Glory Days 2 Hands-On

Glory Days 2 is a real-time strategy game of sorts in which you'll assume the role of a pilot tasked with managing forces on the ground while also supporting them from the air and completing various objectives. We recently had an opportunity to check out the game's single-player campaign and battle modes. We can also report that while there's certainly a little strategy in there, the focus is definitely on action, and on this occasion, the two appear to complement each other very well.

The campaign in Glory Days 2 will span some 16 levels and three time periods. The first four levels are set during something resembling World War II and see you assuming the role of a reluctant hero named John Abbot. John's missions do a great job of introducing you to and familiarizing you with some of the more advanced gameplay mechanics. Although piloting a plane or helicopter while also managing the deployment of ground units can initially seem a little daunting, the controls--with or without the stylus--are uncomplicated, and it shouldn't take long for you to feel comfortable with them.

Glory Days 2's battlefields are horizontally scrolling 2D landscapes with faction command centers at each end. Dotted along the map are a number of bunkers that earn cash for you when you capture them. To date, the only environmental features that we've had to concern ourselves with are the runways and landing pads where you can restock and repair your plane or helicopter at any time. Typical mission objectives include rescuing civilians by flying them to your command center, destroying enemy bunkers, using soldiers to capture enemy bunkers, and clearing the skies of enemy helicopters so that your ground forces can reach the enemy command center.

Flying your helicopter or plane on the top screen is achieved simply using the D pad or by using your stylus to indicate where you want it to go. Both vehicles are equipped with guns and a limited number of bombs. Although they handle differently, the main differences are that only the plane can perform an evasive loop maneuver, while only the helicopter can carry (up to eight) civilians, soldiers, or paratroopers. Furthermore, while the plane can only land on a runway, the helicopter can land anywhere on the battlefield, so it can pick up or drop off the aforementioned passengers.

Ground units, which include soldiers, tanks, jeeps with antiaircraft guns and a handful of others, require no management whatsoever once they arrive on the battlefield. They spawn at your command center and move across the battlefield in an attempt to reach the opposing faction's command center, doing battle with any enemies that they encounter en route. Much of your time, then, will be spent attempting to clear the route for them by bombing enemy vehicles, shooting down enemy aircraft, and doing whatever it takes to prevent enemy soldiers from fortifying bunkers. Rescuing civilians is also a worthwhile endeavor, not only because you'll be rewarded with resources for doing so, but also because you'll be visiting your command center--which is where you deliver them to safety--to refuel and repair quite frequently anyway.

As missions progress, you'll occasionally gain access to special weapons such as paratrooper drops and V2 rockets. These are rewards for accomplishments on the battlefield, such as bombing 20 targets successfully. Like other strategic options in Glory Days 2, using the special weapons could hardly be simpler and you'd be forgiven for thinking that it makes very little difference how and when you use them. There's plenty of method in what appears to be this game's madness, though, and that's why using all of your resources to build tanks (as you might in some other RTS games) really isn't an option here. Every unit has its purpose, and you'll find that putting together a balanced army is generally the right way to go. The bottom screen, incidentally, is used to show you what other units are up to, offering you on-the-fly "highlights" of the battle.

In between missions, your current character's story will be told via a series of letters that he writes home. For example, John writes home to his parents and comes across as a reluctant but dedicated hero who would like nothing more than to see the war come to an end as quickly as possible. We haven't spent enough time with either of the other characters to comment on their motivations, but we can tell you that their views on war run deep; their letters offer commentary on how war has changed over the years as a result of, for example, press coverage.

If you're not in the mood for campaign missions, Glory Days 2 also lets you set up skirmish battles with custom variables, such as which time period each army is from, how much money it has access to, and whether friendly fire will be a concern or not. Multicard battles for up to eight players will also be supported, although with access to only one copy of the game at present, we're not entirely sure how those are going to work. We look forward to bringing you more information as soon as it becomes available.