User Reviews (31 - 37 of 37)

Show these reviews first:

Highest Rated
Lowest Rated Newest
Oldest Most Helpful
Least Helpful

Best strategy game on the DS so far

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: May 29, 2008
Author: Amazon User

DoR is a traditional turn-based strategy game set in post apocalyptic future. The game has a lengthy single player campaign (15+ hours, depends how good you are) and a versatile map editor. Also included are some nice multi-player and online modes but to be honest I couldn't care less since I play strategy games for the single player campaign. Don't get me wrong these are a nice addition and I've even used them. The real gem of this game has to be the map editor (Design Room). I've spent most of the 60+ hours that I've put into this game in creating my own maps and then beating them. This has to be one of my favorite strategy game of all time. Before wrapping this review up, I just want to address what others have said about DoR not being as great as Dual Strike. First off I want to make it clear that Advance Wars: Dual Strike is a good game that should also be played. While both games are almost identical in many ways DoR is better balanced. In AW:DS CO powers were often too powerful and could turn the tide of battle. Besides being over powered they were a hassle to obtain since you had to remember to switch CO's after each turn to fill their gauges, that is if you wanted to use their dual strike. You might think you could just ignore the COs but the problem was that the AI opponent would use their dual strike against you. While CO powers are still present in DoR they are more difficult to pull off since you actually have to place your CO into a unit that can be destroyed. When you take into account that COs often buff the stats of surrounding units as well as fortify the unit they travel in, the strategic possibilities are greater. Even if the AI uses their CO you can easily have your units destroy it before it can unleash its full power. In the end all I'm trying to say is if you want to try a portable strategy game then you should make DoR that game.

Missing the character & charm of previous Advance Wars games

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: June 10, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I've been a tremendous fan of the Advance Wars series since I first got my hands on the original Game Boy Advance release. I have followed the series since then right up to its most recent iteration, Days of Ruin on the Nintendo DS.

Days of Ruin trades the characters and charm of previous Advance Wars titles for a much darker, grittier tone. The game play has also been stripped down to its core fundamental 'rock, paper, scissors' basics. While it is still an extremely engrossing battle of strategies, these changes along with a obnoxiously bloated story make Days of Ruin my least favorite title in the Advance Wars series.

Due to a lack of overpowering special attacks, Days of Ruin requires much more strategy than ever before. If you are used to relying on your Commanding Officer's special abilities in previous Advance Wars games you'll need sometime to adjust to the evened playing field here. I found myself double and triple thinking my moves, and planning a full battle strategy as opposed to short term attacks. While this may be what the designers intended, it ends up making Days of Ruin more difficult and unforgiving than any other game in the series.

There is an on-line mode (a first for Advance Wars) but over all the package feels 'featureless', especially when compared to Advance Wars: Days of Ruin (also for the Nintendo DS).

While Days of Ruin is still a worthy addition to any video game library, if you're only going to pick up one Advance Wars game I would recommend you go with Dual Strike. It has infinitely more personality and though lacking on-line play offers additional play modes and options.

On a scale of 1 - 5 I rate Advance Wars: Days of Ruin as a 3. It's a very engaging, strategic experience but is weighed down by an unnecessarily long story, too few options, and a lack of the character, personality and charm that made previous Advance Wars titles so great.

Awesome game, story

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: June 16, 2008
Author: Amazon User

The game is a bit more complex now, but still pretty simple (for a strategic wargame). The story is gritty, and much more realistic. The stupid "bombers stopped by pipeline" idiocy is gone. The mechanics of the game are more realistic, balanced and dynamic.

The only thing I miss about the older Advance Wars DS is that they've seriously toned down the CO powers in Days of Ruin (now the CO has a CO "zone" and only one CO power ... some don't have any power).

Also the replayability is a just a tad less (the "free battle" games don't rate your performance, and you don't gain rankings or medals for completing the missions).

I haven't tried wifi gaming, though. I hear that's greatly improved.

Addictive and challenging

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: July 02, 2008
Author: Amazon User

This game is tactically challenging, requiring use of terrain and the right units to defeat the enemy, rather than building a massive amount of tanks and charging across the battlefield. The resource system makes you take objectives instead of set back and build a super base and launch attacks from the rear.
Great turn-based strategy for both long sessions and pick up and play. The excellent in-battle save feature requires very little waiting after you turn on your DS.

Much less of an SP experience than Dual Strike

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: July 14, 2008
Author: Amazon User

It's not bad. It gives Advance Wars fans something more to chew on I guess. But what happened to all to all that totally awesome unlockable content and all the level-up stuff from Dual Strike? Why is the list of commanders so much shorter? How come the powers just don't seem to have as much impact on the game?

The serious plot was interesting at first but they really didn't make enough changes to the overall look and feel of the game to keep it going. The first few levels had an apocalyptic feel but then it was right back to happy sunny war times on the first naval mission where everything is bright and gleaming in spite of the fact that the atmosphere is supposed to be so choked with debris that you can't even see the sun.

And I missed the music of Dual Strike. A lot. Basically more of the same minus a lot of the really good things.

Not Better, Not Worse, Just Different

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: August 12, 2008
Author: Amazon User

the first thing you should know about this installment of the series, is that it is not the kiddy go-lucky advance wars you knew. the changes, whether for better or for worse is debatable.

advance wars, days of ruin, takes place in a time of ruinous days, a meteor has struck earth, wiping out a lot of humans. but some survivors form a rag tag army to try to keep other survivors civillized. if you have a 6 year old who was smart enough to comprehend and enjoy the previous installments, you might want to think about this one. there is stuff some people might not particularly enjoy, such as savage murder, and ominous plant related desiese. But dont decide against this because of that. im only talking minimally. days of ruin takes on a new art form, more realistic. many people may islike the fact that there is a cast of completely new charactars, and that fact that the famous "shop" has been removed.

destipe all these catastrophic differences, there is some hope:

co powers have been toned down, they can no longer change the tide of battle in mere seconds. A very nice story line, which rarely gets too hard or too easy. and the stage builder is here, with 50 slots to save unique stages. i reccomend buying this game, just remember, dont expect too much of dual strike to be here.

Days of Ruin provides a much wider variety then Dual Strike

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: August 15, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I bought DOR because I somewhat enjoyed Dual Strike. When I started Campaign i found it much more graphically satisfying as well as A better cast of characters for the campaign. Will Definitely has alot more personality then Jake and wants to rebuild instead of fight. He lets this be known after every battle instead of saying useless comments like "Oh man dude you got owned!" The campaign depth doesn't end there though, all the characters have much more depth, from strong and forgiving Brenner to Calculating Lin, Campaign is much better.

War Room has been simply replaced by Free battle and You can now hold fifty designed maps, this kind of replaces the shop because if you want a certain map, just design it. Battles are now more even. I do not get gunned down by 3 battleships the second i get my first cruiser on the water. If you like this kind of thing, use the designer. With a much wider variety of tactics you can decide whether to carpet bomb the enemy with numerous bombers, or soften them with battleships from the sea then storm the island with troops from landers under the cover of carriers seaplanes. It's because of these things i enjoy Advance Wars, Days Of Ruin more then it's predecessor

Review Page: 1 2 3 4 

Actions