First contact is quite good but need play more for a safer/deeper opinion

[Dorok]

I only played the first 3 maps of first campaign, haven't finished yet the 3rd. Overall it's clearly Battle Isle influenced but not with the exact same rules and turns mechanisms.

If for each map there's a reminder of real history war events, it's not a wargame targeting to try mimic past historical battles. It's more fun oriented and quite free for map design of each map of each campaign.

It share many similarities with Battle World Kronos but its design seems more oriented with factory abilities. In BWK most maps are very oriented to scouting, conquer, much more than production and managing reinforcement and healing/repair. In SoW, first maps of the first campaign, it's more balanced and production and managing flaw from front to bases play a more important role than in BWK. This flow is not only about bringing new units produced to front, but also bring front experienced units back to base for heal/repair and then back to front.

So in the light strategy/tactical wargame category it's quite pleasant. But it's just first steps, and play more maps will tell more, the key point will be AI and maps design.

About types of units, seems since second maps there's already most types perhaps not all variations. Transports, armored vehicles, artilleries, troops, train transport and armored train, in third map there's engineer able doing repair, build and destroy trenches.

So first contact is rather pleasant, but it's not telling yet how good is or isn't the game.

[Dorok]

Finished 4rth map and started 5th, which is a bit different as you start without factory (but you have regular income so you can repair/heal). This one seems have a start a bit more tricky so it will be more significant for what follow.

For now it seems the AI isn't good, eventually it is nerfed for first maps but that would be strange as maps setup should be enough to manage the difficulty increase.

The temporary feeling is a sort of Battle World Kronos somehow simplified and not as challenging. Its UI hasn't the polishing level of BWK, for example transports have a capacity and the game doesn't show it that well. There's a bar showing the fill level but it's only a part of information and you can carry only one heavy artillery and this bar doesn't show it well. But it's not major points and one point is well done, probably better than in BWK, it's with each unit, the number of AP, number of AP left and there's a differentiation for AP movements and AP movements or action. This shows pretty well what units still to play or not.

Otherwise in term of features each map add new stuff, in last I quoted plane and new type of troops.

So pleasant and fair fun, fairly good UI but some more polishing would be better, good amount of features and diversity, eventually the AI needs be improved on both aspects, tactic and strategy.

[Wartasticus]

I agree that the AI is a sticking point for the potential of this game. I think Spirit of War has a lot going for it and, by and large, hits the niche it is aiming for.

It's just that I've noticed early in the game (up to map 4) that the AI is simply not challenging. I don't mean it's not Caesar - I mean it's not putting up a competent fight. It also seems to over-produce artillery (not that that's all bad, but playing against a more balanced opponent is more fun).

Would love to play this game at a level where there is at least some question about winning a map...

[terabyter9000]

Good mini review but did you finish the game?

[Dorok]

Sigh, nope.