Strategy War

Game Description: Fight your enemies through land and air! Protect your home base at all costs! There are up to 32 different units you can use to fight your enemies. Each unit is pictured at the top of the screen. Your enemies will also be using these same 32 units. Your units move from right to left, and the enemy units move from left to right. When your units meet up with the enemy units, they fight. If you win your battle, you go on to the next level. If you lose your battle, you must replay the level until you win. Win or lose, each battle earns you money that you can use to buy upgrades to make youself stronger for the next battle. There are 100 amazing arcade levels!

Please Note: Strategy War has two different games you can play: Campaign and Domination. For my review, I am only reviewing Campaign. (If you want to play Domination, I am sure you will have fun figuring out everything for yourself).

How to Play Strategy War Campaign:

• Once the game fully loads, click the word 'Enter' with your mouse. This will take you to the Menu screen.
• If this is a new game, from the Menu screen, click the 'New Campaign' button. (Remember, the 'New Campaign' button is only used for starting a new game).
• If you wish to continue a saved game, click the 'Continue' button on the Menu screen. Then click the 'Continue Campaign' button.
• If you are starting a New Campaign, that is, a new game, you will first see several pages of game instructions. Keep clicking the 'Next' button until you reach the 'Start' screen. Then, click the 'Start' button.
• On the 'Select Level' screen, click the level icon button (the one that is highlighted in dark brown). If this is new game, that will be, of course, Level 1. If this is a saved game, this will be the level where you last left off.
• After you click the level icon button, you will see the 'Enemy Unit(s) Available' screen. This screen shows you the enemies you will fight in the upcoming battle. Hover your mouse over each picture to read its description. After you read this information, click the 'Start' button to begin the battle.
• Your home base is at the right. (There will always be a little man dressed in green clothes, and a green hat, standing at your base. This character is your last line of defense. I will tell you more about him in just a moment).
• The goal of each battle is to defeat your enemies, and to protect your base at all costs!
• There are up to 32 different units you can use to fight your enemies. Each unit is pictured at the top of the screen. Your enemies will also be using these same 32 units.
• Your units move from right to left.
• The enemy units move from left to right.
• When your units meet up with the enemy units, they fight.
• You will not be able to see the entire battlefield at one time. Move your mouse to the left or right edge of the screen as needed, to adjust your view accordingly.
• To unleash an available unit, click its picture when it lights up at the top of the screen. Only available units will light up, and can be used. For instance, when you begin the game on Level 1, you, and your enemy, only have two available units to use: Stone Man and Clubswinger. As you continue the game, you will be able to buy additional units with your Upgrade points. (I will explain more about the Upgrade points in the next section). Your enemy will also have access to additional units.
• Each time you click an available unit, all of the unit pictures at the top of the screen will go dim for a brief period of time. You cannot use any more units until the available units light up again. Each time the units light up at the top of the screen, you may click on any available unit to unleash it. Each type of unit may be used in the battle again, and again, but only when it is lit up.
• The little man dressed in green clothing, who stands on your base, is your last line of defense. You may use him at anytime when your enemies get too close to your base. You may have him throw objects, or shoot arrows and fire guns (if you have upgraded to either arrows or guns).
• To have your little man throw objects, move your mouse to the top of the screen to throw high, to the center of the screen to throw medium, or to the bottom of the screen to throw low. Hold down your mouse to increase the throw power (watch the red bar indicator), then release the mouse to throw the object.
• To have your little man shoot arrows you must first purchase the arrow upgrades. Move your mouse to change the direction of your shot. Click your mouse to shoot. The red bar is your ammo. When your ammo is empty it will automatically reload.
• If you have purchased arrow upgrades, press 2 to have your little man shoot arrows, or press 1 to have your little man throw objects. You may switch back and forth between the two.
• Although the game's instructions demonstrate, and state, that the little man can also shoot guns, I have not been able to figure out how he shoots his gun.
• If you have purchased special weapons upgrades, press your Space bar to cast special weapons. Some special weapons may only be used one time on a level.
• If you win your battle, you go on to the next level.
• If you lose your battle, you must replay the level until you win. You may replay a level as many times as you need, until you win it.
• Strategy War will automatically save your game progress. The only thing you need to do is to leave the game, and then come back later and use the same computer. (It is not necessary to ever click the 'Quit Game' button).
• Strategy War Campaign Mode has 100 fun levels for you to play!
• There is one more point I would like to make, and that is this. Don't worry if you do not understand everything. (To be completely honest, I haven't quite figured out everything for myself yet either. But I am still having a blast!) Just start playing, and you will pick things up rather easily.

