Topic: Swords and Soldiers II Hands-on Preview

[Daan]

The multiplayer is shaping up to be a ton of fun too!

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/hands-on-preview/38301/swords-and-soldiers-ii-hands-on-preview

It doesn't feel that long ago since I talked about Swords and Soldiers II, which I first played back in March. The game is colorful, entertaining, and above all a joy to see. If you want to know what the game is all about, check out the previous preview.This time, I purely want to focus on the elements and other things from the Gamescom build that made my hype grow even further.

During Europe's biggest expo, Ronimo Games was proudly presenting Skirmish mode. This local multiplayer mode allows you to take on a friend to try and beat their army into submission. The demo contained the Demon and Viking factions, which were showcased in the original gameplay slice. One player enjoyed all of his action on the Wii U GamePad, while the other player used a Wii U Pro Controller to play on the television.

As the match begun, we quickly saw changes in the overall set-up of the multiplayer battles. The number of workers that factions can have on the playing field have been humbly reduced from ten to six. Workers have always been a key element to the series, as they bring gold from the mines to the base. The mines have also been reduced and, instead, random drops will be happen on the field. These drops can give you access to large amounts of gold and mana, which removes the aspect of solely getting them through traditional means. You will have to tap the Y-button to send a worker onto the battlefield to retrieve it, which is not without danger.

That doesn't mean that both factions can't collect mana at all, the handling and risk of gathering it are just inherently different. The Vikings can build towers that will produce mana, but that is at the risk of lacking a better offense. The battle towers that house Axethrowers are back, but using these will greater restrict mana usage. Then again, the benefit of having tons of mana is greatly increased as well. You will be able to use the Super Magic Spell Ol' Larry quicker, which allows you to throw three uppercuts across game field and destroy a bunch of enemies that are in your way. It will be also be easier to replenish the health of your units or give your opponents a lightning bolt to the face.

At the side of the Demons, your mana strategies will mostly involve sacrificing units for the greater good. The bigger the unit is, the more opportunities you get to use your magic spells. There are great ones out there, like turning the leftover exploded corpses’ smell into pure poison. The Super Magic Spell of the Demons summons the devil himself as he throws three meteorites onto the battlefield. These can destroy towers and big units in a single sweep and can cause complete agony for your opponent. The Demon towers are deadly too as they will spawn skeletons over time that will roam the battlefield to cause even further destruction.

Of course, spells aren't everything, and the units are key in overcoming the complications on the battlefield. Vikings were discussed at length last time, but the Demons deserve some love too. They have this snake-like creature that will turn into stone upon destruction. It will be a hazard for the Vikings, as well as a whole bunch of imps. The imps come in three variations: spears, bats, and bombs. While the first two are pretty straightforward, the bombs will continue to stroll across the battlefield until it comes in contact with an opponent. If it reaches a target, it will explode and blast everything in close range. Joost from Ronimo Games built a complete strategy around this, in one of our many matches, and unleashed a massive amount all at once. Many towers were ruined and many units were lying helpless on the floor.

That is what thrives Swords and Soldiers II. It is about creating new strategies with the same tools every single time. Players will learn to deal with their faction's shortcomings quickly and build new things around their strongest elements. All sides are limited in some same ways too, like only being able to have one Super Unit on the field. These are super strong soldiers that can use pain wherever they go. Olga, the female warrior, is the Super Unit with the Vikings. The demons have this massive creature which uses his fists and shield. Olga has a dedicated magic spell, which will stop her in her tracks while it is active. It will enhance the strength of all the other warriors nearby her, which can be super handy when used at the correct moments.

As the matches progressed, me and Joost thought of ideas as we went along. This made some matches super lengthy, as they went constantly back and forth. All the battles we played were close and sadly I lost most of them. At the end though, the results didn't matter, because I simply had a blast and wanted to play over and over again. I walked away with a big smile on my face with the determination to play more against these friendly people. I am ready for my rematch and certainly hope that Ronimo Games are ready too. Swords and Soldiers II will release this autumn on the Wii U eShop.