Last week Swords and Soldiers from Ronimo Games was released on the PSN Store for $9.99. The game calls itself a side-scrolling 2D RTS. The way I heard it, RTS was supposed to mean Real-Time Strategy, a la Starcraft. I’m not sure “Strategy” is the best word to describe this game. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t fun.
The game is frantic and entertaining but can be frustrating at times, even when you’re winning. Three factions (Vikings, Aztecs, Chinese) are fighting for some reason or another – the plots are laughable, but you probably shouldn’t be playing this type of game for the story anyway. Each faction has their own unique units and magic powers. You really can’t go wrong with Ninja Monkeys and Aztec “Zombies” (actually they’re skeletons but whatever).
My first playthrough as the Vikings went by quickly enough, having only 10 missions at three to eight minutes each. It was very apparent in the first two or three levels that “strategy” is a term used very loosely. I created a few Viking laborers (think the “Fat Lady” from an opera, I called them Helgas) to mine gold. Then came berserkers and axe throwers. The strategy available is basically prioritizing your use of the two resources: harvested gold for upgrades or units and your auto-charging mana used to cast spells like heal, lightning bolt, snowstorm, etc. Each team increases the mana regeneration rate in their own way. Vikings can buy upgrades, Aztecs sacrifice warriors, and the Chinese can build Buddha statues (instead of defense based towers). In a traditional RTS I would save up my warriors and group them together for a coordinated assault. That is not an option here. As soon as a unit is built it begins it’s auto-charge. If there’s a way to station your fighters I couldn’t find it.
Later levels provided a few choices for completion. Sometimes you can take the high road, where you’ll find greater resistance and greater reward, or the easier low road that doesn’t provide the extra resources. On one mission I was tasked with harvesting a set amount of gold and could choose between defending my Helgas or assaulting the enemy stronghold. With no way to set up sentries I failed my defense attempt. On my second try I annihilated the enemy with no effort. Even the final Viking level wasn’t any more in-depth. It was just trial and error – it took me four attempts to learn the timing.
The Aztec and Chinese campaigns were similar, but upped the difficulty level. Unfortunately it didn’t seem the difficulty increased due to complexity or more highly developed strategy; instead the units seem underpowered and harder to use against a more aggressive AI. For instance, the Aztec “strategy” seemed to be centered around holding on by the skin of your teeth until you gain enough mana to summon THE BOULDER. The boulder basically decimates your opponent’s on-screen army. The Chinese faction has a similar dragon ability.
The factions each get a different story, units, magic, etc. but it’s the same game. Between the three campaigns you’ll get maybe five hours of play if you’re good. I’m perfectly willing to admit that the extension and irritation of my play time comes from my own inadequacy, but I’m not really that bad. Additional replay value comes mostly in the form of alternative game modes.
Extra modes include online or split-screen multiplayer, skirmish and challenge. Split screen has the disadvantage of being able to adjust your strategy based on watching your opponent. Online is basically a frantic match to utilize your gold and upgrades faster than your opponent. It went about as I expected, random people called xXscreennameXx whipped my ass in a heartbeat – every time. As I sort of indicated above, I’m an avid gamer, not a good one. The Viking berserker challenge is simplistic but addicting. Aztec boulder throwing is even more simplistic but entertaining. Chinese survival mode will challenge you to last just a little longer for that elusive 30 minute trophy, but it can be incredibly frustrating as you can’t actually win and even surviving is as much lucky timing as it is strategic choices. Skirmish isn’t good or bad, just a fun way to extend the life of the game.
When it comes to multiplayer, one feature piqued my interest. I usually get frustrated waiting for opponents in online games. Consequently I don’t use those modes often. Ronimo has added a nice feature that lets you tell the game to find a match, then go back to singleplayer while it searches. It will notify you when an opponent is available and take you right back where you left off when the match ends.
While the sound design is unremarkable, the art is fantastic. I’m not sure how to describe it, but there is a feel of Disney making an episode of South Park. The Vikings are essentially faceless – their beards cover the entire head and have eyes and mouth surrounded by whiskers. Aztecs and Chinese characters have more detail, though they’re just as generic and not nearly as lovable. I really dig the ’60s Batman style screen wipes with accompanying audio.
The game does have 3D options that I scanned. I like the idea of a sliding scale to set the strength of the 3D features, but I don’t have a 3D TV available so I’ll just assume that’s a good thing. It seems like you can probably play it with a standard pair of red and blues, but I don’t have those ancient relics either.
I didn’t know what to expect from this game because I had never played anything with a similar style. Ultimately, it’s about as average as it comes, enjoyable but not exciting. If you’ve got an extra $10 in your PSN account you can do worse – but you can also do better. The PSN store has a relatively new rating system that I used to give it three of five stars. But I’m clearly in the minority. Based on 82 votes as of this writing, it’s user ranking is 4.69.