I actually beat GR:SW a while ago and am just now getting around to writing my review. I had planned to first go back and complete all the bonus missions, but my PS3 games ended up stealing my attention away, and I traded it in toward some new purchases hoping to still get reasonable value in return. I only got 14 bucks for it, which is a shame, because I thought it was worth more than that. Anyway, on with the review...
GR:SW is a turn based strategy game pitting your team against a growing Russian nuclear threat. Forgive me for skimping on the plot details, as it's been over a month since I played it and I like to keep surprises intact for those who may purchase it. Let's just say it's a somewhat generic plot, but with enough twists to keep it interesting.
GR:SW is the first strategy game I've played since Ogre Battle on the N64. I really like these types of games, but generally pass them up in favor of other genres that are less time consuming. I bought GR:SW as it was the only other game that appealed to me on the 3DS after playing through Pilotwings Resort. I wasn't disappointed.
IMO, strategy games are made or broken by the balance of the challenge at hand. Make it too difficult and the game becomes repetitive. Make it too easy, and the game is basically a walk through. GR:SM does well in this regard. Some missions require multiple attempts with a refined strategy, and others are just a matter of not making mistakes. I played through the entire game on the most difficult setting and thought it flowed well.
Compared to fantasy based strategy games that I'm used to, like Ogre Battle, FF Tactics, Shining Force, etc, GR:SW has a much simpler approach. Whereas fantasy based strategy games rely on XP and exploration of terrain, new weapons and health upgrades in GR:SW are offered after each mission, their availability dependent upon the difficulty that was selected before the start of the mission. Complete a mission on easy and your squad will level up much more slowly than on hard. Also, there is no switching of character classes in GR:SW. Each squad member is locked into their class, and I thought that worked rather well as their strengths and weaknesses offer enough variety to legitimize a proper plan of attack. Anything more than that could suffer from convolution and unnecessary complexity.
What I enjoyed most about GR:SW are the 3D visuals. That's why we purchased a 3DS to begin with, is it not? The 3D cutscenes are beautiful and encourage a bright future for the 3DS.
There was one troubling aspect to this game that I can't leave unmentioned. There were numerous times when my game would freeze up and the 3DS would reveal the black screen of death. IMO, in the wake of 360's RRoD, and PS3's YLoD, I'm surprised I haven't heard more of 3DS's BSoD. I did some research, and it appears that the BSoD has been reported by many users, and it's not exclusive to SR:GW. Reportedly, many games have triggered the BSoD, so I'm not sure if this should be a knock against the game or my particular handheld.
Anyway, I recommend GR:SW to 3DS users like myself who are suffering through the drought of quality 3DS titles. While the game might not be the deepest or most original strategy game on the market, there is enough content and fun to warrent the purchase price.
What I liked:
3D visuals.
Simple approach to leveling up your squad.
Banshee's special camouflage system.
What I didn't like:
The audio left something to be desired.
The game caused 3DS black screen of death for me on many occasions.
Getting mowed down by a blade drone.
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