Written yesteryear Bernard Julius Paje
Title: Tiny Metal
Developer: Area 35
Publisher: Unties
Price: $24.99
Genre: Simulation, Strategy
Also Available On: Steam, PS4
I receive got been a huge fan of turn-based tactical/strategy purpose playing games since my younger years, too i of the games that made me dear this genre is a portable game yesteryear the cite of Advance Wars. I was truly enthralled yesteryear the elementary yet deep mechanics of Nintendo’s debut entry inward this tactical/strategy RPG series, too receive got since played every installment of the franchise. Sadly, the concluding Advance Wars game came out around 10 years ago, too fans of the serial similar me receive got been left itching for a novel installment for it always since. Fast forrad to today—many modern takes on the tactical/strategy RPG genre receive got been made yesteryear diverse game developers, but sadly no game has truly managed to capture the experience too mechanics of an Advance Wars game. Until straightaway that is...
Enter Tiny Metal, a not-so-tiny game from independent developer Area 35 too publisher Unties. To say that this game is inspired yesteryear Advance Wars is an understatement, because at times it feels similar Tiny Metal inherited—if non intentionally copied—a lot of mechanics from the former. Thankfully, Tiny Metal got a lot of things correct too it is a boom to play, regardless of how it borrows elements from Nintendo’s classic franchise.
You follow the story of Nathan Gries, a immature commanding officeholder of the Artemisian Army who is currently inward the thick of battle against the Zipanese Army. During this ongoing state of war against Artemisia too Zipang, you lot volition receive got command of diverse units too cross paths amongst diverse allies. You command an regular army composed of diverse infantry, tank too aircraft units, each sporting both strengths too weaknesses against other units. This follows a sort of rock-paper-scissors approach to unit of measurement matchups, which agency no unmarried unit of measurement tin survive considered also overpowered.
Again, similarities to Nintendo’s Advance Wars games are always acquaint everywhere inward Tiny Metal. Capture buildings using infantry units: Check! Create units from factories on every turn: Check! Have units that cannot movement too assault at the same time: Check! Units level/rank upward afterwards capturing a edifice or every kill inward battle: Once again, check! Again, Advance Wars veterans volition definitely survive familiar amongst a LOT of Tiny Metal’s mechanics every bit presently every bit they teach into the battlefield. Tiny Metal does innovate some master copy elements of its ain that adds some to a greater extent than depth to strategy, similar letting multiple units assault a unmarried enemy unit of measurement at the same fourth dimension (Lock On/Focus Fire) too giving upward your unit’s first-to-fire wages during attacks but at the same fourth dimension driving out the enemy unit of measurement from the tile that it is occupying (Assault).
On the storytelling front, I constitute Tiny Metal’s approach to survive a flake bland too lacking. The overall story itself is good—involving mutual state of war tropes similar the loss too betrayal of comrades-in-arms—but the way it unfolds feels form of dated for a modern game. The story cutscenes are exactly available via Japanese voiceovers, too unit of measurement voiceovers inward battle are laid to English linguistic communication yesteryear default. This makes the sound experience disjointed because every bit presently every bit you lot teach into a battle the default languages practise non match. While unit of measurement voiceovers tin survive switched to either Japanese or English, it feels inconsistent inward a game pattern standpoint to non receive got English linguistic communication voiceovers available for story cutscenes. It would receive got been overnice to receive got the selection to receive got matching linguistic communication options for both cutscene too in-game voiceovers.
Another gripe I receive got for the game is inward its battle scenes, which for me made the time period of the game experience truly slow. While battle scenes tin survive truly enjoyable to sentry initially, you lot volition in all probability destination upward turning them off solely because some of them receive got awhile to finish—especially when you lot utilization the Lock On/Focus Fire mechanic a lot. Also, I encountered some fry bugs during my playthrough of the game, similar text flood out of dialog boxes too some misspelled words. Again, these are real fry too volition non touching the fun you lot teach from playing the game inward whatever way.
Some stages volition also enable you lot to notice alternate routes yesteryear searching some buildings for documents that comprise state of war logs too intel. These stages add together an chemical factor of non-linearity to the crusade too extra replay value to the game. Be warned though, for some of these extra stages (as good every bit the maps nigh the destination game) tin teach truly tough too volition examination your strategic mettle a lot. Some maps volition also receive got you lot doing a flake of case too mistake inward the showtime to guess the layout of the enemy forces, but this is generally the norm for a lot of tactical/strategy RPG games. There are also dozens of maps available for you lot to play inward Tiny Metal’s Skirmish Mode, adding fifty-fifty to a greater extent than replay value to the game. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 downside to the Skirmish Mode is the game’s AI, which does empty-headed things at times—in i map I played the AI suddenly stopped moving its units. Sadly, Multiplayer Mode is nevertheless non implemented every bit of this writing, which is a shame because it would receive got been a overnice too fun characteristic to receive got for the Nintendo Switch version inward particular.
Overall, Tiny Metal is a expert but flawed tactical/strategy RPG that fans of the genre should cheque out. Fans of the Advance Wars franchise volition either dear this game or loathe the fact that it copies too thence much from it. But either way the game has its ain merits, fifty-fifty though the overall packet feels slightly undercooked at times. Had the Multiplayer Mode been laid upward at the fourth dimension of review, I experience this would receive got added at to the lowest degree a betoken to my overall score. Hopefully this volition survive patched inward soon, too when it does I volition update this review amongst my opinions on the mode.
YAY!
- Good tactical/strategy RPG gameplay inward the vein of Advance Wars.
- Fun crusade mode, amongst some undercover unlockable stages every bit good every bit dozens of available maps inward Skirmish mode.
- Has some interesting novel mechanics unique to the game, similar the Lock On/Focus Fire mechanic.
NAY!
- Can experience a lilliputian also similar to Advance Wars at times.
- Flow of battle feels form of tiresome if scrap animations are turned on.
- Some maps receive got a abrupt difficulty spike, which may plough off some players.
- Multiplayer Mode is non available, despite beingness labeled every bit ‘Coming Soon’ since the game’s unloose 3 months ago.
REVIEW SCORE: 6.8/10
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