The original "Advance Wars" was a game that allowed a player to fight against a computer-controlled or human opponent on a map filled with soldiers, tanks and planes. It was a flagship title for the Gameboy Advance, and it has now spawned three sequels, the latest one being "Advance Wars: Days of Ruin." It takes a strikingly different approach than its predecessors, yet continues Nintendo Wars as a successful series of real time strategy gaming.
"Days of Ruin" is darker than usual for the series, something that will take some getting used to at first. The world has been devastated by a series of meteor collisions, and power is in the hands of several military factions. Some of these military groups loot, pillage and prey on surviving civilians, while others try to rebuild society. You take control of a young survivor named Will and join a military brigade that tries to restore peace to the war-torn world.
While the plot may not be the most impressive in a video game, it gives the story cohesion and mixes well with the anime art style, an innovative new way to present the characters and environment. The new art is beautifully done, and the music, while somewhat repetitive, has a fast-paced, fitting feel to it that goes along with the story very nicely. All of this means that "Days of Ruin" has its dark tone firmly set in stone and sticks with it aptly.
Veterans of the earlier games will be happy to know that despite the darker story line, the game play retains the same elements that made the earlier games so addictive. You still operate on a turn-based system, in which you move your different units once per turn. When you come in contact with an enemy's units, there will be a brief fight where one unit will triumph and the other will lose - sometimes even be annihilated - based on the strengths and weaknesses of the units.
The single player campaign gently eases newcomers to the series into game play without inducing a collective yawn from people who have played it before. The player starts out with only a few units combating relatively weak enemies, and missions become harder and more complex, introducing a wide variety of well-balanced units and vehicles. Terrain and maps are well-designed and have a reasonable number of obstacles.
The game has a habit of becoming too overwhelming over the course of the 26 single-player missions and becomes frustrating at points. This, coupled with the relatively weak plot, may offset some players occasionally.
Fortunately, any flaws the single-player campaign has are made up for in multiplayer. "Days of Ruin" not only employs local multiplayer and the Nintendo Wi-Fi network, but it also takes them both to new levels. "Days of Ruin" uses crystal clear voice chatting (though only when playing with a friend online) through the DS' microphone and a map editor. Players can upload custom maps - or play any of the 150 pre-made ones - and play with up to three competitors.
"Days of Ruin" is an exciting new direction for the Nintendo Wars series. It continues the tradition of taking control of a vast army and annihilating competitors while taking impressive risks that have, for the most part, excellent results. More importantly, "Days of Ruin" appeals to a more mature audience without alienating younger gamers.
