Swords & Soldiers Switch Review – The Battle Rages On

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Battle of the Four Armies

Swords & Soldiers was first released ten years ago. It could be likened to games like Skyrim or Resident Evil 4 because it’s been ported to just about every single system that can run it. Wii, PC, iOS, 3DS, Android, and even the doomed Wii U have all been graced with Swords & Soldiers. Now it has landed on the Nintendo Switch, but does this game still hold up after ten years of being on the market?

Swords & Soldiers is filled with charm both visually and in its gameplay. Once unlocked, the player can choose from one of four factions: Vikings, Aztecs, Chinese, and Chief Meats Army (an amalgamation of the three). Battles take place on a 2D plane and the player has little control over their units. Rather, the player must choose which magic powers, upgrades, and warriors to purchase and manage their resources wisely to come out on top. The charming aspect of the gameplay is just how simple it is to pick up and play, yet it maintains a nice level of depth.

Each faction has its own ten level campaign with varying missions. Some need you to rout the enemy, others gather enough gold, and then same have you on the defence as you must withstand an assault of an overwhelming force. At times the campaign can feel a bit easy, but what makes it so compelling is how unique the three original factions are. Units, spells, and even the way mana is regained changes depending on the faction. The Vikings have access to catapults and can freeze their foes, Aztecs can sacrifice their own units and even summon the dead, and the Chinese can call upon Ninja Monkeys. Each faction has their own strengths, weaknesses, and personality, making them all a great deal of fun to experiment with.

Other Modes

Swords & Soldiers doesn’t just offer a campaign mode, though. As you progress through the game you can unlock some challenge modes like Survival mode, which certainly offers a healthy challenge. Wave after wave of enemy will keep coming with no end in sight and the players must try and last as long as they can. Then there are other types like having to protect one unit with a set selection of magic as it tries to traverse the map. If my biggest complaint with the campaign was its difficulty then the other modes certainly put this issue to rest. Then for those who just want a simple match, then there is a skirmish mode as well with a nice amount of options to choose from: difficulty, map size, and so on.

Probably the most impactful feature added since the original release on the Wii would be the ability to play with two players with split screen touch controls. Multiplayer works just how you would expect it to. Just like a typical skirmish you must destroy your opponents base. The simplicity of the system is what makes it such a great mulitplayer game to play with friends.

Visuals

Another impressive aspect of Swords & Soldiers is how well the visuals have held up over the years. For a title that is ten years old it certainly is pleasing to the eye. The game is an explosion of colours and each unit feels packed with character and personality. This is something the developers clearly took a lot of time with and it does show. The whole game just possesses a certain sense of charm that will entice players. Even small things like the transition screen mimicking the classic Batman series starring Adam West.

System reviewed on: Nintendo Switch.

Disclaimer: A review code for Swords & Soldiers was provided by the publisher.