Warsaw is a historical roguelike RPG developed by Pixelated Milk and published by gaming console and Crunching Koalas. Set in a war-stricken 1944 version of the eponymous city, Warsaw leans heavily into its historical associations with World War II in terms of its imagery, tone, and overarching plot. The game packs a potent emotional punch from as early as its opening scene, during which players become oriented to a grisly reality that, despite its morbidity, draws one in a la developer 11 Bit Studios’ hit survival game, This War of Mine.
The main gameplay in Warsaw involves players controlling members of the resistance movement and fomenting full-scale rebellion such that the invading Nazi army is forced to relinquish control over the occupied Polish capital. Accomplishing this aim and enduring for this duration of in-game time necessitates traversing through the city of Warsaw and embarking upon a variety of missions, during which players are faced with plot events and bouts with enemies.
Players are presented with a top-down view of the map and can move their team of resistance fighters step-by-step while consuming movement points. If players don’t reach the end of a level before running out of movement points, their game is over. Obstacles can impede movement and even totally block off pathways across the map, which, as well as the cut-scenes, does well in its aim of invoking the images of utter perdition endemic to Poland during World War II.
While making their way across the map and completing objectives, players invariably run into opposition squadrons. These encounters represent Warsaw’s combat element, which are turn-based and two-dimensional. The specific controls on PS4 can take a little time to get used to, but the combat itself is largely enjoyable and contains a lot of nuance between attacks, healing, buffs, and other potential actions.
Players can have up to four members on their team at any time, and mix-and-match characters based on their unique traits and distinct fighting styles. In any case, players will need to learn the intricacies of fighting as many different personages, since any one rebellion fighter is not impervious to death.
Players also trigger both historical and random plot events as they wander through Warsaw. The decisions players make can provide either salutary benefits or deleterious consequences, so each choice needs to be considered from multiple perspectives. The game does well at making players think through scenarios such as if they have enough resources to spare for other citizens, pitting one’s humanist aspect against their pragmatist side.
Warsaw is a difficult game, but that fact plays very well into the aura that the developers created; running a successful resistance movement and defying a powerful foe should be tough. With aesthetics and a backstory that bolster this sentiment, Warsaw is a game worth playing for tactical RPG enthusiasts.
Rating: 8.5/10
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I'm a recent graduate of Columbia University. Gaming has been a passion of mine my entire life; I enjoy everything from RPGs and FPSs to stealth and narrative-driven games. I love the deeply immersive quality that good video games inherently possess, and am looking forward to highlighting games worthy of acclaim. When I'm not studying or reading, you can catch me playing games like Uncharted, Dishonored, The Witcher 3, and Far Cry.
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