digibutter.nerr

[Fancy Wario]

Since I don't feel like typing up a full review, I'll just do a smaller-scale one.

GRAPHICS: 7/10
They're detailed and look nice, but they're nothing the GameCube couldn't handle. The game suffers from some blurry textures, and the framerate could be better. Great-looking CG cutscenes open and close every campaign.

SOUND: 8/10
The score here was lowered two points because of the absolutely atrocious voice acting of certain characters. The music, however, is phenomenal. Your units often make some amusing remarks, as well.

STORY: 5/10
I've only read about 1's storyline, but from what I've seen, it's far better than 2's. You can guess the way the entire game is going to play out just from the first two cutscenes, with the exception of a few minor twists. It's not particularly interesting, either.

GAMEPLAY: 9/10
Battalion Wars 2 is an RTS, but you're actually down there on the battlefield with your troops. You can switch between which unit you're controlling at any time. Each type of unit, as you would expect, has its own strengths and weaknesses, forcing you to use strategy and deploy them wisely. For example, Flame Veterans are powerful, but they're only useful in close-range situations, making them easy picking for distant enemies. You can use unconventional methods, as well; for example, one mission started out at sea, but eventually moved onto the land. Most people would have just continued onward, but I noticed that my battleships and frigates were still there. I switched to my battleship, and, sailing along the edge of the land, cleared out the enemy units so my ground troops could continue safely. The enemy AI is very good, as well; for example, if I relied on this too much, they would send bombers after me to take out my battleship. The game keeps you on your feet at all times, and it's no pushover, either; many missions will take you three or more tries before you clear them - and that's not even with the highest ranking!

CONTROLS: 8/10
Z Button: Locks onto units
C Button: Switches camera angles
B Button: Fires
>/< on + control pad: Switches between groups of units to order
^ on control pad: Switches between individual units to order
A Button: Press when locked onto an enemy/object to order troops to attack/interact with object; hold with certain unit type selected to switch control to that unit type; hold while locked onto specific unit to transfer control to that unit
Flick nunchuck upwards: Jump
Flick nunchuck to the side while holding control stick in same direction: Roll

There are two problems with the controls: there's a slight delay when using the nunchuck motions, and the camera can be a bit iffy at times.

WIFI: 8/10
There are three gametypes: Skirmish, Assault, and Co-op. Skirmish is basically a deathmatch; you simply try to kill as many units as possible. Assault plays out similar to a normal mission, though on a smaller scale; you have a series of objectives to complete, while the other person tries to keep you from reaching those objectives. Co-op is also like a normal mission, but on a smaller scale; however, it's EXTREMELY difficult to coordinate attacks, due to the complete lack of communication. It's fun, but I can't help but feel that it's a wasted opportunity.

EXTRAS: 10/10
The game includes both concept art for each of the six factions in the game, along with a unit dossier, allowing you to read background information about each unit along with allowing you to see the unit close-up. They're difficult to unlock, though; you'll need to get an A rank in every mission of the game's five campaigns to unlock them all.

FINAL SCORE: 86/100