PC

  News 
  Reviews
  Previews
  Hardware
  Interviews
  All Features

Areas

  3DS
  Android
  iPad
  iPhone
  Mac
  PC
  PlayStation 3
  PlayStation 4
  Switch
  Vita
  Wii U
  Xbox 360
  Xbox One
  Media
  Archives
  Search
  Contests

 

Tin Soldiers: Julius Caesar

Score: 84%
ESRB: Teen
Publisher: Matrix Games
Developer: Koios Works
Media: CD/1
Players: 1 - 2
Genre: Turn-Based Strategy

Graphics & Sound:

Tin Soldiers: Julius Caesar is Koios’ second attempt at replicating tabletop gaming on the home computer screen. Last time in Alexander the Great, the graphics were strictly 2D. In Julius Caesar, the bar has been raised and the developers have crossed the treacherous border into the realm of 3D. It is treacherous because first attempts are usually dismal; features must be cut, and 3D really doesn’t have anything to offer that 2D doesn’t. Dimensions are overrated. Such is the case with Julius Caesar. The tabletop-style remains, what with units on the board – which is actually a table – and having bases like their miniature counterparts. Even scenery and buildings look like they may have been constructed out of hobby materials. However, the landscapes are mottled and units look grainy and imperfect close up. The god-like hand that removes units as they die made it into this version, but it is still a bit odd and fails to fully convey the sense of playing on a tabletop. The attempt to convince players that they are moving real tin soldiers on a table seems half-hearted here.

Thankfully the music has been left alone, save to alter the beats to a more Roman feel (or at least what the people at Koios want us to think is Roman). Whatever it really is, the tracks are welcomed and do more to immerse the player in the game than the graphics do. The sound effects, on the other hand, are few and far between and sound mostly the same between all of the units. They are easily forgotten, but there is little place for them in a game that tries to replicate tabletop wargaming.


Gameplay:

Developer Koios hammered its way onto the turn-based strategy scene with its unique game, Tin Soldiers: Alexander the Great, a game that catered to those who either loved or had the potential to love tabletop wargames – without all those pesky game-store kids to deal with. Though it delivers a unique experience, it is not for those with A.D.D. The turns are long and tedious affairs that require a lot of concentration and attention to detail. Victory is only attained by those with perseverance and a lot of time on their hands.

Tin Soldiers: Julius Caesar offers a non-linear Campaign mode that more or less resembles Caesar’s conquests through Europe. There are a variety of missions that you can choose from and they don’t have to be completed in any particular order. Along the way you gain and lose units whose stats increase depending on their actions in battle. Like most tabletop games, you get victory points as you win. You can spend these points on more troops and upgrades that carry over to the other missions. The Campaign is lengthy, and watching your units grow, as well as seeing them die, gives things a nice emotional appeal.

The A.I. has been handled remarkably well. Not only does it use decent maneuvers and tactics, but it is a great place to learn if you haven’t studied the military exploits of the Roman war machine. The enemy is very good about not committing its entire force until it has found a weakness in your strategy, and it keeps victory objectives in mind all the time.

Multiplayer is limited to two players only, and you have to connect directly to your opponent’s IP. Koios must have had Multiplayer on the back burner, because there isn’t even a multiplayer browser to deal with. The lack of any games for more than two players also is something to lament about, but being able to play this game against actual humans can be a treat (as long as your opponent has the guts to stay in the game for the whole shebang).


Difficulty:

Tin Soldiers: Julius Caesar is a very in-depth game, but it makes itself easily accessible via a well laid out interface and a very well laid out instruction manual that can be accessed from the game’s Start Up menu. It is a lengthy tome, but it contains everything you need to know. Despite this manual, it’s going to take some time to learn the ropes and get really good at the game.

Game Mechanics:

Tin Soldiers: Julius Caesar is a turn-based strategy game, but it takes a different approach than most other games of its caliber. Where other games let turns play out entirely after input from both players, Julius Caesar chops a single turn into three parts. Both players give orders simultaneously at the beginning of each turn, and when both are ready, the first part of the turn plays out. Then everything stops and each player can give reaction orders. These orders are for units that moved “into” an enemy unit or if they were prematurely attacked, etc. After the reaction orders are given, the second part of the turn starts. Once again, orders are followed and then stop again. This time, units that were in “reserve” or didn’t do anything yet can now be given orders. This is where your fast moving flankers and hard hitters are unleashed. This turn system is great for precision strikes and well planned attacks with multiple units.

There is a point to all of this mucking about and killing people. Every mission has objectives, and meeting these objectives gives you victory points. A certain number of points are needed to attain victory, and there are usually multiple ways of going about that, giving the missions a dynamic touch.

Tin Soldiers: Julius Caesar is a good continuation to a new and interesting series of strategy games. The way it plays will certainly turn some gamers off, but it is sure to attract a whole new slew of armchair generals. Its understandably rough edges are easily shrugged off, but the slow pace of the game needs to be waded through. For those up to the challenge of taking on an incredibly in-depth game and dealing with a high learning curve, you should be pleasantly surprised with what you get out of it. Those looking for quick thrills should look elsewhere.


-Snow Chainz, GameVortex Communications
AKA Andrew Horwitz

Minimum System Requirements:



Windows 98/ME/2000/XP, 500 MHz CPU, 128 MB RAM (256 MB for XP), 64 MB Video Card DirectX 9.0B compatible, Sound Card DirectX 9.0B compatible, CD-ROM, 500MB Harddisk space, DirectX 9.0b (included), .NET Framework: 1.1 (included), Microsoft Media Player 9.0 or higher
 

Test System:



Windows ME, AMD Athlon 1.4 GHz Processor, 256 MB RAM, 128 MB GeForce FX 5200 Video Card, 40 GB Hard Drive, Creative Labs Sound Card, Cable Modem Internet Connetion

Windows Still Life Sony PlayStation Portable Rengoku: The Tower of Purgatory

 
Game Vortex :: PSIllustrated