War, war never changes. Sadly but true, since war always ends in the destruction of human lives, beautiful cities, and the only thing we remember is what the victor writes down in the books. Sure, this is an exaggeration of the actual process, since it’s much more complicated. And Warsaw made war even more complicated.
Warsaw (or Warschau) is a city in Poland and played a key role during World War 2. Hitler started its advance in 1939 in Poland; the Soviets destroyed a lot of territory in Poland while battling the German troops over the years (up till 1945), and it was the home of a lot of death camps (mostly known as Auschwitz-Birkenau). Auschwitz started as a farming experiment but was gradually turned into a mass execution labor camp we all know from the history lessons.
Warsaw
So let’s dive deeper into a city besieged by enemy forces, were the only hope for freedom is to stand up and fight with everything you have. Muster every able body to join the Uprising, loot, and salvage what you can to arm your resistance and take on the overwhelming enemy forces that dared invade your home. In these trying times, everyone must fight with all their strength and courage. The young, the old, men, women and children, enlisted and civilians. Learn their immersive backstories, make use of their diverse and unique skill sets, and put them to good use against the occupants.
In a fight so uneven and one-sided, you will have to use your skill wisely to survive. Use versatile tactics to get ahead by flanking, ambushing, and distracting enemy patrols to place them exactly where you want them. Learn and use the abilities of your team carefully to ensure your survival. Take your team to the dangerous streets of 1944 Warsaw, carefully and faithfully reconstructed to deliver an immersive experience. Participate in historical events intertwining with random encounters to create your own story in the besieged city.
Warsaw Dun- Darkest Wars-
It was with this enthusiasm that I started my playthrough with Warsaw. First impressions? Nothing about the above. Why did you mention it then! Well, to give a heads-up mostly. Warsaw tries to be a historical tactical Darkest Dungeon with real-life events all pushed into animesque gaming styles. You still with me? I lost myself there. I fired up (ha) the tutorial and worked my way through. The amount of text and complex options is overwhelming, and by your second battle, you are given ‘conditions’ that are not do-able for a tutorial.
I applaud Warsaw for picking Poland for it’s setting since Poland is one of those countries with a fascinating history (it vanished from the world map for a while). But they are trying too hard to be DARKEST HISTORY DUNGEON, which ruins the game for me. It literally follows the concept of Git Gud or dies trying. Challenge is good, slamming a door in someone’s face during the tutorial (and everything that follows), not.
Conclusion
Warsaw has some good concepts and mechanics if you look past my rant, but there was no click. It has potential but does not hit the ‘mark.’ And if you are in the market for some Darkest Dungeon, buy Darkest Dungeon instead of this weird historical ‘knock-off.’ Nor is it Fire Emblem, which popped into my head when writing this conclusion. It’s a mixed bag, lifting on a concept. As a historian, I disapprove.
