Normally, video games are here to entertain us, and there are certainly a plethora of genres to choose from. There is something for everyone, but it is not that often when a game makes us question our decisions or even our values as a person. When there is a war, I feel sad because many innocent lives are lost just for power struggle of men that think their ego is more important than their fellow human beings. Due to this, I tend to stay away from first person shooter games that cane sometimes glorify war (this is my honest opinion but have no qualm against those who enjoy them). Most games put you on the role of the soldier fighting for their country, but not many put you on the role of the real victims: the people that have to suffer and ultimately find a way to survive in a country ravaged by war. This War of Mine: Complete Edition is a game that has made me think about my choices. And although it is just a game, it shows a lot about human nature, looking at how in times of conflict some have an attitude that is every man for himself. However, there are others who retain their values and give us hope that there will be a better tomorrow.
In this War of Mine: Complete Edition–as the name implies–is the most complete and up to date edition. It has two different modes to choose from: Classic and Stories. Classic Mode is where you play in a scenario with random survivors, each with their respective story and traits. In my first play-through, I had a pretty balanced team (in my opinion) with Bruno (a good cook), Pavle ( a fast runner), and Katia (with good bargaining skills). Due to my lack of skill, Katia was my first death, but luckily if you are fond of the group you start the game with, there is a second chance with each team (although you start from the beginning).
Since this is a survival-style game, during the day, your characters don´t do much except rest and eat. At the beginning of the game, the shelter you start in is full of rooms to explore and debris to clear, but since you lack tools, they take a while to clear. However, you can use three characters, so you can spread the activities until you inevitably get to the point in which you need a specific tool like a lock pick to open doors. At night, the game changes, since you get the option to send a member of your group to scavenge for food and materials to secure your shelter and to be able to build tools and facilities to help you survive a little more comfortable. Once you get enough food and materials, you return to the shelter and the cycle continues.
However, to make things even more interesting, there are random events like a trader knocking at your door to do some trading (most of the time he tries to rip you off by asking too much for some items), and sometimes you might get someone knocking your door for helping people trapped. These type of events give a more human side to the game, and it’s up to you to decide to help or not. However, the actions you take affect your characters as well. One event that really hit me is when the calm house is available to visit during the night when you scavenge). When I got to said location, I found out that it was the house of a elderly couple. The first thing he said is, “Who’s there? Are you going to kill us? Please don’t hurt my wife. She is sick.” And sure enough, I took all of the food from the fridge but didn’t feel like exploring more of the house. When my character got back from the shelter, there was enough food but he was affected by what he did, even to the point of affecting other survivors. It’s things like this that really makes me think about the decisions made (as a fact whenever there is an event that shocks the character, an extra page of each character’s bio appears so you can read about their thoughts on the matter). But war sometimes does that to people, and if you want to survive, you need to do what it takes to make it until war is over.
The game also includes the expansion “The Little Ones” that introduces children as survivors. The children don’t have the same scavenging abilities like adults, but with time, they help on the shelter doing chores. This adds a mode of difficulty to the already emotionally charged story because not only the adults have to be mindful of how they are feeling, but also be mindful of the children, all while keeping a good eye on their levels as well as their own. This also adds more shock during your scavenging trips. If you don’t have someone keeping watch, sometimes the group is attacked by bandits who steal your scarce resources, and sometimes they even hurt members of the group, even children.
In Classic mode, there is also a Tell My Story mode in which players can create a custom scenario that includes options to control the amount of survivors and even when the ceasefire occurs. So far, there is a lot of replay value on the Classic mode only.
With Stories mode, it’s not just about the survivors only finding a way to get until the ceasefire but also surviving while dealing with their own personal problems. The first story is about Adam and his daughter Amelia and how war has changed their lives after his wife/her mother dies. It also looks at how Amelia has changed, even to the point of getting really sick. Not to spoil much, but after his daughter is abducted by his brother, Adam must search for clues every night while scavenging to get where she is. This twist to the Classic mode (although using same controls and objectives as classic mode) feels fresh. If you already had your fill on it, as of time of writing, there is only one story with more to come later as DLC.
Graphically, the game looks really dark, and it fits well because this is a story of war. The different hues of gray and black look really good. When there is color is, it is because that’s a sign of danger. The music is gloomy and helps emphasize that war sucks and brings nothing but pain and sadness, and I commend the developer for bringing this story to the Nintendo Switch.
Bottom Line: This War of Mine Complete Edition is a game that shows the reality of war and what it does to humankind. I am really touched because no game had made me question my choices and moral ground before. And while mentioned this before, it is just a game, but it is a game with a powerful message. If you are a fan of survival games with a terrific story to boot , look no further. This War of Mine will shock your very core. I give it a solid recommendation, and as a personal thought, I hope that none of you readers, or me have to go through what the characters of the game went through.
A Review copy was provided for this review.