Toy Soldiers Review (Xbox Live)

"I'd rather die than go back in the bucket!"

Back before we had the convenience of video game systems (when I was a kid, it was all about the Atari 2600 and Nintendo Entertainment System), kids were playing with toy soldiers.  There was nothing like getting a bucket full of plastic army men, lining them up on the battlefield, and re-enacting your own epic war, whether it was for control over the living room or a rescue mission to save a bowl of ice cream.  (Hey, some people have simple goals.)  Signal Studios remembers these days fondly, and allows you to re-enact them with the Xbox Live Arcade release Toy Soldiers.

Instead of having to place hundreds of soldiers in particular spots, your job is to set up battle units around your toy box, including machine gun turrets, super-tanks, mortar units and other pieces of offensive artillery.  The goal is to keep enemies from entering your toy box and winning the battle.

With each kill, you earn cash, which you can then turn around to buy new toys on your side of the field.  You can line up trenches with toy barbed wire fences, buy new pieces of offense equipment, or upgrade your current equipment.  We suggest placing stuff around your base first, then commencing with the upgrades.  You don’t want to leave yourself open for a blindsiding enemy attack.  What’s even better, if you’re ready for the next wave of enemies and don’t feel like waiting on a countdown, you can hit the X button and move them along.

Rather than play out like most tower defense games, Toy Soldiers provides you a hands-on approach.  At any time during the battle, you can hop into any of your available units and take control, shooting at enemies with a machine gun turret, firing mortar bullets (three rounds apiece), or jumping onto the sniper tower and picking off baddies piece by piece.  This is a nice change of pace from usual games in this genre, making it easy for first-time players to pick up and play.

We do want to note, though, that there are only so many battle units available.  While what’s here is serviceable (including aerial bombers and the ability to snipe), there are really only six in all.  Perhaps for future DLC (or perhaps a sequel), Signal Studios should consider diversifying the line-up, maybe even adding individual soldier types and better vehicles to mix things up.

War is hell, no matter what room of the house you're in.

Toy Soldiers looks and sounds outstanding.  The visuals use a mix of classic, nostalgic advertisements (this is an old-school war game, not Modern Warfare) and plenty of clever “toy” touches on the battlefield, such as how a horse breaks into plastic pieces when you destroy it.  The battle areas are diversely designed, with plenty of foliage to peek around and high points to spot enemy infantry.  The game as a whole runs very smoothly, even when larger enemies (such as a boss, like an enlarged cannon or a nearly impenetrable tank) take the field.  We also like the modern touches, such as the tall lamp that sits in the corner, unscathed by gunfire.

Make sure you get a quality sound system or headphones for Toy Soldiers.  The music is stirring, as if you’re marching into a real battle.  The audio effects are equally satisfying, with lots of explosions and authentic gunfire from the era.  We also dig the occasional voice effects, as these soldiers mean business (even though they don’t look the part).

The main campaign mode will take you a few hours to get through, especially on the Elite difficulty.  Here, you’ll have to do everything the hard way, as your team won’t assist you with gunfire.  So, if you want to stop enemies, it’s all on you.  It’s definitely a challenge, and one we wouldn’t recommend until you’re absolutely prepared for it.  If you prefer battling with friends, the game also supports two-player split-screen skirmishes, and lets you find opponents via Xbox Live as well.

1,200 Microsoft points ($15) might be a steep asking price for a tower defense game (it could’ve easily sold for 2/3 that price), but overall Toy Soldiers is a fun user-friendly entry in the genre.  The presentation is a clever blend of classic toy play and retro war themes, and the gameplay is highly addictive, especially if you’re skilled enough to take on Elite.  The two-player skirmishes can’t be beat, either.  So go play with your Toys.