Taking the fun out of warfare, the rated 'E10+' for Everyone Ages 10 and Up, 'Advance Wars: Days of Ruin' for the Nintendo DS systems from Intelligent System, is the same great strategy based game the series has been known for with an updated darker look and storyline to match. The world has been decimated by a natural meteor strike and 90% of the population has been wiped out.The 10% that's left either hang on to whatever hope they have and rebuild, try to dominate and control the military due to the chaos or just plain destroy whatever is left as they give in to the hopelessness of this dire and desolate new world. You are the sole young survivor of a military academy directly hit by a meteor who comes across a group of bandits who want to kill you for no other reason finding you alive.

Luckily you are saved by a roving battalion who goes around looking to help survivors with the mantra that the world can be rebuilt as long as there is hope left in humanity.It's a definite change from the 'brightly colored army' versus 'darker army' mentality that the series has used so far.As for the gameplay, it takes the standard 'Advance Wars' ideas and improves on a few of them. The two opposing armies will start on a mapped grid with different terrain, buildings and cities on them and with a certain number of units available to each of them. The goal of each skirmish is either wipe out the opposing army or capture the enemy's headquarters.

Since Dual Strike hit the scene, the DS has caught on in a huge way, so the time was apparently ripe for a sequel to emerge, and so it has with Advance Wars: Days of Ruin. This new Advance Wars.

As you would expect, each unit has certain strengths and weaknesses that you will have to use to your advantage when positioning and attacking the enemy. You also have to ability create certain units as you capture factories and control cities on the map.There are some new changes that increase the strategy of the game that makes things a little interesting. If your commander for the match is riding in a unit and that unit destroys and enemy unit, that unit will level the commander up which will provide the unit with special bonuses along with the unit's own level up bonus. You even have the ability to move your commander to a different unit and provide them with the bonus should your tactics call for it.While the ability to play against opponents using the DS Wi-Fi capability has returned, you can now make and edit your own custom maps and play those maps online as well.

Sadly, I did not have enough time to take the game online, but the fact that you can do so with this title (and that I've heard pretty good things about it) cannot be a bad thing. I know, I'm disappointed with me too on this game. Sorry everyone. I was just way too into the single player mode and storyline. While it wasn't Oscar worthy, it was enough to definitely keep me interested. The visuals also do their part to bring you into the new desolate tone of this new world.

Unfortunately, this is one issues I had with the game.My other main issue is the difficulty. The game starts off easy with tutorial missions to get you back into the 'Advance Wars' swing of things, then ratchets up after the 7th or 8th mission pretty quickly, as if to make sure you've been paying attention to the game's tutorial missions on how to use and control your units efficiently, so be ready.With the new found 'more realistic' darkness to the story, visuals and the increased difficulty, I would have to recommend newcomers to the series to the brighter, less serious 'Advance Wars: Dual Strike' before this one. The difficulty curve on Dual Strike seemed a little more forgiving to me on ' Advance Wars: Dual Strike', and the storyline is more light-hearted and carefree, (or as carefree as you can be when launching an aerial assault against your enemy.)For this iteration, it keeps to its namesake. 'Advance Wars: Days of Ruin', is more for the advanced gamer to enjoy and fully appreciate to get the most out of this game.

If you've never played the game but want to know what all the fuss about this series is about, pick up any of its predecessors for an easier wade into the strategy pool. Veterans to the 'Advance Wars' saga, or strategy games in general, should definitely jump into 'Advance Wars: Days of Ruin' with both feet; the warfare is just fine.Alejandro's GameCore Review Equation: (Advanced) Challenging + WiFi + User Made Maps + Darker Overtones - Not for Beginners = Good Buy ONLY if you're used to 'Advanced Wars' or other strategy games.By Alejandro K. BrownFirst published on March 20, 2008 / 12:38 PM© 2008 CBS. All rights reserved.

.: October 30, 2013 (Platinum status reward)Mode(s),Advance Wars: Days of Ruin, released as Advance Wars: Dark Conflict in Europe and Australia, is a for the. It is the fourth installment in the series (preceded by ) and was released in North America on January 21, 2008; in Europe on January 25, 2008; and in Australia on February 21, 2008. A Japanese release was announced under the title of Famicom Wars DS: Ushinawareta Hikari, but was canceled after several delays. However, on October 30, 2013, it became available in Japan through as a downloadable platinum status reward for the system.Advance Wars: Days of Ruin was intended to have a darker atmosphere and more serious tone in contrast to the previous installments in the series, and features a new storyline independent of the previous games.

Set amidst a world, the story focuses on the Rubinelle 12th Battalion, one of the surviving remnants of the military of the country of Rubinelle, which had been locked in a century-long war with its rival, Lazuria, prior to a devastating global. In the aftermath, the Battalion devotes itself to saving any other survivors of the disaster, despite the shattered nations renewing their war against each other and an uncurable disease ravaging both sides. Meanwhile, a mysterious faction with unknown motives takes advantage of the destruction and pushes both sides deeper into conflict from behind the scenes. Contents.Gameplay The objective in Days of Ruin is for the player to use their military force to defeat the enemy's force. Except for certain single player missions with special objectives, there are two ways to defeat an opponent: destroy all of the enemy's units or capture their headquarters. The battle system is turn-based. Two to four forces, each headed by a (CO), take turns building and commanding units on grid-based maps.

