Advance Wars: Days of Ruin review

This is a complete reboot for the Advance Wars series. Forget all those cheery day-glo tanks, female officers in skirts no bigger than dental floss and the pantomime COs; they’re all gone, buried under several feet of dust and asphalt. All that remains is a barren wasteland, shorn of structure, rules and regulations, the survivors cowering in makeshift communities as impromptu gangs loot and pillage the land. This isn’t the Advance Wars you know and love - Intelligent Systems’ baby is all grown up, but retains the childlike charm that drew you to her in the first place.

Thankfully, although the world is under mob rule, no one has forgotten their manners; so Advance Wars’ trademark turn-based combat system is still in place here. If you’re not familiar with any of the previous games (in which case, why do you have a DS?), here’s a brief recap:

Between two to four different factions start out on a grid-based map, each beginning with a set number of units, which can range from simple infantry units to enormous tanks and fighter jets, each consisting of ten hit points apiece. The higher the hit point number, the more firepower it has, and beleaguered units of the same type can combine on the field to prevent their premature demise. Each of these unit types has their pros and cons - infantry types aren’t going to put much of a dent into a tank, for example, but they’re able to move further with each turn and can ‘capture’ factories and cities (gifting the ability to replenish your army).