Game Review #236: Warparty (Nintendo Switch)

Updated: Oct 8, 2019

Reviewer: Chad M.

Developer: Warcave

Publisher: Crazy Monkey

Category: Strategy

Release Date: 3.28.2019

Price (at time of review): $24.99

Buy Warparty from the eShop here.

Build The Strategy Then Tear It Down

This is usually where I open up with how the eShop is growing so large, very rapidly, and how there are so many games to choose from in every genre. One genre I’m having a hard time with is Real-Time Strategy games, especially ones that center around simulation of building societies and battling them. The big daddy games that come to mind would be Age of Empire, Warcraft, or Starcraft, but as those haven’t made their way over yet to the Switch, it’s only natural to see developers take a shot at that open space. The developer Warcave is throwing their hat into the RTS ring with a new game, Warparty, so let’s jump in and see how this one stacks up.

A Long Time Ago Stuff Happened

In ancient times, a powerful civilization thrived, blending technology and magic to assert their dominion over the world. Eons have passed since their fall, and nature has reclaimed its place, leading wild beasts and dinosaurs to roam the land once again. The tribes of men have emerged and grown in this savage environment. Using whatever tools they have at their disposal and harnessing the powers of the Ancients from the ruins of their cities and temples, they thrive and fight with each other for the limited resources of this world. Lead your people to victory, expand your tribe, and harness the power of beasts and lost artifacts. Shape your people to overcome their rivals and become the uncontested rulers of all.

You Bring A Sword & I Bring A Dinosaur

There are three warring factions you can choose from, and each has its own advantages. The barbarian “Wildlanders”, who are expert builders, the vengeful “Vithara”, who are an elvish race who can control dinosaurs, and finally, the menacing “Necromas”, who can summon and control the dead. There are multiple modes I’ll get into later, but there is a main campaign for each faction, and they do get more difficult as they progress—you can tweak the difficulty, however, if this is a problem. The overall main objective is to destroy everything and kill everyone. Talk about keep it simple, stupid!

I’m not going to go into great depth on what every single button does, as there is an entire detailed tutorial for the controls and gameplay. What I will say is that the controls are decent, but the game was obviously made for PC, and having a mouse would be much easier to control, especially when all hell breaks out. Yes, in handheld mode it’s a little better, but I preferred the docked mode, as handheld was showing some slowdown in battles. But, as I said, for what it is, the controls are decent. When this type of PC game comes to console, you can tell right away if the effort was made—and it was. It handles fine, and didn’t take away from my experience.

The gameplay is done well, but is very reminiscent of WarCraft 3; but to be compared to a game like that, you’d hope it at least keeps the same level of quality, or innovates and brings in new ideas and gameplay to the genre—and it doesn’t. For the most part, I had a good time playing Warparty, but never did I have that feeling that I couldn’t put it down, nor did I feel a huge rush to get back to it. But, while playing, it always amused and kept me interested, as I think dinosaurs just seem to make everything better. The kid in me comes out and I just want to see them tear each other apart and battle.

Besides the tutorial and campaign, there are also two other modes: Survival Mode, and AI Skirmish Mode. The campaign is where I spent most my time and enjoyed myself while playing, but I couldn’t help but peek over the fence at the PC version online, and I found out it came with Multiplayer, which is absent in the Switch version. This is a missed opportunity.

Audio & Visuals

Again, I really messed up by looking at the PC version, because it looks so much better on that platform. It looked a little muddy and ran with a lower frame rate in handheld mode. The overall look, again, will remind you of past games, and that’s OK, I just wish the graphics were a little sharper. The audio was another area that needed work, as the voiceover work was pretty bad and laughable, with the music feeling out of place.

It’s A Wrap!!!

I’ve been longing for a great RTS on Switch, but what I feel we got here was just a decent one. Now, in saying that, if you do choose to give Warparty a try, I can say that it ran smoothly in docked mode, and the gameplay was fun—and who doesn’t like using dinosaurs or zombies to wreck villages and kill people? I think the price is tad high for such a competitive eShop, but if you have that RTS itch, Warparty will help you scratch it with a raptor claw.