
System: PC, PS3, Xbox 360 | ![]() |
Dev: 11 Bit Studios | |
Pub: 11 Bit Studios | |
Release: November 14, 2014 | |
Players: 1 | |
Screen Resolution: 480p-1080p |
These decisions weigh heavily on the morale of the other members, and you'll find yourself dipping into a depressed state because of them. This War of Mine has no cheerful interludes, no happy endings, just a constant struggle to survive. That said, I found it incredibly hard to pull myself away from it. The constant fluctuations of strategy, the prospect of finding useful items each day and upgrading household necessities, or perhaps simply my desire to cling to the hope that I may overcome the dire odds, all kept me playing just one more day in the game, just one more night to scavenge, just one more chance that a dealer would come knocking on our door with a gun to trade so we could defend ourselves better, or some food so we wouldn't starve to death.
This dreariness is heightened through the game's presentation. The screen is bathed in monochromatic backgrounds and sketchy pencil effects as background animations. As a character's condition grows dire, he or she moves more slowly with their head hung low. Quick flashes in the distance are followed by the booming sound of exploding mortar shells. The music score is somber, softened only if you build a radio and change the dial from the morbid news channels to the classical music station, which I found myself doing everyday just offer a shred a respite from the horror of war.
This War of Mine eats away at your sanguine disposition, and yet you are compelled and determined to keep trying to survive. Each fresh start provides new characters, new locations to scavenge, and new obstacles to overcome. As bleak as the world is portrayed, 11 bit studios has a well polished title that does a masterful job of never letting you feel safe in your home and secure in your belongings. No matter how many hours you invest into bettering your situation, it's a constant struggle to survive in This War of Mine.
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By Sean Engemann Contributing Writer Date: November 14, 2014 |
Game Features: