I returned to this after discovering its fully available on my series S, you've got to hand it to microsoft the way they preserve your previous platform games for future play is pretty slammin.
It's just like I remember to be honest, its a well made WW1 setting but in a toybox diorama with solid TD mechanics and its gosh darned hard.
I picked up right where I left off and flailed badly at the level for a little while before realising why I never finished it in the first place, I'm simply not that good at it, and while it's quality made its just not for me.
Maybe I'll come back again and try once more, but for now I'm bidding it farewell.
It's just like I remember to be honest, its a well made WW1 setting but in a toybox diorama with solid TD mechanics and its gosh darned hard.
I picked up right where I left off and flailed badly at the level for a little while before realising why I never finished it in the first place, I'm simply not that good at it, and while it's quality made its just not for me.
Maybe I'll come back again and try once more, but for now I'm bidding it farewell.
I have a friend who is, for some reason, an absolutely savant at strategy games and no matter how hard I tried, no matter how many units I personally operated to try and achieve maximum effectiveness, this mfer would annihilate me every single time.
Been really loving this game. I played through the basic version on xbox 360 in the past, but here I loved having access to the DLC, including shooting down UFOs and various space toys from the era which is a lot of fun! The final boss was a real pain though.
Upgrades don't seem to work perfectly I feel and this is a evident when trying to take on the robot in the final space mission. Apparently the final upgrade for the AA turrents is crap, but the second is the best, for whatever reason.
The most annoying is the final difficulty as it requires you to control ALL of the turrets yourself. First mission I found it was possible but I highly doubt I can cover the whole areas.
Upgrades don't seem to work perfectly I feel and this is a evident when trying to take on the robot in the final space mission. Apparently the final upgrade for the AA turrents is crap, but the second is the best, for whatever reason.
The most annoying is the final difficulty as it requires you to control ALL of the turrets yourself. First mission I found it was possible but I highly doubt I can cover the whole areas.
Rather than going for realism this tower defense game has World War I dioramas coming to life and battling it out. There's an impressive level of detail such as moving gears in your wind up tanks and soldiers. The concept and time period give Toy Soldiers a unique personality. Although, the theme of imaginary battles between figurines taking place never quite took off in all the ways I wanted it too. Sometimes I forgot that the locations were dioramas, as in the moment they feel as believable and grounded as any other game with a war setting.
This doesn't detract from the excellent gameplay though. You're given numerous strategic options. Limited unit placements requires quick thinking from the player. There were times where I found myself switching out different defenses on the fly in between waves. The thing that sets Toy Soldiers apart from the plethora of other options out there is the ability to take direct control of your emplacements during battle. Being able to get directly involved like that is a nice change of pace from the usual sit back and watch approach this strategy subgenre is known for. This is especially fun in certain stages that give you access to planes and tanks. It allows things to have a more action-packed approach that gives players the opportunity to feel directly involved and is sometimes necessary to ensure victory. It's also perfect for those who would like to do a bit more micromanaging.
Toy Soldiers is also very accessible to gamers of all skill levels thanks to a well thought out variety of difficulty levels. The only issues I found with gameplay were related to the camera which can sometimes obscure your view. As a result I found myself making use of the overhead view of the battlefield which is like that of a traditional RTS. There's a nice bit of content too thanks to the multiplayer, survival, and campaign+ options. The novelty of Toy Soldier's theme and core gameplay mechanic do a lot to inject a greater appeal into the overall package. Plus, how many other WWI games do you know of out there? Simply put, I think this should be your next tower defense title. On top of being very well made it is also unique. The originality Signal Studios put into this make it worth your purchase.
8/10
This doesn't detract from the excellent gameplay though. You're given numerous strategic options. Limited unit placements requires quick thinking from the player. There were times where I found myself switching out different defenses on the fly in between waves. The thing that sets Toy Soldiers apart from the plethora of other options out there is the ability to take direct control of your emplacements during battle. Being able to get directly involved like that is a nice change of pace from the usual sit back and watch approach this strategy subgenre is known for. This is especially fun in certain stages that give you access to planes and tanks. It allows things to have a more action-packed approach that gives players the opportunity to feel directly involved and is sometimes necessary to ensure victory. It's also perfect for those who would like to do a bit more micromanaging.
Toy Soldiers is also very accessible to gamers of all skill levels thanks to a well thought out variety of difficulty levels. The only issues I found with gameplay were related to the camera which can sometimes obscure your view. As a result I found myself making use of the overhead view of the battlefield which is like that of a traditional RTS. There's a nice bit of content too thanks to the multiplayer, survival, and campaign+ options. The novelty of Toy Soldier's theme and core gameplay mechanic do a lot to inject a greater appeal into the overall package. Plus, how many other WWI games do you know of out there? Simply put, I think this should be your next tower defense title. On top of being very well made it is also unique. The originality Signal Studios put into this make it worth your purchase.
8/10
The one quality of Toy Soldiers that tickled my fancy the most was how much of a cutting, satirical takedown of WWI it was. Sure, when I first played the game, I definitely noticed the aesthetic and setting inspirations, but years later, it struck me how much the game highlights the bitter realities of trench warfare by forcing the player into a defensive role against waves and waves of enemy soldiers charging across no-man's-lands only to be cut down by all the cool turrets you have set up.
It won't run anymore.
A fun concept and pretty well executed.
Decent concept, average gameplay.