Kombo’s Review Policy: Our reviews are written for you. Our goal is to write honest, to-the-point reviews that don’t waste your time. This is why we’ve split our reviews into four sections: What the Game’s About, What’s Hot, What’s Not and Final Word, so that you can easily find the information you want from our reviews.
What the Game’s About
The world is at its end after meteors strike Earth and kill over 90% of the population. For the small percentage of survivors, only more death and destruction await. In the aftermath of destruction, survivors find themselves battling barbarians, disease, and power-hungry military dogs that are looking to secure more power. Sound dark and dreary? Well it should, because Nintendo’s newest incarnation of the Advance Wars series puts you in a post-apocalyptic wasteland where mankind has turned on each other and it’s the battle of the fittest. Prepare to fight for your survival.
What’s Hot
The first thing people will notice is the complete overhaul in style and look that Nintendo has implemented into Days of Ruin. Nintendo has moved past the bright and colorful sprites from the earlier titles and this time went with a darker, more drab color scheme. Thanks to the new graphical presentation, Days of Ruin keeps the serious undertone alive throughout the entire game. Also gone are the happy-go-lucky CO from previous installments, enter true-to-life Commanding Officers. Each CO is a hard-ass, and the game shows it. Remember, everyone is fighting for survival and trying to rebuild a society, so there is no place for happy teenagers parading around with smiles on. In case all this darkness and realistic style has gotten you down, don’t be. Even though the game features cosmetic changes, the gameplay is still as addictive and challenging as before.
Aside from the serious mood in Days of Ruin, the gameplay is still as solid as ever. Despite the game starting off on the easy side, the game quickly becomes a real challenge. Several of the later missions will have to be replayed in order to fully comprehend the situation on the battlefield. With each mission being played out like a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors, you’ll need to know your unit’s strengths and weaknesses. With 26 units to select for battle, Days of Ruin keeps your arsenal well-stocked. However, you will discover that several vehicles from Dual Strike haven’t made the cut, such as the Neo-Tank and Mega-Tank. The good news is that each has been replaced with newer and truer vehicles. Welcome the War Tank and Anti-tank vehicles. The War Tank is essentially the same as the Neo-Tank and Mega-Tank- pure power. The Anti-tank vehicle is best used as an indirect unit, but it can counter-attack ground troops during combat, finally. Aside from heavy units, there are also two new aircraft units available: the Duster can shoot on both ground and air units, and the Seaplane can attack any unit type.
Newly introduced to the series is online play. Allowing for two players to compete head-to-head online is a great addition. The series has always been well-suited for the online scene, and Nintendo has finally answered our prayers. Aside from head-to-head competition, Nintendo has included a Custom Map editor, in which users can upload their own custom maps onto the Nintendo WFC server and download other user maps – think of it as free downloadable content.
What’s Not
The game isn’t perfect and does have a few minor flaws, which might damper things for some. Even though Nintendo added a lot of new content and redesigned the look of the series, it sadly removed several key elements from previous incarnations. No longer can you select your CO during the campaign and use special abilities. You can still choose your CO for multiplayer battles, and each feature their own unique stat boost, such as view two more spaces during Fog of War, etc. However, taking out that customization from the single-player campaign makes you feel more restrained in combat. Sure, the removal of the CO Special Abilities may have been made to keep the realistic setting in place, but surely it could have found an alternative way to use special abilities.
Even though online is a great addition to the title, there is a minor problem with it: time. Online battles can take anywhere from 20 minutes to well over an hour. Even though the game does limit your time to move between 2-3 minutes, the match can still take a long while to complete. So, be sure you have the time to commit to a pocket war before you engage in a battle online.
Final Word
Advance Wars: Days of Ruin is essentially the same as previous installments, with some good upgrades and bad downgrades. The new darker look should bring in a new audience and the gameplay will attract long-time fans. Nintendo has removed some features and added a few new ones, but when it comes down to it, the new stuff isn’t as strong as the old stuff. Days of Ruin is still an incredibly fun and addictive game – just don’t expect it to show you anything new.
