Great Big War Game Review

Great Big War Game is a turn-based strategy sequel a title that loses some of the irony of Great Little War Game's title but does try to be bigger and better, as sequels are wont to do. Players command a blue army that has just brought along a new female commander recruit, whose low-cut uniform seems like it should be against military regulations, but not on the world of Great Big War Game. It’s all turn-based, where players can move and shoot with all their units in some turn. Battles take place with both troops and vehicles, on land, sea, and air, with plenty of units that may dominate one terrain, but have their weakness. They aren’t kidding when they talk about anti-air guns! Base assaults can be a dangerous proposition, thanks to the ability to create units and use them in the same turn, adding to the careful strategy that must be used.

Some missions make it difficult to tell what’s going on; having a better explanation of missions at the beginning would help. Also, having a “switch unit” button would help out for finding units who haven’t done an action yet. Some intelligence as to whether a unit can even do anything would help.

While the game is a bit more complex than, say, Outwitters or Hero Academy, it’s still set up to be easy enough to play, especially thanks to the ability to see estimated damage and to undo moves. It also helps with the occasional inaccuracies or mistakes in movement. The tone of the game is interesting: it’s comical, yet the world is more accepting of the fact that war is violent at its heart. It’s like a darker Advance Wars. Yes, even darker than Days of Ruin, which took place in a post-apocalyptic world.

There’s also a personal favorite feature of mine here: cross-platform multiplayer. While users have to create a specific GBWG account, all games can be played against any other user. There’s a ranking system for taking on random players, with up to 4 players in some game. However, Facebook or Twitter integration would help with finding friends to play with.

While I would love to see the interface revamped, there’s plenty of strategic fun to be had. There’s 50 single player missions with plenty of different scenarios to enjoy and master. The online multiplayer is worth coming back to as well, though compared to some iOS-only turn-based games it feels a bit unrefined. Still, this is an impressive package for strategy fans.