Warsaw Review

TheGamer

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Warsaw Review War Is Hell

Warsaw is a good idea that simply feels too derivative and difficult. There are few moments in history more gruesome or grotesque than World War II. It's a difficult subject to touch on in detail, as it's full of harrowing stories of extreme violence and sacrifice. Developers have often used this period as a setting for their games, but very seldom have they attempted to demonstrate how horrifying it must have been to be caught in the crossfires of that conflict. Warsaw wants you to experience the anguish of being a part of the resistance against the Nazi forces firsthand, and it certainly succeeds in making you feel like you're fighting an unwinnable battle.

Lead The Resistance

Warsaw takes place during the summer of 1944, when gunfire spread across Poland during constant skirmishes. You oversee a resistance group that's doing its damndest to help the Allied Forces, while trying to survive. You don't lead a massive army here, this is a small gang of volunteers who can only run simple missions, like repairing phone lines or helping the wounded. On top of sending soldiers out to risk their lives, you also need to maintain the home base and make sure you don't run out of supplies. THEGAMER VIDEO OF THE DAY It's a good idea for a game, but it doesn't really have a plot to speak of. You're just in the thick of things from the get-go, and you don't get to know the people who are struggling to fend off the Nazis. There's a really effective opening cutscene, and some Codex entries that go into a little more detail on each soldier, but it's not enough to get emotionally invested in their plight. So, instead of commiserating with a band of heroes, you're just sending characters devoid of personality off to their doom.

Darkest Dungeon With More Despair

Warsaw has drawn several comparisons to Darkest Dungeon, and it's not hard to see why. You have units that are all placed in a straight line, but instead of swords or axes, they take turns firing guns at each other or using various abilities. However, it does add in a few new elements, so it's not a complete imitation. For example, you have two planes to place troops on instead of one, meaning you can move between an upper and lower segment of the combat zone. Being on a different plane than your enemy gives you the chance to get some flanking damage, which is not normally how flanking works, but it functions pretty well. Sadly, the combat never really seems to transcend its first impression as a Darkest Dungeon wannabe, and while the gameplay is incredibly reminiscent of that game, it never becomes as engaging. Along with Darkest Dungeon, the game also has a bit of XCOM in its DNA. You're in charge of the resistance's base, which includes keeping on an eye of how desperate certain regions of Warsaw are getting, recruiting new soldiers to help you on encounters, restocking items and ammo, and leveling up and improving the loadouts of your units. Sadly, this part never gets quite as deep as XCOM could.

Anybody Got A Spare Bullet

Another thing Warsaw shares with Darkest Dungeon is its soul-crushing difficulty. It wants nothing more than for you to truly experience what it was like being in Poland during the war, and it does a good job of making you feel miserable and helpless. You won't come across much ammo as you progress, and you'll soon find yourself low on supplies, which means you either can't recruit new fighters or afford to purchase more bullets for your rifles. Furthermore, the game loves its RNG, which means your chances of missing a shot or getting blasted by critical blow all are left up a roll of the dice. To be fair, that is how this genre of game usually functions, but in Warsaw, it feels so oppressive that victory seems to slip further and further away with every mission you undertake. The main issue is that ammunition is scarce and expensive, and supplies aren't easy to come by. Not to mention the fact that injured units don't instantly recover all their health upon returning home. They'll end up with the lowest amount of hit points that they had by the end of the previous mission, and it can take several days in the infirmary to fully regain their lost life. It's tremendously easy to fail not because of poor strategy, but because you have no weapons, no money, and there's no one healthy or alive enough to fight back. It doesn't feel fair or fun, which is how World War II believably felt, but it doesn't translate to an enjoyable video game.

A Hopeless Situation

Warsaw does an excellent job of making you feel like you're in a lose-lose situation. It's an authentic experience, and it will make you sympathize with those who had to live in this warzone. Unfortunately, while the combat does a fine job of aping other strategy games, its economy is far too harsh, and losing because of a shortage of money and munitions is a more common defeat than facing off against the Nazis. It's admirable to make things as realistic as possible, but it's far too difficult, and with the absence of a compelling story or any sense of real progress, it just isn't as engaging as Darkest Dungeon.

2 5 Out Of 5 Stars

A PC review copy for Warsaw was provided to TheGamer for this review. Warsaw is now available on PC.