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