Army men are an unmistakable icon even today, when most kiddies are experiencing make-believe war through controller or keyboard. Well, someone at Signal Studios must have been fond of these toys.
Toy Soldiers does, in fact, revolve around adorable tin men waging war and reliving World War I in one-on-one matches of tower defense. These miniatures of the British and German army are your pawns to control or tear apart, not unlike the way you abused your little sister’s dolls. Our childish war games have been transformed into an intense strategy game filled with weapons of mass destruction, and what sets this TD game apart from others is the level of control it hands down to the player.
In a tower defense match, you’re basically decorating the landscape with fortifications, defending your base while attempting to overtake your opponent’s. Here, you’ll be defending your army’s toy box from invasion.
Generally speaking, TD is less complicated than pure RTS but boasts its own intricacies. With Toy Soldiers, the traditional gameplay gets a tad more complex with the added element of micromanagement. Now don’t panic. You’re not going to be babysitting dozens of soldiers around the map, only artillery and the occasional tanks or bombers; all the charging peons know where to run without your assistance. Airplanes and tanks, however, do need manual control and remain parked around your base until called upon.
Your big guns, on the other hand, can be built and left alone to do their job. But here’s the twist: the player can take control of any artillery unit at any time. When taking manual control of any stationary weapon, you essentially go into a gunner’s perspective; it’ll feel like a third-person shooter, just without a zoom option or the ability to move. Note that the controls for every unit type differ and may take some getting used to.
The World War I theme means you'll be going old school with the mustard gas, howitzers, and other now-obsolete weaponry. Every match starts with non-upgradeable units – vehicles, aircraft, sniper tower – already in place, with empty lots for artillery and (usually) some spending money to set up. All artillery can be upgraded a number of times, sold for quick cash, or repaired during combat, with the only restriction being cost; however, upgrading or repairing puts a unit out of commission for a brief period of time.
Every unit has its strengths and weaknesses, making it more or less effective against certain targets. Since range also varies, deciding where to place each weapon requires a bit of strategic thought. Properly timing your upgrades also pays off, as upgrading (or repairing) units at the wrong time might leave your toy box wide open.
Fortifying defenses can be harsh on your pockets, but you shouldn't be too strapped for cash unless you're prone to splurging. To compensate, money is rewarded for each enemy unit downed, and the sum depends on how tough that particular unit is. A foot soldier, for example, is worth $35, and a tank brings in $600. New upgrades (and units) are unlocked as you progress through the campaign, free of charge.
Toy Soldiers is definitely what I’d consider a visually stunning game. Film grain is cleverly utilized during certain sequences, and there's an option to keep it on, either in color of black 'n' white. Few games use bloom so liberally anymore, but in this case, the effect casts are like rose-tinted glasses over the battlefield.
Cranks adorn the sides of vehicles, turning slowly as these armored behemoth's lumber across No Man's Land; when a unit is downed, it tends to explode into plastic chunks, springs, and cogs -- rather than fleshy gibs. Whenever the camera pans or tilts, you'll catch glimpses of a child's bedroom looming behind the World War I diorama, and the battlefields are surrounded by painted horizons and desk lamps.
The graphics are incredibly impressive, especially for an XBLA title. The devs are obviously well aware, having included a feature used exclusively for admiring the environments. The tilt-shift camera, accessible via pause menu, hides the HUD and lets you move freely around the map while the action is halted.
The early 20th century aesthetic dominates everything, from the menus to background music, and a series of nostalgic advertisements. Like the Valve's ads for crazy Team Fortress 2 gadgets, Toy Soldiers has its own line of fake toy ads, which are shown during loading times. These images possess a charming retro look that really sets the mood, giving the game a sense of humor and unexpected personality. Truly, you could almost swear the catchy tunes are coming out of a bulky radio.
The single-player campaign, though not very long, is incredibly robust, complete with collectible Rations and a Display Case that shows all the weapons you’ve unlocked. Here, the game’s sense of humor is seen in the unit descriptions, perhaps pointing out how absurd those era-specific weapons are from a modern point of view.
Honestly, multiplayer is downright lacking by comparison. Single-player has more than enough content to occupy your time, with level selection for completionists looking to collect all Rations and rankings for all difficulties. Anyone looking for a challenge can test their skills under the near-impossible Elite difficulty level.
For some, the six available units may seem meager, which I can’t argue against. Still, Toy Soldiers more than makes up for its limited arsenal with superb design, both in gameplay and its remarkably unique aesthetic. While fairly approachable to all, gamers familiar with the tower defense genre will easily sink hours into Toy Soldiers. If nothing else, raining mortar shells on your enemy is extremely satisfying.
Final score: 8.8 / 10
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