(andPOP) - Released October 29th, 2007, Kuja Entertainment presents Battalion Wars 2 for the Nintendo Wii. What? You've never heard of Battalion Wars? Think back roughly 2 years ago for the Nintendo Gamecube, still unsure if you know the franchise? Think back further to 2001 on the Game Boy Advance when the game Advance Wars by Intelligent Systems was unleashed onto the world. Originally a portable turn-based strategy title using modern day warfare, this new spin-off takes everything fans of the title loved and added interesting graphics, inventive control and fast paced third person action.
Set in the distant future, the game starts off with a campaign for the Solar Empire defending themselves against the Anglo Isles who believe they are pre-emptively striking a nation with a supposed super weapon (sound a little too familiar)? This single act creates a chain reaction that leads to other nations joining in with counter attacks and sieges to control more land and defend themselves.
In this game you control a specific troop personally (everything from aiming, running, diving and shooting) while commanding your platoon as well to attack, capture, or defend targets. There are a number of land-based soldiers, light machinery, heavy machinery, air vehicles, and (new to this title) naval vehicles to control and command. Each type of troop or machine has its own strengths and weaknesses. For example, flame thrower infantry are very strong against bazooka and grunt infantry but very weak against machines. Another example is anti-air guns are weak against any type of water or ground attacks but extremely strong against anything that flies. The premise of the game is to know when to use which type of attack and when to protect other allies. As well, you can capture and control bases, helipads and bunkers for extra defense. The game more or less acts much like its predecessor with a few new added tweaks.
The graphics in this game are on par with an average Gamecube game, and seem a little weak for something like the Wii. The characters and vehicles feel very cartoon-like and even with explosions and people dying all around you, you still can't help but feel like you're playing a children's game. The landscape is a little more realistic but still not nearly as detailed or gritty as one would expect from a war game. Explosion and particle effects are present and accounted for yet lack the special detail one would normally desire in a fiery explosion. The game comes with cut scenes in between campaigns that, while still looking like a Saturday morning cartoon, are as impressive as any we've seen on the Wii (yes, including Mario and Zelda titles). In terms of how the game sounds, the ambient war music does the job, and while not boring or overpowering, it is usually the perfect fit for the game's pace - more often than not, you barely notice that music is playing. The explosion and artillery sounds are convincing in the cartoon war world but could definitely use a little updating here. All army communication and all cut scenes are complete with voice acting, which are always a welcome feature. In this game however, the voice acting seems a little odd, a little overdone and with that, the accents and emotion coming from each nation's leaders just seems a bit too silly.
The controls have been revamped since the Gamecube title to not only take into consideration the new system's control layout, but also to take advantage of all the Wiimote and nunchuk have to offer. Players use the nunchuk's analog stick to move around while the Wiimote aims and shoots at targets. The Z button auto-targets enemies and allies and the A button can do anything from telling grunts to capturing a base to attacking a target or follow the commander. There are a couple of motion sensitive actions like pushing left or right on the analog stick while flicking the nunchuk in that direction makes the troop you are controlling dive in that direction, or flicking the nunchuk up to make your controlling officer jump. My favourite aspect of the Wiimote's capabilities in this game come from the built in Bluetooth speaker, which spits out more than just the random beep or sound bite, but rather gives impressively detailed reloading sounds, warnings and notices. The game also provides players with a nice simple expanded tutorial that pretty much spans the entire first campaign, finishing with a single mission at the end to put all you learnt into play.
Although Battalion Wars 2 (also cleverly known as BWii) doesn’t have a multiplayer option in the game for offline playing, it does come complete with worldwide online play. Players can either trade friend numbers and play with their friends or join into a random game and play with or against anyone, anywhere in the world. With all sorts of stats and ranks being available for players, people can match up to their closest competitive levels for some intense battles. BWii offers three types of online play across 16 maps for players to choose from and battle. Skirmish mode pits two players against each other with a small army and a facility to re-spawn defeated soldiers; points are awarded by how many enemies you defeat in battle. Assault mode is more focused on objectives and has one player acting as the attacking force trying to invade and capture the defending force's headquarters. Finally the game offers co-op mode, where two players work together with few resources to attack and defeat an overpowering defensive computer. Although there is no real form of communication (keyboards, headsets, etc), there is a simple two-button communication system used to plan out and execute attacks.
With six nations to play as, 20 single player missions to fight through spanning three eras and more, this title can keep your little army kids busy for quite some time. Tack on the seemingly endless online multiplayer mode and this game can be the definitive strategy army game for the Wii. Each single player mission grades you on speed, power and technique and based on each you can unlock special features such as cut scenes, dossiers, artwork and more so if you don’t get the required grade on specific missions, you can always go back and try them again to unlock all the bonuses you greedy soldiers want. If you're into war games, but want something a little less hectic than Call of Duty, or if you're looking for a title your kids might find violent enough but not to the point of blood and guts everywhere, Battalion War 2 might be the ticket for you.
Graphics: 3.0 / 5.0
Gameplay 3.5 / 5.0
Sound 4.0 / 5.0
Replay value 4.0 / 5.0
