Software:Warbits
| Warbits | |
|---|---|
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| Developer(s) | Risky Lab |
| Publisher(s) | Risky Lab |
| Programmer(s) | Joseph Borghetti |
| Artist(s) | Reilly Stroope |
| Engine | Cocos2d |
| Platform(s) | iOS |
| Release | April 13, 2016 |
| Genre(s) | Turn-based tactics |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Warbits is a 2016 turn-based tactics video game developed and published by Risky Lab. It was released on April 13, 2016, for iOS. The game revolves around a virtual war between rival nations. While such wars have become commonplace to settle political disputes without actual violence, a glitch in the simulation soon becomes threatening to all factions. A remaster, Warbits+, was announced in 2021 for iOS, Windows and Android, with its release TBA.[1]
The game received positive reception from critics for its gameplay, graphics and humor. The developers were inspired to create a mobile strategy game similar to Advance Wars, earning many comparisons by critics upon its release. Journalists were mixed on whether its similarity to Advance Wars was beneficial or detrimental, but agreed it would appeal to fans of this style of game.
Gameplay and plot
Warbits pits two or more armies against each other in a stylized simulation of futuristic warfare. It is based heavily on the Advance Wars series, which have similar gameplay in a more modern military setting. Each player controls a large army of soldiers and vehicles, with the objective usually being to wipe out the enemy's units or capture their headquarters. Neutral cities can be captured by soldiers to generate money, which can be spent on manufacturing new units at factories.[2]
Units largely correspond to those in Advance Wars. The most basic units are Infantry, with Light Infantry being fast and inexpensive, and Heavy Infantry being slower and more costly. The former is more useful for capturing buildings, while the latter is more effective against ground vehicles. Similarly, there are two types of armored vehicles, the lower-cost Light Mech and the more durable Heavy Mech. The Ranger unit, a sniper squad most effective on mountains, must wait a turn before attacking. Scout probes, the most inexpensive form of vehicle, are able to hover and cross shallow water, as well as illuminate large areas of the map. In addition to the APC, Artillery and Gunner flak cannon, the game contains various forms of aircraft, such as the Gunship, Fighter and Bomber.[3] Each type of units have their own strengths and weaknesses. For example, anti-aircraft guns are powerful against bombers. Units are affected by standing on certain terrain tiles, with areas such as forest and towns providing defensive bonuses and concealing units in the fog of war.[2]
The game has a single-player campaign as well as local and online multiplayer. The campaign of Warbits takes place in a previously war-torn world that agreed to replace deadly combat with a simulation game, allowing political disputes to be settled without costing "billions of lives".[2][3] The player controls the Red Bear Republic, which responds to mysterious provocations from other nations.[4] Strange structures also start appearing within the simulation that act as obstacles. Before the final mission, it is revealed that the artificial intelligence controlling the simulation has rebelled, seeking to control the nations. The factions, realizing they have been set up, band together to destroy the digital core of the AI.
Development
Warbits was developed by the 2-man indie team of programmer Joseph Borghetti and artist Reilly Stroope, who worked remotely and never met in person. They characterized it as a "dumb idea" due to the potential failure of a "niche strategy game" launching on only a single platform, saying that, while it targeted an under-served market, it was nonetheless a "gargantuan task" for first-time game developers. After being introduced to each other on a small community forum, they commenced development in 2012, seeking to make a mobile game.[5]
The inspiration behind the game was the fact that Advance Wars was not on a mobile platform. The developers assumed it would be finished in 6 months, but realized the large amount of depth and complexity in the Wars games would be more difficult to emulate than they believed. Keeping their day jobs, they developed the game as a hobby, spending the first two years learning how to develop a game from scratch, and the next two years completing the game. Much of the development time was spent simply learning how to program as opposed to creating the game itself. The game was ultimately developed in the Cocos2d engine using Objective-C.[5]
The developers spent about USD $11,000 hiring freelancers to provide assets such as sound effects, music and a trailer. About half the money was spent on a complex backend system and map editor that ultimately went unused. Additional money was spent purchasing an Apple developer license and Dropbox Pro. The developers regretted not starting with smaller games, noting that such a large game could have easily failed and never recouped the time or investment.[5]