Play Strategy War on Full Screen

Please Note: Before playing Strategy War in Full Screen mode, you may want to take a moment, or two, to read my review. Then, after playing your game, simply click the back button on your browser to return to this page.


Strategy War Campaign Upgrades:

• Each time you play a level you will earn Upgrade points.
• You will earn only a few Upgrade points when you lose a battle. You will earn more Upgrade points when you win a battle!
• Upgrade points can be used to buy the things you need to win future battles. Once an upgrade is purchased, you will have that upgrade for the entire game.
• There are two different Upgrades screens. After a battle is over, win or lose, Strategy War will automatically take you to the first Upgrades screen.
• On the first Upgrades screen, you can see how many Upgrade points you have available to spend near the top of the screen, right above the 'Next' button.
• The first Upgrades screen is divided into two sections: the Unit Tree (where you can buy new types of units), and the Skill Tree (where you can buy skill for your units to make them more powerful).
• On the first Upgrades screen, everything you already have is lit up. Everything you do not yet have is dim.
• Both the Unit Tree and the Skill Tree are like flowcharts, and you must follow the paths. An upgrade will only become clickable if it is next in a path. You may buy any clickable dimmed upgrade as long as you have enough Upgrade points. (Hover your mouse over each dimmed picture to see what each upgrade is, and to find out how many Upgrade points it will cost you to unlock it).
• You do not have to buy any upgrades from the first Upgrades screen, even if you have enough Upgrade points. The choice is yours.
• When you are done shopping at the first Upgrades screen, click the 'Next' button to go to the second Upgrades screen.
• On the second Upgrades screen, you can see how many Upgrade points you have available to spend near the upper left corner, just above and slightly to the right of the word 'Base'.
• The second Upgrades screen is divided into four upgrade sections: Base, Weapon, Character, and Special.
• Base -- You may upgrade your Base up to 7 times during the game. Each Base must be purchased from left to right. Hover your mouse over the next available Base (the next dim one immediately to the right of the last lit up base you currently have) to see how many Upgrades points it will cost. Each time you upgrade your Base, the stronger it will be.
• Weapon -- Weapons are for that little guy in the green clothes who stands on your Base. There are three kinds of weapons you can buy: Throw, Arrow, and Gun. (Each Weapon has its own row, and the weapons in each row must be purchased from left to right). Hover your mouse over the next clickable Weapon to see how much it costs.
• Character -- There are four different Character traits that you can buy: Endurance, Shield, Speed, and Power. These four Character traits will apply to every unit you currently have. Hover your mouse over the plus sign for each Character trait to see how many Upgrade points it will cost.
• Special -- There are three rows of Specials that you can buy. There is one row of Special Weapons, and two rows of Special Effects. Each row of Specials must be purchased from left to right. Some Specials may only be used one time per level. Hover your mouse over each Special to see what it does and how many Upgrade points it will cost.
• When you are done shopping at the second Upgrades screen, you may either click the 'Back' button to go back and shop again at the first Upgrades screen, or click the 'Next' button to go to the 'Select Level' screen where you can select the next level and begin your next battle.
• All unused Upgrade points will carry over to future levels.

Strategy War Game Options: From the Menu screen, click the 'Options' button. The game Options are:

• Slide the Music control to adjust the music volume.
• Slide the SFX control to adjust the sound effects volume.
• There are three different quality buttons. (You probably do not need to change these unless you are having problems with the game display).

Strategy War Campaign Playing Tips:

• Do play the game on Full Screen mode. You will have a lot more fun!
• Once you become a little familiar with the game, you will come to realize the importance of the information contained in the 'Enemy Unit(s) Available' screen. As you hover your mouse over each picture, take particular note to see if each enemy unit is skilled or not. (When a unit is skilled, this makes the unit that much more powerful). You will learn, by playing, what units are effective in fighting other units. So by using the information in the 'Enemy Unit(s) Available' screen, you will have a good idea of which units of your own to deploy, especially at the beginning of a battle.
• Do buy the Character trait upgrades. The Character trait upgrades apply to every unit you currently have so they are well worth buying.
• The key to making progress, and winning the game, is to evolve before your enemy does. If you can have units that your enemy does not have, or if you can have a skilled unit and your enemy only has the same unit but the unit is unskilled, this gives you a definite advantage. On the other hand, if the situation is reversed, you will be at a disadvantage.

Richard's Rating: 5 out of 5.

Pro: Strategy War is absolutely fantastic! It is every bit as good as Age of War 2. And believe me, that is saying a heck of a lot. Play it for 15 minutes, and I am sure you will be quite impressed!

If You Enjoyed This Post, Or Game, Please Take 5 Seconds To Share It.