At first, I hated this game completely. But after a while, I grew to like it. First, I'll explain the bad parts.
They got rid of ALL the old COs and powers of the previous game. There is now only one generic CO power (still varies from CO to CO); no Super Power. Powers can now only be obtained through the use of a CO-occupied unit. If you don't have a CO in a unit, you don't get your CO power. Simple as that. The COs also don't have distinguishing differences between them (like stronger close range units, etc.) They are all basically the same except for their power and CO presence.
They also got rid of the ability to use 2 COs at the same time (which means no more Tag power), the CO skills, and Hachi's shop. You now have to UNLOCK everything, which is really stupid. But oh well. Maybe some of you like it better that way.
They get rid of a LOT of units from the previous game, Dual Strike. A complete list of what they termed follows:
- Neotank
- Megatank
- Black Bomb
- Stealth Fighter
- Black Boat
- Piperunner (and pipes!)
- Oozium
However, they DID add units as well.
+ Bikes (basically an infantry that can move farther)
+ Antitank (basically an artillery that can hit units that attack it directly)
+ Duster (basically a sucky fighter)
+ Gunboat (actually really cool; carries one infantry and has a good attack against other naval units)
+ Sea plane (basically a fighter and a bomber combined, but not quite as powerful as either)
+ Wartank (basically a less powerful and costly version of the Megatank)
+ Flare (nothing special; just shoots flares that reveal fog of war; worthless in maps without fog of war)
They also changed a few of the units. Infantry cost 500 more, while mechs cost 500 less. Medium tanks now cost 12000, but are less powerful. Missiles' range is increased by one. Cruisers and Landers each cost 2000 less. Carriers can no longer shoot anti-air missiles, but can now produce Sea Planes. They also cost 2000 less. Battleships can now move AND shoot in the same turn. Anti-aircraft now cost 1000 less. APCs are now called Rigs. They can build temporary airports and seaports. These ports can repair and resupply their respective units, but can't build anything.
Maybe I'm just weird, but I liked how infantry would "hop" on buildings to capture them. Anyone else like that? Well, they don't do it anymore. Probably part of the whole "more serious" thing.
They also got rid of a lot of the other assorted things like the War Room and Battle Mode and whatnot, but I really didn't care for those much anyway.
Now for the good.
The campaign is probably the highlight of the game for me. The initial plot may be overused, but it's pretty engrossing after that. I love all the interpersonal relationships that Dual Strike lacked. I'm a sucker for anime romance, which IS present in the campaign. The thing with the flower virus was pretty cheesy, but it's WHAT THE VIRUS DOES that matters. It also gets a little lengthy, but it's awesome. Other reviewers complain about one of the characters that slightly resembles Lash from Dual Strike, but she really doesn't. There's really nothing similar about them at all, except for the fact that they both think war is a game and soldiers are the playing pieces.
The graphics in Days of Ruin are WAY better than those in Dual Strike. The battles are much more entertaining to watch (as if they weren't already). It's surprising how good they are. Everything from the terrain to the explosions to the animations looks a lot better.
Ships can now go on/through/under bridges.
I'm not sure whether this is good or bad, but they added a building called Radar. It just reveals an area of fog of war. Like the Flare unit, this is worthless if there is no fog of war. At least it gives you money.
I like how they made the units look much more serious and realistic. Some people don't, but I think it's a good change of pace.
I like the ability to put your CO in a unit to make it more powerful. The unit with the CO also will have a "sphere of influence" that makes everything nearby more powerful as well. I also like how units can gain experience: First Level I, then II, then Veteran - getting more powerful each time they kill a unit.
I also like the new "Ruin" terrain type. It also has some new terrain objects: Pillars of flame, ruins, wastelands, roughs, mists, meteors, and electrical fields. They changed the name of shoals to beaches, but whatever.
In map making, you can change the size of the map, but it's limited to 30x30. This may sound small, but it appears larger since it's more zoomed in than Dual Strike. You also have the option of saving up to FIFTY maps! Personally, with Dual Strike, I'd always be trying to decide which 3 maps I wanted to keep and which to delete. This gives map-maker junkies a lot more freedom. Now you know where all the memory from lack of COs, skills, and other things went.
