Have you ever wanted what would happen if you mixed Mass Effect, Fallout and a side on platformer? I didn't think so, but in case you ever have done then this is probably your answer. This War of Mine is a port from the acclaimed PC version and this one made for consoles features the chance to also live things through the eyes of a child, although on my playing time on it, this actually never happened.
This is, however, surprisingly dark and intense, with emotional turmoil around every corner. You play as three civilians who are staying in an abandoned house and basically have to fend for themselves, but as times get harder they begin to be tested in ways they haven't been before, resulting in some pretty tough decisions, which in turn end up making you feel really crappy.
The beauty of this game is that personal trip it takes you on, as it is very well executed. In the video at the start of this review you'll see that I end up killing someone's son because of a botched up trade in a "well, it was either them or me." kind of thing. Doing that though results in the father becoming understandably upset and then grieving for his loss, so I took him out as well to stop his suffering. The problem then is that your character begins to feel guilt and all the feelings associated with it. The depth of the emotional rollercoaster is pretty large and it is this intricacy that will have you coming back.
It has a nice graphical style. If you could picture mixing the side on feel of Shadow Complex with the eerie feeling of a horror game like Left 4 Dead, but without the zombies. The Fallout side of things comes in the form of scavenging for supplies from other areas to enhance your own area, as well as trading with people who come round and want to exchange with you. You need to keep your eye on all of these things though because tiredness and fatigue can contribute to your character wellbeing, as well as hunger and injury. This War of Mine really keeps you on your toes and the best thing is that it looks like it doesn't really need to put the effort in either.
I was lucky enough to get to about day 12, but it is horrendously hard, I won't lie to you. Your days are spent building and taking care of your colleagues and at night, your scavenger will head out to one of many areas spread throughout the town you're in, but there will be elements of danger associated with some of them, especially if the prizes to get are more essential than others. You can use a shovel to attack, as well as get to other areas on a map and other utilities can be put to secondary uses.
As I say, there is such a huge amount of depth to this that you will not be short of things you need to do, but you will also be doing it with a great degree of care and awareness. It makes you think in ways that only story rich RPG games make you think and this is testament to the way it is built. The only downside is that as much as this is the strength of This War is Mine, it is also the main weakness, as some of your players can get SO down and depressed that even you begin to think "what's the point?" and may be tempted to switch off, but try and fight through it and you will be rewarded.
This War of Mine is an in-depth look into the soul of three people who are on the brink and it will engage you in such a way that you really can't step away. You become part of their lives, no matter how long or short they may be. I would recommend this with no hesitation to those who enjoy their games with an incessant need to care about their characters and the choices they make.
A diamond in the rough it is then, with four stars to keep it shining.
Thanks to the XBox Community in their help to review this game.