Toy Soldiers (XBLA): Realtime Tower Defense meets Battlefield

Acert93 - Mr. Bad Cop
Acert93
Since 7548 Days
For those with an Xbox 360 I encourage you to try the demo--it is a ton of fun. Convinced me within an hour to buy the full game (1200pts / $15). Something crazy like 26 single player missions and 42 vehicles. It also has MP (LIVE and Splitscreen). The setting is WWI-ish, gameplay is very fast and can be played either tactically in 3rd person or a combo in first person controlling units and hopping out to 3rd person (intuitively).

I have only played a couple hours but I must say I am impressed. The idea is simple:

Goal: Get your "wave" units into the enemy toy box.

Waves: The 'Y' button sends waves of troops. These waves cost $ and have a delay. You can stagger up to 3 waves at any time (e.g. tank, then planes, then cavalry). They take 30-60 or so seconds to release each wave. The nicer troops (e.g. tanks) get fewer units; each troop type has pros/cons. Tanks are armored but slow, cavalry are fast but susceptible to machine gun fire.

Defense: At your home base you get "pads" to place defensive units: Artillery, Gunner Nests, Flame Throwers, razor fencing, etc. Some pads are bigger to support big units, so you have to choose wisely what you want where--and when. You have limited cash so you need to spend it wisely.

Defensive units can be Upgraded, Repaired, Sold, or taken control of. Just highly, select 'A' and choose the option.

Gameplay: You want your waves of troops from your Toy Box to get into the enemy Toy Box. You have a choice: invest immediately in a wave of attacks or invest in defense, or a balance thereof. You have a couple seconds to setup a defense so you rush around and place some gunner nests, arty, etc. You have to think ahead though--arty is great against tanks but slow at taking out ground troops and useless up close. Ground troops are mowed down by gunner nests and sniping towers (man is it FUN to snipe, feels like Conkers Bad Fur Day!) They key is to act and re-act.

Once you have your wave que and defense setup you can get into Tank, Airplanes, Arty units, etc. Basically all your deployable defensive units you can control.

From there it is a balance of franting RTS / Action gaming: Repair and Upgrade units and manage your waves while maximizing your units by hopping in and controlling them yourself.

There are a number of options (starting money, winning conditions, rules, weapons, etc). Split screen runs smoothly.

Reviews:

TeamXbox: 8.7
http://reviews.teamxbox.com/xbox-360/1856/Toy-Sold...

IGN: 8.0
http://xboxlive.ign.com/articles/107/1073254p1.htm...

1UP: 8.0
http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3178162&p=4
Posted by TeamXbox
Toy Soldiers marks a pretty interesting shift for a genre that has blown up in the last few years, but was previously considered a casual type of game, often played in a browser on computers. This XBLA game signals a shift into something more hardcore video gamers could get behind: an action game that requires an itchy trigger finger to complement an itchy brain. With some exciting shooter action, solid strategy gameplay and a uniquely satisfying art style for the overall presentation, Toy Soldiers is proof of what XBLA was meant to do: bring us casual games in a hardcore games package. Toy Soldiers is smart, fun and totally worth the 1200 Microsoft Points (or about $15) you’ll spend on it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yd7OLMPBeHo&feature...
In reply to

Pwn'd by Phaethon360.

ManThatYouFear
ManThatYouFear
Since 7520 Days
what is with the tower defence games of late, i tried that one on PSN crystal defenders... god it was toss, will try the demo of this though.
In reply to

I think i have stood in poo

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