Reviewing (mostly) every game (or DLC) in my library, part 567:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆☆ (7/10)
So, let me set some expectations. This is not a sequel to [i]Tin Star[/i], one of the greatest ChoiceScript games ever published. No, [i]World War II Armored Recon[/i] (WWIIAR) is a pure tank simulator, with all the connotations that it carries. Allen Gies has done an excellent job focusing on mechanics and setting, emphasizing your tank that you will upgrade and care for. There are also quite a few battles where you are guiding your tank on where to go, what weapon to shoot, who to shoot at, etc. You can also name your tank! Mine was called [i]The Peacemaker,[/i] heh. This mechanic was fantastic. However, I do have to criticize the, well, [i]writing[/i] portion of the game, mainly the characters, stat clarity, and prose. There are also some small bugs and no romance options. If I sound extra disappointed, it's only because I know how well Gies can juggle all aspects of choice-based games. Sadly, WWIIAR is a step back from [i]Tin Star.[/i] However, I know there is an audience for historical/military games, so I'm giving this a thumbs up anyway (and to support him)! Thank you to the staff for giving me a review copy :D
[b][h2]Pros:[/h2][/b]
✅[b] Mechanics.[/b] Gies has really outdone himself here. Your tank is the pride and joy of the game. You will have to consider your fuel, medical supplies, tank armour, ammo, tank condition, your own health, sights, and your men's skills. It's a difficult balance to juggle them all, but I was delighted to play around in an RPG-ish hub. You also get to take souvenirs from your downed enemies (which I see nothing wrong with!) and sometimes choose when to engage with an enemy or when to roll away.
✅[b] Ending slides.[/b] No one does epilogues better than Gies. Like in [i]Tin Star[/i], the epilogue is enormous. There's a summary of your whole saga, endings for each character—American, British. French, Italian, and German—perhaps totalling around 15. There's also information about the souvenirs you picked up, any ribbons or medals, and what happened to your character. The detail here is wonderful.
[b][h2]Mixed:[/h2][/b]
🟨[b] No romance.[/b] Do I think a WWII game needs romance? No. Do I think it would be [i]nice?[/i] Yes. Do I think Gies could do the topic justice? Of course. Still, the game is already 900,000 words; I'm sure he wanted to publish this thing!
🟨[b] Gender selectable MC.[/b] Usually, I love inclusion and playing as a woman. But I admit, I found the choice to have a gender selectable MC a bit strange. There are a couple of comments about being the first woman in the army, but for the most part, I didn't feel like playing as a woman mattered, like in [i]Tin Star[/i]. It was just a bit mindboggling that your crew would have no issue taking orders from a woman, or that other armies were okay with speaking to a woman.
[b][h2]Cons:[/h2][/b]
🟥[b] Stat opaqueness.[/b] You will have tank combat, and the biggest issue is that I have [i]no[/i] idea how the battle mechanics work. The thing is: Gies has a brief explanation, about five paragraphs long, on how tank combat works. But this is sandwiched between background information and context on your stats that, after I clicked Next, I immediately wished I could read it again. It's baffling that the explanation of warfare only comes up once. It appears that there's a complex formula; numerous variables are taken into account. For example, trying to down a tank with light machine gun ammo versus explosive rounds is a pretty big decision. Or how close/far you are to a target. It's also difficult to tell spatially where the ally tanks are versus the enemy, as movement also factors into your hit chance. A glossary would have helped, too.
🟥[b] Stat opaqueness, part 2.[/b] In [i]Tin Star[/i], you had about 10 various skills, and I knew exactly what each of them did and when they appeared in the narrative. But after completing the game, I still wasn't sure what a couple of stats were used for, if anything, like Logistics or Zeal. Does it do anything, or is it just flavor text? Similarly, I thought the radio parts, rations, and padding you could pick up would give you a boost, but it didn't seem to go anywhere.
🟥[b] Character development.[/b] I'm wondering if Gies purposely did not include any character building. In [i]Tin Star[/i], the cast was larger but much more fleshed out and alive. Here, I struggled with names and knowing the difference between American Sergeant 1 and 2. Even our three crew members just felt ... so bland. All I know about Owens is that he likes to read, and that the Mechanics doesn't like to talk. To give Gies credit, he does try to have conversations with the crew during interludes, but their reactions are so bland and infrequent that I honestly didn't care if they lived or died.
🟥[b] Prose.[/b] While I wouldn't describe Gies' prose as lyrical in [i]Tin Star[/i], I admired all the detail he put into the setting. He was straightforward without being dry. However, WWIIAR is pretty lifeless imo. The action scenes were dramatic enough for me to be invested, but the setting and lore dump were perhaps textbookish. Or stiff. YMMV, of course.
🟥[b] Some bugs.[/b] I had the achievement "Practice Imperfect" pop up multiple times, which was odd. I also noticed that there were times a dialogue choice would still be available instead of greyed out after asking the question. A couple of typos and strange paragraph breaks, as well.
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If you enjoyed this review, please check out my curator page to find more: [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/45814768-Verdict-Play-or-Pass/]Verdict: Play or Pass. [/url] Also, please leave a like and visit [url=https://steamcommunity.com/groups/Indie_Gems]IndieGems[/url] and our YouTube channel for more reviews like this one.
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