"Great Big War Game" is a turn-based strategy game that pits the player against other people or the computer, depending on game mode. The player versus player is pretty standard and the campaign is challenging. Not only is it challenging, but the game guides you along the learning curve of the game. More specifically, units are introduced logically, the missions increase in difficulty, and the A.I. behaves well.
The actual gameplay is designed and implemented seamlessly. As one would expect, there is a variety units each with strengths and weaknesses. Because each unit is balanced around the fact that another will better it in combat, intelligent unit purchasing and movement (as opposed to a war of attrition style game) is the key to this game. In the end, "Great Big War Game" is a technically sound turn-based strategy game; I just have nothing bad to say about the gameplay.
So what could have been done better?
As a sort of warning, I cannot help but compare and contrast this game to "Advanced Wars;" both games come from the same genre and have a militaristic theme. Both games are great in their own right, but in order to get a clearer picture of "Great Big War Game" some comparison is necessary.
In "Great Big War Game," the units are individuals as opposed to the five-man squad in "Advanced Wars." I bring this point up for two reasons: design logic and game feel. Like in some turn-based strategy games, a unit does less damage when the unit itself is damaged. "Great Big War Game" sticks to this mechanic, but it does not make sense, at least not as much sense as the same mechanic in "Advanced Wars." Because a unit in "Advanced Wars" was a five-man squad, it made sense that the unit dealt less damage when the unit was injured because there was less man-power in that specific unit.
This mechanic not only affects design logic but also the overall feel of the game. Simply put, "Great Big War Game" feels small in scale because each unit is an individual. Not only this, but the overall feel of the game is purposefully silly. In this way, the tone of "Great Big War Game" disengages the player from a war experience. By making the voice-overs silly, the briefing comical, and art style goofy, I did not feel like I was playing a war game.
In essence, do not play this game if you're expecting an epic war waged by geniuses of battle. Play this game knowing you will be entertained for a long while, get a handful of giggles, and be ready for a challenge. This game is not easy, but that makes it enjoyable. If you are like me and not a fan of the feel, try to step away from it (muting the music did the trick for me) and play it while only focusing on the mechanics.
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