Toy Soldiers: Cold War

Let’s face it – tower defense games are starting to get old. Once nothing more than bonus maps and mini-games in classics like StarCraft and Final Fantasy VII, it’s now difficult to visit a website without an ad for “Super Castle Tower World” popping up and blocking all that completely legal content you were searching up.  The idea was novel about six years ago, but just feels tired today. Yet, that doesn’t mean it’s time to abandon the sinking ship all together. The original Toy Soldiers put the player right in the action – allowing for more direct control and a greater need of both skill and strategy. It’s exactly what impatient gamers (like myself) need to keep this genre fresh and interesting, and Cold War only builds on this solid foundation. With enough content to keep any interested buyer busy until the start of the holiday rush, Cold War is a robust title at that welcomed downloadable price. Whether you’re a strategy enthusiast, hardcore action lover, or awkward 80’s toy aficionado, Toy Soldiers: Cold War is something to get excited about.

This just in: the Cold War is in full swing, but the battlefield may not look just as you remembered it. Everything’s a little smaller and more adorable, as this war isn’t being fought with guns, grenades, or artillery – it’s a battle of classic 80’s soldier toys (who, I suppose, fight with guns, grenades, and artillery). The bombastic battles taking place here may look like fully-fledged conflicts, but it doesn’t take long to realize that you’re surrounded by the flimsy walls of a toy box. Knick-knacks and accessories belonging to a child litter the hilly landscape, and structures resembling key landmarks crumble to gunfire before your eyes. It’s a fun and whimsical choice, and a nice change of pace from the brutal, realistic settings we’re accustomed to.

Enemy units, as well as terrain, look good blowing up.

The campaign is the main feature, and stretches over eleven missions where you must command your plastic American army against (you guessed it) the sinister Russian forces. Each scenario varies in both difficulty and play time, and there’s plenty of content here even without the high level of replayability. New units, as well as entirely new locales, are introduced in each subsequent mission, keeping things mostly fresh while also acting as a solid tutorial. You’ll have a good deal of practice in all aspects of play, so if you find yourself getting schooled online after completing all eleven mission, it’s probably your own damn fault.

The mechanics are actually quite simple. There are specific plots of dirt where turrets can be place. Smaller areas are for machine guns, mortars, anti-tank turrets and make-shift units, while the large plots can hold both anti-aircraft and anti-artillery weapons. Each can be upgraded twice (the second upgrade being locked until the later levels), and every unit can be manually operated. Being able to get behind the weapon and fire these “towers” that are usually automatic in other tower defense games is the most satisfying part of Toy Soldiers. Cold War is not only a test of your strategic skill, but your accuracy as well. If you so desire, just sitting back and watching the battle unfold is an option, but you should never trust an AI to do a player’s job. It’s exciting discovering what sort of chaos upgraded units can cause, and this excitement can only occur through constant involvement on the battlefield.

It’s not all about the stationary units on the battlefield.  Heavily armored artillery and surprise assaults are what turn the tides of war, and Toy Soldiers has plenty of both. Tanks, helicopters, and even jets become available the deeper you dig into the campaign – each running on a short battery life. These units, when used correctly, can turn a bleak situation around in a matter of moments. A tank can crush a squadron of foot soldiers just before they reach the precious toy box, and an attack helicopter can quickly clear the sky of any pesky aerial annoyances. It’s difficult to not develop an overreliance on these units, but there’s an even more destructive ability that can be activated while you’re waiting for the jet’s batteries to recharge. Barrages are rewarded for killing specific units or stringing together a long enough combo chain, and can be activated with a simple press of the Y button. The results of this button press can range from a Rombo-esque killing machine joining your forces on the front to a nuke that can be dropped anywhere of your choice (hint: the nuke will blow plenty of shit up no matter the location). Each of the five barrages is as fun as the last, and it’s giggle-inducing to watch a once imposing wave of Russians fall at the hands of Rambo.

It's tough to not love a good Rambo parody.

Even with new mechanics being regularly introduced, there’s still a certain amount of repetition that sets in after extended campaign play. A level may open up with an AC-130 sequence or a shiny new jet about to take flight, but it’s not long before it’s time to place turrets and go through a couple dozen waves once more. The gameplay is still very enjoyable, but it’s a little less appealing to go back to after terrorizing the map with the fun new toy being introduced. A couple of surprise waves throughout the missions that mix things up with new, more interesting enemy units would have prevented the later portion of the levels from getting a little dry.

A feature that truly spices up every mode in Cold War is co-op. All of the missions in the campaign can be played with an online buddy or a homeless man off the streets who needs a clean couch and a little bit of entertainment for his empty life (local play). It’s a great way to manage the many tasks at hand during each conflict – especially the fast paced battles that take place around the final few missions. While this is a pretty substantial feature in the game, I have to admit that I almost missed out on it entirely. There isn’t a specified “co-op mode”, but instead a button prompt in the corner for the second player to sign in. Maybe I’m just an oblivious oaf and everyone else will spot it right away, but I didn’t spot this arcade-style indicator until I noticed a co-op achievement.

Playing with a friend also makes the survival mode more enjoyable. As you’d guess, this classic option pits you against infinite waves in three diverse maps, with the option of three different difficulty settings. It’s fun for what it is, which is nothing more than a series of five or six waves repeated endlessly. If you’re into being the top dog on the leaderboards, you may find more enjoyment here than I did – but it’s just not the strongest feature. A more fun distraction that integrates online leaderboards is the mini-game mode. Shooting down flies, testing your accuracy with the guided missiles, and causing as much destruction as possible with that devastating AC-130 are just a few of the nifty activities available to blow off some steam. It’s a neat diversion, and a good deal more compelling than endless waves of artillery.

Combat really shines in the air.

If you find yourself sick of that rank homeless man sitting on your once fresh and appealing couch after hours of extended co-op, you can always duke it out in the head-to-head multiplayer. Each player controls the frequency and variety of each offensive wave, as well as the turrets and heavy artillery.  There are multiple maps to choose from, and a great deal of variability in how much cash both players begin with as well as how long the game can last. It’s a unique and interesting competitive mode that’s different from the sea of shooters dominating the online space. As of this review, I’ve only had a chance to test out the local play option, but I’m antsy to hop online against all of the pre-pubescent wannabe strategists who buy this game on release day. It’s an odd event to get excited for, I know, but it’s not often that I have the chance to be better at an online game than the majority of the community – even if it only lasts a day or two.

War is hell, but a war fought in a 1980’s toy box is something I could get used to. Toy Soldiers: Cold War is an addictive title full of so much value that it’s pretty easy to forget its downloadable format. The terrain destruction looks great, the gameplay feels fresh, and there are plenty of modes to keep the player’s attention. Things do become slightly repetitious after a while, and some game modes aren’t quite as strong as the rest, but the positives easily outweigh the negatives. Grab your guns and throw on that 80’s Stallone wig jammed in the back of the closet – it’s time to enlist.

Josiah Renaudin

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