It also has Wi-Fi capability, but I haven't used that yet either.
All in all, it's actually a mixed bag.
Hardcore Dual Strike fans: Prepare to be disappointed. This game gets rid of all the COs, CO powers, units, and other things that Dual Strike was made famous for. If you decide you MUST get this game, keep Dual Strike just in case. I'm glad I did, so you have the option of playing either.
If you're new to Advance Wars: Go for it. Days of Ruin is a great strategy game with almost infinite replay value - especially when you have 3 other friends to play with. It will push your strategic mind to its limits. This game is definitely worth the money.
-----Update: 6.21.2011-----
Whoo man it's been a while since I wrote this. Anyway, I just got into these games again and wanted to bring up some important details that I think need to be mentioned.
Comparing Days of Ruin to Dual Strike (some more):
Unit balancing as a whole has greatly improved. Counters counter what they're supposed to counter much better now (i.e. cruisers almost always one-shot subs and aircraft); subs devour anything that isn't a cruiser or another sub; tanks no longer completely rule the ground (thanks to anti-tanks). Fighters do more damage to copters and bombers.
I feel that naval units got rebalanced in a much-needed way. Carriers are no longer overcosted, glorified missiles. Their ability to produce, repair, resupply, AND launch (so they can attack immediately instead of simply getting dropped off) aircraft fulfills what they should have been all along: an MFB for your air force. Battleships can move AND shoot in the same turn (they were horribly vulenerable and underpowered in DS). Gunboats are WAY better/more useful than black boats. Submarines do a LOT of damage to anything that isn't a cruiser or another sub (tends to one-shot gunboats and carriers). It also starts dived and has more fuel. They can also move "under" bridges now; their previous inability to do so CRITICALLY hindered their utility, and clears the way for more options in map creation. Naval units also cost less in general.
However, as I play this game more and more, I find myself wishing more and more that I had the old COs back. In this game, there are far less COs, and they are far less unique. Your units are exactly the same as your opponents' until you get your CO out, and even then, the difference only matters where he/she is. CO powers also tend to be extremely boring--some borderline useless. (Some examples include: Movement range increased by 2, aircraft movement increased by 2, and my all-time favorite, unit vision increased by 2. LOL.) But there is one glaring balance problem: Caulder. This hero is so blatantly retardedly overpowered that it's amazing the final release of this game lets you even use him in melee games. (If you want an idea, imagine playing as Sturm against the more mediocre COs in Dual Strike. Yeah, it's bad. If someone picks Caulder and you don't, you can expect to get rolled unless there's a SIGNIFICANT skill gap.)
Also, despite the unit "fixes," I miss a lot of the old units from Dual Strike. The iconic neotank, the super-fun piperunner, the mighty megatank... If I had my way, I would take the unit base of DS, add the anti-tank and flare, switch the APC to the rig; remove black bombs and add sea planes (to be produced by the carrier); and make the navy identical to Days of Ruin's.
Another complaint I have is that the music is pretty poor in Days of Ruin. The music was much more awe-inspring and unique in DS. The music in this game is boring--sometimes bordering on annoying. The only track I can say I like from this game is the song that plays when you use your CO power with Will, Lin, Brenner, or Isabella.
One last thing. I previously praised this game's campaign; it's still good, but I have some more to say about it.
- They say the word "hope" at least a hundred times (usually part of some cheesy phrase that was fine the first half-dozen times but got old after that)
- The missions are too linear. You only get to use the CO they give you. The missions aren't challenging at all until the last few (but the last one is borderline impossible unless you know exactly what to do). For most, it's COMPLETELY OBVIOUS the EXACT set of moves to make. There's no diversity or choice
- I still stand by what I said about the character development being great (at times, it was the only thing that helped me soldier through the cheesy lines)
- I like the "darker and edgier" change of pace a LOT. I don't recall the word "die" (or any of its variations) being used ONCE in DS (I could be wrong though). It's a ******* war! PEOPLE DIE IN WARS! This game at least recognizes that fact. And they do a GREAT job making you FEEL it when it happens
Moral of the story: Good change of pace, but need COs and units back.
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