A scaled down strategy offering it may be but for sheer fun and enjoyment it's got everything you need.
The game is set in a world divided by war and features six nations with each one being based on a real life country. The factions are the Western Frontier(America), the Anglo Isles(Britain), the Solar Empire(Japan), the Tundran Territories(Russia), the Iron Legion(an old Germany only playable in missions set in the past) and Xylvania(Germany). The games five campaigns see you use each faction and the story is well paced. However it does become difficult towards the end. Although nothing a seasoned gamer shouldn't be able to handle. The story is fun but you won't be likely to find yourself replaying it. Well animated cut scenes tell the story and they feature some excellent production values and memorable characters such as Colonel Windsor of the Anglo Isles. Yes the game is very much built on popular stereotypes.
Something I would like to have seen is faction specific units. Each faction has the same units just in different colour schemes. It's only a minor drawback though and doesn't detract from the quality of the game. There are four kinds of units, infantry such as grunts and Flame vets, ground vehicles such as recons and heavy tanks, air units such as bombers and gunships and naval units such as battleships and submarines. To succeed you'll need to utilise the strengths of each unit at your disposal because mistakes can be costly. For example make sure you've cleared the enemies anti-air units with infantry and ground vehicles before sending in your air units or they'll be slaughtered.
The games controls hold up well and the simple interface makes it easy to use. You can select individual units, types of unit or all your units at once. Swapping between which unit you are personally in control of is as simple as a button press as well. The controls work well for combat although the lock on can be a bit dodgy at times, however for the most part it works fine.
Aside from the campaign the game also boasts a variety of online modes. These are skirmish, assault and co-op and all three can be played with friends or strangers over Nintendo wi-fi connection. Skirmish is just a straight out fight to see who can get the most points in the time limit by killing the enemy, co-op tasks both players with working together to complete all th objectives within the time limit and assault sees one player defending and the other attacking. If the attacking player completes all their objectives within the time limit then they win but the defender wins if he can hold out for the time limit. Online is the heart of the game and offers a varied and enjoyable experience that unlike the campaign you will keep returning to again and again.
To conclude Battalion Wars 2 is a simple, fun game that whilst not offering anything groundbreaking provides an enjoyable experience especially online. If you can't get to grips with more in depth strategy games or if you simply want a change then Battalion Wars 2 is as good a choice as any.