"A fun little game that could have been so much more [Single-player review]"

Warhammer Squad Commander in a Nutshell.

Warhammer Squad Commander is a 3D team-based strategy game released for Nintendo DS and PSP. The gameplay follows a proven formula, and is similar to games like Kill Squad, and the early X-Com games.

So how exactly does the game play?

Well, to start, the game informs you of a terrible force on a desert planet. The storyline descriptions are not very enlightening most of time, and consist of 3-4 sentences at the start of each mission. These descriptions are accompanied by 2 or 3 mainly static images that show the situation. The storyline isn't particularly well crafted, and it really shows.

A mission briefing screen then lets you know your objectives, how you can fail, and includes a small 2-3 sentence briefing, which usually just states the objectives again. Next comes the weapon equipment screen. Here you are able to choose what weapons your units will carry into combat. Unlike earlier games of similar genres (like X-Com), you can only select what weapons your characters will use. There are not any different kinds of armour you can equip, or accessories like grenades. Hit points and "Action Points" are determined by the unit you use, with action points being lower depending on the weapon and how much ammo you take into combat. Another qualm about the game is that each unit only has 4 possible weapons to choose from.

Alright, so you're ready to start the mission. In the battle screen the map is displayed on the top part of the screen, and the display is on the bottom screen. It works fairly well for finding enemies, and uses a typical fog of war system. Your units all have a fairly large viewing circle, and any enemy within that circle is displayed on the bottom screen, and as a red square on the upper screen. Objectives are displayed as large targetting reticules on the map as well.

You control your units by using either the stylus or the d-pad. You select where to both move your units, and where to shoot. It's nice to see that the game doesn't use a basic grid system; your characters can move anywhere on the map, rather than into specific grids. Movements typically use 1 Action Point, and the action points used to shoot will depend on the weapon. Accuracy can further be increased by the option of using more action points. After your turn is taken, the enemy takes their turn. Battle is fairly enjoyable, and all cover can be blown up through continued shooting. This is where the game shines.

Unfortunately the main problem with the game is what happens after battle. There is an enormous lack of depth! Units that died in battle reappear in the next mission, and there is no level-up system for your units. All you see is a score given based on your performance (turns taken, kills, and how many deaths you received), and an message telling you about new weapons you unlocked for the next mission. It ends up feeling too scripted, and leaves little room for replayability.

The single player contains about 15 missions, and each mission doesn't last particularly long. Although this is a good game, the single player isn't worth a buy at full price alone, so it should only be considered a buy if you have the set-up to play the game online. That said, the game still struggles from a lack of depth, and it can really be felt. I would not recommend the game as a buy, unless the buyer already enjoys the Warhammer 40k tabletop game and wants a brief diversion in video game format.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 12/14/07

Game Release: Warhammer 40,000: Squad Command (EU, 12/07/07)