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Advance Wars Days of Ruin; DS strategy game
Topic Started: Mar 8 2008, 12:57 PM (296 Views)
HUNTER JAWA
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"Our world is destroyed...
Fire rained from the sky,
The land burned,
The earth shook,
The ocean raged....
The devastation was total."

The advance wars series returns to the DS, this year with Advance Wars: Days of Ruin. As the title implies, this game takes place in a post-apocalyptic earth that was devastated by meteors. Most of humanity died in the disaster, but survivor’s band together across the planet, all with different motives.

The games story mode follows the young cadet Will. He digs himself out of the wreckage and is rescued by Captain Brenner. Unfortunately, that’s really it for the story of the first 10 chapters. Will finds an interesting girl who has lost her memory, and the survivors are attacked by a villain oh so cleverly named "The Beast". The shallow story is really disappointing, but once you get to chapter 11 things really pick up. I'm not going to spoil anything, however.

The games, developed by intelligant systems, plays almost exactly like its predecessors. That being said, the game's art style has grown from the happy-go-lucky looks of early Advance Wars to a much darker feel. The art style is great, and really makes this game a lot more serious than those before it. Of course, its still a hell of a lot of fun.

The game plays like this- you are given a set number of units at the start of the match. Using infantry units, you must expand your base area by capturing "properties" such as factories, cities, and ports. Using these you must gather money and spend it wisely upon more troops. The units all have unique perks and disadvantages, which make this game EXTREMLY balanced. Artillery, for example, can attack from long distance, but cannot move and attack on the same turn. Stuff like this adds a huge strategy element to the game; you have to make smart decisions to win. Speaking of hard decisions, this game is HARD. The AI is very smart (you can adjust its behavior, but you cant lower the difficulty) and will make quick work of you if you make even one careless mistake. Late in the story mode the game becomes EXTREMELY difficult, so try not to throw your DS against the wall in fury. (You can play a level for up to 2 hours before losing)

The Multiplayer is the games shining achievement. You can battle against up to four of your friends, using multiple game cards, or passing around a single DS. There are over 100 default maps to play on, however only some of them support 4 player battles. There is a robust map editor that allows you to design maps for use against computers or your friends. The game supports WI-FI, and you can randomly match up or play against your friends. There is also an interesting Map download center, where you can submit your custom maps, and download recommended maps from others. You can also send maps right to your friends. This level of sharing is great and i really enjoy the WI-FI features.

OVERALL:
Graphics-6/8- The darker feel is an improvement, still, the graphics in this game just aren't that good.

Music-6/7- Intelligent Systems knows how to make a good soundtrack, and while this game mostly just has techno rock it sounds awesome, i recommend you wear earphones to really get the full experience.

Gameplay 11/12- this game is just a joy to play, while it is quite hard it’s easy to learn and the challenge just keeps bringing you back for another round.

Replay:8/8- While the campaign is rather short, the free play mode is very flexible and the map editor can make for some interesting matches. Multiplayer is mad fun; I had a ten-hour match once. (I won!) Wi-Fi connection is fun and map downloads are good when you are down on ideas for your own maps (plus, they are free!)

Originality-tilt: 5/5- Yes, it is a sequel, but the new art style and abundance of new game features make this game VERY original.

Value: 10/10- Do you own a DS? If you do, BUY THIS GAME! Its well worth it, you won’t be disappointed.

OVERALL: 92/100

(BUY THIS GAME!!!!)













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Das Flak
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Good review. I agree with you to a certain extent; the graphics for that style of game on a handheld are excellent. At least a 7.5 for graphics. But yes, it is a must-buy game. I've played all the Advance Wars/Battalion Wars titles, and this is the best overall of any of them.
Das Flak ftw!
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