Upon launch, the game was made the App Store's Editor's Choice for two weeks straight, attributed to launching during an Earth Day promotion that prevented larger developers from launching their apps. The game sold the majority of units within these two weeks, drastically decreasing afterwards. By late 2016, it had made lifetime sales of USD $173,000, earning the developers USD $116,000. Most of its reviews were from mobile gaming sites rather than more major outlets.[5]
Reception
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Warbits was well-received by critics, gaining "universal acclaim" on Metacritic.[6]
Nadia Oxford of Gamezebo said that the lack of recent Advance Wars games was a "mind-blowing realization", and compared the game to Fire Emblem. However, she praised its "dry" sense of humor and low price. She enjoyed the game's weaponry choices, and called it one heck of a strategy game" with a "deep" and "challenging" campaign, as well as multiplayer options. While criticizing the lack of a preview for enemy movement ranges, and the fact that it was difficult to remember the strengths and weaknesses of units, she nevertheless gave Warbits a nearly perfect score.[2]
Carter Dodson of TouchArcade also rated the game highly. While describing Warbits as unoriginal, he noted that its target audience did not object to this, praising the game's depth and "emergent complexity". He also enjoyed the multiplayer features, especially the hashtag match system, but criticized Game Center for hindering the multiplayer mode. Summing up the campaign's writing as "pretty funny", he nevertheless wanted Warbits to take more risks, feeling it should have been more than simply an "Advance Wars clone".[7] Harry Slater of Pocket Gamer lauded the game as not "dumbed down" for a mobile audience, calling it "wonderfully balanced". Saying that fans desperately wanted "a fully fledged premium strategy game" on mobile, he called its humor "slightly bonkers", reacting positively to its multiplayer.[8]
Tomasso Pugilese of Multiplayer.it said that Warbits said that while the game was very similar to Advance Wars and therefore ultimately unoriginal, the game was "solid", with its campaign being "compelling" and multiplayer being well-executed.[9] Campbell Bird of 148Apps praised the fact that it did not attempt to be a "carbon copy" of its inspiration, saying that instead of making "slight cosmetic changes" and then "calling it a day", the developers made the game "creative and downright charming". Noting that some of the game's systems operated differently, he said that it distinguished itself from Advance Wars enough to not feel like a "pure rip-off".[10]
Legacy
In 2021, the game's developers announced that Warbits+, an updated version of the original, would receive a multi-platform release on iOS, Android and Windows. Warbits+ would include quality-of-life features, cross-platform play, and the ability to create community maps, among other additions. Its release date remains TBA.[1] The developers held an open beta for the game in September 2023.[11]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Madnani, Mikhail (2021-07-06). "Advance Wars-Like 'Warbits' from Risky Lab Is Being Rebuilt from the Ground Up for Modern Devices with Cross Platform Play, Quality of Life Improvements, and More" (in en-US). https://toucharcade.com/2021/07/26/warbits-remake-iphone-android-pc-plus-risky-lab-cross-platform-quality-of-life-screen-size/.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Nadia Oxford (2016-04-15). "Warbits Review: To Arms!". https://www.gamezebo.com/the-best/warbits-review-to-arms/.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Warbits Manual". http://riskylab.com/warbits/WarbitsManual.pdf.
- ↑ Lada, Jenni (2016-04-19). "Warbits Has So Much In Common With Advance Wars" (in en-US). https://www.siliconera.com/warbits-much-common-advance-wars/.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 "Warbits Postmortem" (in en-US). http://riskylab.com/blog/warbits-postmortem/.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Warbits". https://www.metacritic.com/game/warbits/critic-reviews/?platform=ios-iphoneipad.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Dodson, Carter (2016-04-21). "'Warbits' Review - War Never Changes". http://toucharcade.com/2016/04/21/warbits-review/.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Slater, Harry (2016-04-16). "Warbits Review". Pocket Gamer. https://www.pocketgamer.com/warbits/warbits-has-war-even-been-so-much-fun/.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Pugliese, Tommaso (2016-04-22). "Warbits - Recensione" (in it). https://multiplayer.it/recensioni/167094-warbits-toccata-e-fuga.html.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Bird, Campbell (2016-04-29). "Warbits review". https://www.148apps.com/reviews/warbits-review/.
- ↑ Madnani, Mikhail (2023-09-12). "‘Warbits+’ Open Beta Signups Now Available for a Limited Time on iOS and Steam" (in en-US). https://toucharcade.com/2023/09/12/warbits-plus-open-beta-download-iphone-steam-testflight-ios-ipad-cross-platform-advance-wars/.
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