Another great addition to the hardcore turn-based strategy line-up from Matrix Games.

Anyone who did history in school has heard of Alexander The Great. His accomplishments at war are reknowned, as is his tactical brilliance. So it is with some understanding that most people will begin playing Koios Works' latest strategy game. Tin Soldiers is turn-based, and so I should point out right now that it may not appeal to every gamer.

But for those who prefer historical accuracy, deep thinking, tactics and turn-based strategy over the usual fanfare of graphical splendor and fast-paced action, you'd be doing yourself a dis-service if you didn't at least try the demo for Tin Soldiers.

For armchair strategists, this is without a doubt one of the most highly anticipated games of recent times. But does it deliver? The short answer is yes - in so many ways! But let me explain this statement with a little more detail.

The developers paid great attention to getting the history and storyline right. This really does show in the narrative as the game progresses, and it's nice to think that you might actually be learning something in the game.

You will not only learn about said history, but also about each individual unit and how it performs it's role in your army. Your tactical success or failure greatly depends on your ability to learn and adapt to the individual strengths and weaknesses of each unit. For example certain units are more suited to certain tactics than others.

Everything is simulated in the game, from army morale, to the various locations of the time period. There is certainly plenty of detail, and it takes a lot of time to master this game. It is by no means a one weekend job - expect to be playing Tin Soldiers for many months before you can consider yourself an 'expert'. AI is very well designed, and suitably complex in nature. At no point did I feel the need to play online against real humans, however there is an IP connection option if you wanted to go down that path.

In-game music and sound is on par with other games from publisher Matrix Games - high quality and pleasant to listen to for extended periods. Sound effects are similarly suitable for the game, though they are by no means a major part as this is, after all, a turn-based strategy game. While the graphics are your standard 2D affair, they do get the job done, and interface icons are all well designed, easy to understand, and use.

This is especially important for games in this genre as they rely so heavily upon the interface/menus, so it is fortunate that this aspect of the game, like most other aspects, is well put together. However, I do feel that the game would have benefited greatly from the use of higher resolutions graphics. When zoomed in graphics appear somewhat pixelated, however they are still well drawn. Just don't expect anything overly impressive from the visuals.

Overall, Tin Soldiers is another great addition to the turn-based strategy line-up from Matrix Games and comes highly recommended by us here at PC Gameworld, provided that you enjoy the genre in the first place. The period in which the game is set is both interesting and action-packed. Wargamers won't want to miss this one!


Review by Richard Manley.