Battalion wars 2

Battalion Wars 2 is a British made spin-off to Nintendo’s monstrously-popular handheld strategy series, Advance Wars. But, despite sharing DNA, it’s an altogether different type of game. Rather than moving military units – foot soldiers, tanks and aircraft – around a turn-based strategy grid, Battalion Wars puts you straight into the battlefield, directly controlling a single unit while ordering the rest of your battalion around by pointing and clicking at targets.

It’s a unique and curious mash-up of gaming styles. You use the Nunchuck analogue stick to move your character around while looking is handled with the Wiimote. The Z-button locks onto any nearby target and pulling the Wiimote trigger fires off a volley of bullets. In this sense it’s like a standard third person action game, but this foundation is then overlaid with some neat strategy ideas.

Click the A button at a target and the rest of your battalion start firing at it. By using the D-pad to select unit types and the A button to direct their movements it’s possible to act as strategic commander while simultaneously partaking in the carnage yourself. Developer Kuju Entertainment has really nailed the control system as, while it sounds complex and fiddly when written down, in play it’s intuitive and smooth.

These gameplay mechanics are then slotted into a billowing story of political intrigue and warring countries as six fictional factions try to take control of the global stage. Each faction is clearly based on a real world country (the Solar Empire as the Japanese, the Anglo Isles as the British) and in this way the game offers some cheeky and knowing commentary on real world powers and events. Over the game’s six campaigns you play in conflicts as various different nations. On the battlefield your commander issues you with objectives (take down the bombers, defend the air strip, raise the flag etc) and as your squad hustles and bustles across the environments there’s a real sense of camaraderie and team spirit.

Battle units have the various strengths and weaknesses compared to other unit types, as is typical for the Advance Wars series. Tanks destroy buildings and infantry, but are vulnerable to rockets and helicopters. Helicopters are strong against tanks, infantry, and buildings, but are weak against anti-air units and fighter jets. Unfortunately, these relationships aren’t quite as finely tuned as they are in the sister series and, as a result, some missions can be a lot harder than others.

However, with a superb single player campaign and well-featured online play (either cooperatively or against friends and strangers) the game is a resounding success that diversifies the Wii’s game library wonderfully. While it might not offer the some cerebral challenge as Advance Wars, this hands-on foray into cutesy battlefields is compelling and enjoyable throughout.
4 out of 5