Swords & Soldiers (Wii U) Review

Real-time strategy games are usually fairly complex and deep, but Swords & Soldiers is quite the opposite. It's accessible and simple, but offers enough depth to keep things interesting. Missions are played in a 2D perspective, with a sizeable battlefield between two bases for units to duke it out. It is not possible to give them orders; instead, they move to the opponent's side and fight automatically, while player control is limited to deciding what units to build and what upgrades to go after. The only way to actively take part in battles is with magical spells that vary based on the chosen faction, such as zapping foes with a thunderbolt or protecting an ally with a magical shield.

Cleverly using the available resources and spells is key, but even that will rarely be enough to beat some scenarios, specifically in the second and third campaign. The game's difficulty curve is its only real downside; most missions are quite easy, but then a select few are drastically more difficult, with the computer having an overwhelming supply of units and Mana for spells. There is nothing wrong with a challenge, but there should be a certain balance, which is not the case here. At the very least, it's possible to skip to the next campaign to avoid being stuck on a single - particularly tough - level.

In addition to the Wii Remote controls from the original WiiWare version, Two Tribes has added Touch Screen controls. Both ways work well, although it's easier and faster to control with the latter. During the multiplayer mode, one person can play on the GamePad screen while the other uses the TV and Wii Remote. An option to change the speed of the game is also available, which can be quite handy for anyone struggling to keep up with the action.

Aside from the regular campaigns, there is a quick Skirmish mode - where the difficulty and map size can be customised - and three challenges to achieve high scores on. Plenty of achievements can be obtained, too, by performing some particularly tricky feats.