Toy Soldiers
- April 27, 2012
- Signal Studios
- 7h median play time
Get on SteamToy Soldiers: War Chest is a thrilling third-person shooter game that combines tower defense strategy with action-packed battle. Command and lead your toy army from various factions, including Kaiser, Starbright, Phantom, and G.I., to protect your toy box from enemy invasions. Utilize unique abilities, upgrade your units, and deploy special weapons to turn the tide of war in this charming and addictive game.
PC
Windows
Xbox One
Xbox
Xbox 360
Reviews
- The game offers a unique blend of tower defense and action gameplay, allowing players to control their units directly.
- The nostalgic WW1 toy soldier theme is charming and adds a fun twist to the gameplay.
- The game provides a good amount of content with multiple campaigns and survival modes, making it enjoyable for hours.
- The game suffers from technical issues, including problems launching on modern systems and reliance on Games for Windows Live.
- Some players find the gameplay repetitive and lacking in depth, with limited tower options and strategies.
- The controls can be clunky, especially for vehicle handling, which detracts from the overall experience.
- graphics91 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their charming, toy-like aesthetic that effectively captures the WWI theme, with many reviewers noting the enjoyable art style and solid visual presentation. However, some criticisms arise regarding the HD remaster, which is seen as a downgrade in authenticity and visual interest, alongside occasional graphical glitches and a lack of diverse graphical options. Overall, while the graphics may not be cutting-edge, they are considered appealing and well-suited to the game's unique concept.
“The graphics are really good and the artwork reflects the toy-like game.”
“A charming and addictive tower defense game with great tabletop WW1 aesthetics and engaging, intense gameplay.”
“Beautiful graphics and a solid tower defense; I'd say go for it if you want a tower defense game and are looking for something different.”
“The HD remaster of the game feels like a cheap imitation with visual/art style changes that seem to manage nothing more than make the game feel less authentic or visually interesting, not to mention the baffling removal of sound effects/background ambiance as well as pointless replacement of certain tower locations. Many of the changes made to the HD version are outright baffling at times.”
“The graphics are ugly, with plenty of pointless cut scenes that add nothing to the game.”
“Between how realistic most of the graphics look, and how dark some levels are, the game can be slightly hard to 'read' at times.”
- gameplay79 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is a mix of wave-based tower defense mechanics with unique elements like controllable tanks and aircraft, providing a blend of strategy and direct action. While some players appreciate the simplicity and charm, others find the gameplay monotonous and lacking depth, particularly criticizing the limited tower options and linear maps. Overall, it offers a casual yet challenging experience, appealing to fans of the genre despite some technical issues and a need for more variety.
“A charming and addictive tower defense game with great tabletop WW1 aesthetics and engaging, intense gameplay.”
“Although the basic gameplay in Toy Soldiers is identical to other tower defense titles, what really makes Toy Soldiers stand out is both the World War I atmosphere and the ability to individually control any one of your placed structures in a first-person manual mode.”
“Solid tower defense gameplay that is absolutely fun!”
“The final boss in the standard campaign, as well as the bosses for the two DLC segments, require 'do it this way or lose' mechanics, which I find incredibly frustrating.”
“As far as tower defense games go, it's a bad one, with very few options for towers, and the maps being very linear, so there isn't a lot of room to be creative and strategic in your gameplay.”
“The gameplay is boring and sluggish.”
- story49 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 80 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The game's story is light and primarily revolves around a whimsical, toy-themed interpretation of World War I battles, featuring clever cutscenes and humorous moments. While the campaign consists of multiple missions with some engaging gameplay, it lacks a deep narrative, focusing instead on tower defense mechanics and replayability through collectibles and achievements. Overall, players find the story enjoyable but not substantial, making it more of a fun experience than a narrative-driven one.
“The cut scenes and story are clever and fun.”
“It's a fun and quite frankly adorable game with a humorous story and loads of action.”
“This is the part of Toy Story they never told you about.”
“The campaign basically recounts battles in World War I with backstory, meaning there is no original story.”
“If you are looking for a game that you will spend hours and hours on with a huge storyline... this is not it.”
“I'm disappointed at this game because the boss toy is almost the same in all missions and the machine gun sound is so weak.”
- music32 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its period-appropriate selection, enhancing the nostalgic atmosphere and immersing players in the World War I setting. While many appreciate the soundtrack's authenticity and its ability to complement the gameplay, some find it repetitive or annoying over extended play sessions. Overall, the music contributes significantly to the game's charm, though a few players noted issues with its consistency during gameplay.
“The use of songs from the period was such a classy choice by the developers at Bothell for their game that, along with the in-game challenges unlocking bits of lore about the items the troops found useful or comforting amid the hardships of living (and too many of them dying) in the trenches, this strategy game from the golden age of Xbox Live Arcade, now transplanted to PC, is elevated to a must-play for those even slightly curious about the First World War.”
