Toy Soldiers: Cold War was originally released on the South African Xbox Live Arcade market place as part of the Summer of Arcade special, but the title is worth getting even on its own. When thinking about the popular childhood toy of plastic soldiers, gamers will be in for a great surprise.
Although the game is based on the little military men, the gameplay is very much removed from the plastic incarnations, and plastic is actually nowhere to be seen. The premise of the game is a tower defence of sorts, where players have to build installations and fend of the approaching Russian army.
The game’s setting takes place in various locations, but when gamers notice the outer surroundings, they will notice that it’s actually in a full-size house, and the playing area is on top of a table. Due to the relative small scale of the little soldiers, the rooms look huge.
At the start of the game, players are given a short tutorial in operating the various guns and artillery, building and repairing units and how to accumulate more cash. It’s a very simple concept, and one that work very well.
As mentioned, it’s a variation on a top-top strategy title and a tower defence game, where the approaching Red Army will spawn in waves. Their goal is to enter the player’s Toy Box, which has a limit of 20 units. Once 20 enemy units enter the Toy Box, the player loses and has to retry the level.
The player’s role is simple – hold off as many of the enemy units as possible, for as long as possible. But it sounds easier than it actually is, as some of the later levels become a bit hairy after a while. But luckily the player has a whole arsenal of units to disperse the enemy with.
During the earlier levels, it will only be necessary to use the machine guns and anti-tank emplacements, but as the game progress, bigger units (such as anti-air, mortar and long-range artillery) will be needed.
At any stage, gamers will be able to enter any unit and take control of the shooting. The game then takes on a bit of a first-person perspective, with the player free to fire upon any intruding enemy unit. Although the AI is fairly sufficient in eliminating the Russians, it’s always better (and good fun) to take control.
The game also features a couple of tanks and airborne units such as attack helicopters and jets, which can also be commandeered by the player. All planes are very effective in taking out enemy tanks, but the best aspect is the “special power”.
Once a certain level of eliminating is achieved, the game will give the player a random power-up of sorts, which will range from a Commando to a nuclear strike or a carpet bomb. These are highly effective, and can turn the tide of war very quickly.
The controls are incredibly simple to use, and players will get the hang of it in now time. In terms of graphics, the game feature a somewhat childlike appearance, but it’s still highly detailed. Facial expressions and hand gestures can be clearly seen on the units, and details on tanks and other units are all present.
As with any tower defence game, Toy Soldiers: Cold War is highly addictive, and players will find themselves playing it for hours on end. Some of the missions are rather hard, but that just increases the fun and replay value. It’s a game worth having, even if it’s just to kill a lazy Sunday afternoon.
Charlie Fripp – Consumer tech editor
