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Wednesday 5 March, 2008
ADVANCE WARS: DAYS OF RUIN
SESSION #2
GAMEPLAY: Once introduced to all your resources, the challenge of the game ramps up. You will fight battles in the fog of war, which is basically a black shroud that prevents your from seeing (or attacking) units which are hidden. One must make use of flares and recon vehicles in order to clear the fog to see what enemy units lie ahead. The AI of the enemies, while far from being as good as a human, does rather well. If you build bomber planes, it will build anti-aircraft guns. If you build submarines, it will build cruisers (which counter them). When you have stationed ranged units like rockets or missiles protecting your units, the computer will often retreat and regroup instead of mindlessly charging. One quirk of the AI is that it will always attack your infantry when you are capturing its cities. This is one of the few advantages that the player must use to overcome the enemy. In later stages, your enemies will have superior firepower and numbers, and you will be forced to exploit the AI's priorities.
Late in the game, you are introduced to the CO (Commanding Officer) zone, and the CO powers. Unlike previous advance wars games. Simply destroying or losing troops anywhere on the map will not raise up your power meter. COs are able to board vehicles, and a certain radius will form around that vehicle. Only troops destroyed inside this radius will boost the power, and the power gauge will empty the if the unit holding the CO is destroyed. This element rarely helps your battle significantly, but does add a bit of depth to the game.
DESIGN ELEMENTS: While I have not tried the multiplayer, I can honestly say that I will enjoy Days of Ruin much more than previous advance wars games. In Advance Wars: Dual Strikes, there is an insane amount of extra fluff and features that took the emphasis over pure strategy. Certain character's powers were broken and overpowered, such as units being bought for a cheaper price, or a power that drains fuel from vehicles. The power meters filled at a much fast rate, and so the tactics of the game strayed from tactical unit placement to using and abusing the CO powers. I welcome the new CO power system, as well as the "back to the basics" combat.
The combat of advance wars is quite balanced, even with the addition of many new unit types. Anti-tank artillery provides extra defense against ground units, while expensive aircraft carriers are able to build and launch devastating seaplanes. Dusters provide a cheap air unit that can take on Bombers and Jet Planes. One of the most radical changes is that the rig, which supplies units with fuel and ammo, can now build "temp" airport or seaports which can house and repair air or sea units. With a unlockable maps and online multiplayer, you can be assured that this advance wars is the best one yet.
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