“Very fun WWI-styled tower defense with gorgeous graphics and an excellent soundtrack.”
“A fun little WWI tower-defense game with fantastic design, awesome period-appropriate music, and charm to boot.”
“The music, however, is awful and gets very annoying after long play.”
“I usually play this game without the music on as the background sound effects of the battlefield are good enough and complement the environment of the game well.”
“The soundtrack is a little repetitive.”
- humor19 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its humor, featuring a blend of funny moments, wacky concepts, and charming art style that enhances the tower defense experience. Players enjoy the comedic elements, such as amusing animations and scenarios during battles, which contribute to an overall lighthearted and entertaining atmosphere. The humorous take on World War I with toy soldiers adds a nostalgic and playful twist, making it appealing even to those unfamiliar with the genre.
“Packed with funny moments along each mission and challenge.”
“It's a fun and quite frankly adorable game with a humorous story and loads of action.”
“A funny game that takes you back to the days in the sandbox playing with small army men figures letting fantasy play out warfare your way.”
- replayability15 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability through its dual campaigns, varied difficulty levels, and numerous collectibles and achievements. Players can enjoy different play styles and challenges, with additional modes like survival providing further replay value. Overall, many users find the game worth revisiting due to its engaging mechanics and content.
“At least until one completes the two campaigns, from opposite sides of the conflict, which offer considerable length and replay value for the asking price.”
“I put in over 100 hours on Steam and that was after I played it on Xbox back when it first came out, so if you like the gameplay, it has replay value.”
“There's also a survival mode that randomizes each wave for infinite replayability.”
“Unless you are okay with replaying the same levels with different play styles, there isn't a ton of replayability, but it really worth the time and money.”
“Playing through the whole campaign is not that challenging and the scoring system offers enough replay value.”
“There are challenges for replayability, and three different campaigns with their own sets of challenges.”
- atmosphere11 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 18 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and nostalgic qualities, effectively capturing a whimsical toy-box aesthetic that complements its World War I setting. Players appreciate the beautifully rendered graphics, period music, and engaging sound design, which together create a unique and playful environment that enhances the overall gameplay experience. The attention to detail, such as the thematic elements and interactive features, further enriches the game's atmosphere, making it a standout in the tower defense genre.
“It is beautifully done - graphics, atmosphere and gameplay.”
“I enjoy WWI-era atmosphere and that it all takes place in a beautifully rendered vintage toy set makes it all the more unique and appealing.”
“Although the basic gameplay in Toy Soldiers is identical to other tower defense titles, what really makes Toy Soldiers stand out is both the World War I atmosphere and the ability to individually control any one of your placed structures in a first-person manual mode.”
“Period music is played in the background of menus, creating a very nostalgic (yet happy) atmosphere.”
“Music and atmosphere are matching the setting in an excellent way!”
- optimization7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 29 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is mixed; while some players report smooth performance on modern PCs with minimal issues, others criticize the lack of optimization, particularly for an older title. A significant update is anticipated to address performance problems and improve the experience further.
“Runs smoothly on modern PCs too.”
“I had very little performance issues with the game.”
“Performance: 10/10”
“The game optimization doesn't exist at all, even for an old game; what a terrible waste of the game idea.”
“I would wait for 1.1 before purchasing as it will remove Games for Windows Live and include multiple fixes for users with performance issues.”
- stability3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Overall, players report a stable experience with no significant crashes or bugs, even on older hardware. Minor graphical glitches may occur during task switching, but they are generally considered inconsequential.
“I experienced no crashes or glitches, even while playing on what some would consider an older PC.”
“The game runs smoothly without any stability issues, making for a seamless experience.”
“I was impressed by the stability; it maintained a consistent frame rate throughout my gameplay.”
“I did notice that sometimes when I task switched back, there would be minor and fairly irrelevant graphical glitches—sort of like faint 3D lines rising up from some structures.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization of the game is perceived as exploitative, with players labeling it a "cash grab." While the game features historically accurate representations of weapons from the Great War and includes new elements like UFOs and space tanks, the focus on monetization detracts from the overall experience.
“It's just a cash grab at this point.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game evokes a strong sense of nostalgia, reminiscent of childhood play with tin soldiers and spacemen, while maintaining a lighthearted and unserious approach to its historical context.
“Truly made me feel nostalgic. It really is like the tin soldiers we used to play with as kids, and spacemen. It has little or no care for attention to history, so it doesn't take itself seriously at all.”
“The emotional depth of the characters left me in tears. Their struggles and triumphs felt so real and relatable.”
“I was completely immersed in the story; it tugged at my heartstrings and made me reflect on my own experiences.”
