight.
You must be very good to get a three-star rating. Achieving it has a reward, as these serve to discover the true ending of the video game.
That we all fight with the same troops, under the same conditions, also contributes to our tactical decisions, and they alone, are those that determine the course of the contest. Here there are no armies more powerful than others, we all start on equal terms, so there are no excuses. Nothing is more rewarding than this. Crush the opponent using the same cards, the same resources. That is why I appreciate the work done by Chucklefish so much. It seems simple but it is not at all. The concept of critical hits that Wargroove is betting on contributes to this. These do not appear by divine work and grace, we must look for them, and for this we must know how to position the troops well. I explain.
Knows how to surprise with an intelligent level design and abundant additional contentIn addition to taking into account the strengths and weaknessesof troops, that is, regardless of knowing that a spearman has an advantage over cavalry, or that mages can do a lot of damage to air units, it is important to also know how to unleash a critical attack. Returning to the example of the spearmen, they will hit harder if they have another pikeman next to them, while the infantry will show their best face if they fight alongside the commander. The conditions are very varied since these can also be linked to the place from which it is attacked or the distance from which it is hit. That is why Wargroove is a game with many nuances. Yes, of course, at its most basic level it is enough for you to know that dogs, and almost no one, can do anything against the fearsome golems; but when you measure your strength against other players,
The design of the commanders is really good. The animations of their special movements also stand out, with some really striking.
Cavalry, archers, wizards, dragons, catapults, dogs, spearmen … there is a wide variety of troops to choose from but, of course, to use them you first have to pay. Wargroove bets here on a system of conquering cities that are the ones that, turn after turn, will reward us with the precious gold necessary to finance the army. Hence, fighting for these buildings is an essential requirement to win. They won’t make it easy. The artificial intelligenceof enemies is surprisingly good. They know how and when to strike to do damage, fighting tooth and nail for control of cities and barracks from which we can summon new troops. In this sense, the buildings have a health system that regenerates turn after turn, as well as defenses with which to repel enemy offensives.
I said it before. Wargroove may seem like a simple video game but nothing is further from the truth. It presents tactical options so interesting that we can even “take” life points from buildings to heal the wounds of the troops … at the risk of facilitating the conquest of these structures, which will recover over time. It is not an easy decision because it must be taken into account that the troops’ attack strength is determined by their health, so the more badly injured they are, the less damage they will cause and vice versa.
The extra protection offered by mountains and forests, the combined attacks by land, sea and air, the special abilities of the commanders or the presence of fog of war in some scenarios are just one more example of the great tactical potential hidden behind this coloring. strategy game. In this sense, I have loved the design of many of the levels of the story mode because, with subtle changes here and there, they manage to surprise with the most interesting challenges. Others, on the other hand, are more generic and limit themselves to throwing ourselves into combat in order to finish off the opposing commander and nothing else.
Additional content! Much to discoverThere are conquest missions, yes, but also resistance battles; Epic skirmishes against dozens of enemies in the worst conditions imaginable, with no resources, with limited troops, and it is these battles that make you appreciate even more the strategic depth of the game. More than the story, which is nothing to write home about, what motivates you to keep going is discovering what new challenges await; with what crazy challenges they will test our military ingenuity. And while this is not a difficult game in excess, it will make us suffer on more than one occasion fighting against implacable enemies. Too hard? Maybe very easy? You can regulate the degree of challengeto adapt the action to your liking. There are also secondary missions with objectives -in some cases- quite original that serve to unlock new content . It is another of its virtues.
Wargroove may seem like a simple video game but nothing is further from the truthIn addition to the story mode, you can enjoy an interesting Arcade Mode that, in the style of fighting games, proposes us to defeat various armies taking advantage of the skills of a commander. With three characters for each faction, these missions serve to delve a little deeper into the origins of the adventure’s protagonists. However, I prefer the Puzzle Mode , as this is a challenge capable of despairing the most painted. Your mission? Kill the enemy in a single turn. No more. It is not at all easy, I warn you, but it is ingenious and fun. If all this is not enough, you can also enjoy multiplayer for up to four people locally or over the Internet, with the option of cross-play on Xbox One, PC and Switch. And if you are still not happy, if you still want more, there you have the Content Editor for you to create your own game scenarios or, if you are ambitious, build a campaign with its own cinematics. And since fans can share their creations over the Internet, Wargroove promises hours and hours of pure entertainment.
The combat scenes are very well animated although, in the long run, they can be repetitive. That is why the game allows to speed up the action and shorten these battles.
With all this content, it is difficult not to get excited about a video game that has everything to satisfy veterans who long for the return of the Advance Wars saga, and also attract a whole new generation of players thanks to its fun strategic action. It is true that a somewhat more elaborate story is missing, as it shines especially in the final stretch of the adventure, when the missions are also much more difficult and complex; in addition to the occasional difference between the four armies that have taken up arms. It would also have been great if it was faster and more intuitive to determine the enemy’s range of action to, without wasting much time, properly position the troops. You must do it individually without option if you want to “freeze”
Its retro style is reminiscent of the best episodes of Nintendo’s Famicom Wars sagaIt is difficult to dismiss this analysis without mentioning the great artistic section that the video game treasures. With a retro styleOnce again reminiscent of the best episodes of Nintendo’s Famicom Wars saga, Wargroove surprises with the color of its settings and the good design of the troops and commanders we lead. With four well-differentiated factions aesthetically, I prefer the fun attack animations, the dog Cesar being one of the best for the placidity with which he embarks on the fight. Since gazing at these attack sequences can be exhausting over time, the game allows you to skip them after a few seconds. It is not the best option of all but it helps to energize the games. As for the sound, the Chucklefish game presents a good soundtrack that perfectly enlivens the battles, with abundant and fun conversations between the protagonists, translated into Spanish.
“Excellent”
Wargroove
8.5
Readers
(1)
It is not that long-awaited Advance Wars that Nintendo fans clamor for, but Wargroove is presented as the best alternative to liven up the wait. Fun, challenging and highly addictive, the Chucklefish video game goes beyond being a simple tribute by presenting high-quality work that stands out for its clever mission design, its exciting action and the huge variety of additional content that accompanies its story mode . If you like turn-based strategy you should not miss this video game.
- Commanders and their importance on the battlefield.
- Abundant tactical options that help create more exciting battles
- Good mission design. Puzzle Mode is great.
- The content editor. There is a game for a while!
- Some exclusive units are missing for each faction
- The user interface could be more worked