Every turn, units, which consist of ground, sea and air units, can move across the different types of terrain and attack enemy units or perform other actions, such as submerging a submarine or resupplying friendly units. Many factors can affect the battle, such as, a phenomenon that prevents players from seeing enemy units other than those in the visual range of their units; various weather conditions; and CO powers. Gameplay in Days of Ruin.

COs and CO powers The entire cast from the previous games has been replaced with new characters. CO powers have been toned down, and no longer affect all units or the whole battle or the whole map. Tag powers from Dual Strike which allowed players to move twice in one turn have been removed. Players gain CO powers much later in the campaign than before, and they have a much less significant role in overall gameplay.At the HQ or any unit-producing property, COs can join with a specific unit, and automatically promote that unit to Vet level, but at the cost of half of that unit's value. The CO's unit confers an advantage on friendly units within a certain range, the 'CO zone.'

These effects are generally minor advantages such as attack or defense boosts. CO effects are constant and, unlike previous games, only benefit units within the CO zone.As damage is dealt by units within the CO zone, the CO's power meter fills slightly, at a rate of one bar per five hit points worth of damage inflicted. As the CO power meter is filled, the CO zone grows larger. When the meter is full, the CO can activate his power which has an effect on the whole battlefield, such as repairing allied units, damaging enemy units, or temporarily altering weather conditions. In addition, the offensive and defensive boosts that normally apply only in the CO zone, also applies to all allied units on the whole battlefield for the turn that the CO power is active.

If the CO unit is destroyed, the CO meter empties and the CO returns to the HQ, able to be redeployed with another unit. Illusion of gaia music. New units, properties, and terrain Units can now level up in battle, increasing their capabilities. Units increase their level once for each enemy unit that they destroy. The level of each unit is identified as I, II, or Vet, with Vet being the highest level. While units with higher levels are more powerful than new units, the power increase is slight.

Unit experience is not persistent, and the player begins each mission with new units. Not only does the attack increase, but the defense of the unit also increases.Unit prices have been readjusted and some units renamed, as well as new ones introduced. New land units include the Bike, a highly mobile infantry unit that can capture properties; the Flare, an armored vehicle unit that can reveal areas affected by the Fog of War; the Anti-Tank, an indirect-fire unit strong against tanks with the ability to counter-attack during direct attacks; and the War Tank (formerly the Mega Tank), the strongest ground unit in the game. New air units include the Duster, a weaker, lower-cost interceptor that can strike ground units; and the Seaplane, which is produced by Carriers and can attack any unit, but has limited ammo and fuel reserves. Additionally, there is a single new sea unit, the Gunboat, which is armed with a missile salvo that must be resupplied after each use, and can transport one infantry/mech unit. Also, the Battleship was given the ability to move and fire in the same turn, making it the only indirect-combat unit able to do so.New properties have also been introduced, including temporary properties which are constructed by the Rig unit (formerly known as the APC).

Temporary properties cannot build new units like other properties can, but can only be used as stationary resupply bases providing some defensive cover for units, and can be captured. Each Rig unit can construct one of two temporary properties, the Temporary Port and Temporary Airport. Additionally, the new Radar property has been added; when captured it clears a five-tile radius of Fog of War.New terrain is available in the game: Wasteland, which impedes the movement of ground vehicles; Ruins, which provide a minor defense bonus for ground units and hiding places in Fog of War; Fire, which is impassable and illuminates the surrounding area during Fog of War; Rough Sea, which impedes the movement of naval units; Mist, which provides a defense bonus and hiding places for naval units; and Meteors and Plasma.

Plasma forms an impassable wall that no unit can cross, and is generated by Meteors. Once a Meteor is destroyed, any Plasma in contact with it disappears, allowing units to pass. Plasma that is not in contact with a meteor cannot be destroyed. Campaign The campaign plays out through 26 missions, with story scenes that tie the plot together occurring between and during the battles. In addition, 38 training missions are unlocked as the missions are completed. The training missions are more challenging, entirely optional, and can be played separately from the campaign.

One new feature in Days of Ruin is that campaign missions can now be played individually as the player completes them. Like the training missions, campaign missions can be selected from the main menu at any time.Upon completing a mission, the player is awarded a rank, starting with the lowest at C and going to B, A and S, which is the highest. The ranks are based on three categories: Power, Technique, and Speed, each determined by meeting certain conditions in a battle. All three categories are rated on a scale from 0-150, and added together to form a numerical ranking from 0-450 in addition to their letter ranking; for example, any score between 300-450 earns an S ranking. Nintendo of Europe.

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