Developed and published by Studio Centurion, Line War is a wonderful experiment with a genre that has a very solid foundation but really shines when it comes to playing with other people. While Line wars offers a fresh experience, it has some major flaws that are looking to be addressed in future updates. Studio Centurion has laid out a road map that seems to be full of new features and additions, so it looks like Line War has a lot in store for it throughout 2022.
Gameplay
Line War does not offer a story mode or anything along those lines so sadly, there isn’t much to dive into from that aspect. This stems from the fact that Line War is a multiplayer only experience and this is something that holds it back drastically for those have never stepped foot in the RTS genre. There is no A.I for players to practice against so it feels detrimental for those who don’t understand the flow of the game and want to practice in a safe environment. Thankfully, the community seems to be very understanding and is willing to teach new players the ropes. I had the lucky chance to play with some exceptional players who took the time to teach me tips and even invite me to several discord channels so that the game would grow on me.
The game does have a very simple look and style to it and even tries to simplify the actions players take to control their armies. Instead of having to micro-manage multiple armies of different units, players can draw lines that causes nearby units to start movement. There are some core features of the RTS genre to be found, such as developing units and vehicles to take territory and bring in more resources to continue growing their army, but this is all presented in a very simple manner. With there only being one type of army, the game feels more balanced since both sides have access to similar units. Players can pick a starting location and then its off to the races for both sides.
Line War lets players “practice” against another army in sandbox mode, but this does not have any type of A.I control. Instead, Sandbox mode requires players to switch between both sides. If the idea of playing a board game like Axis and Allies by your self and moving back and forth between teams sounds exciting, then this mode will be perfect for players to practice with. After watching the short tutorial videos offered, players are let loose to decide how they would like to continue.
One of the big positives that Line war offers is the fact that each map is randomly generated with a seed number generated each time. This offers players a variety of maps to play on and even gives them the option to play on favorites with friends. There did not seem to be a way to favorite a certain map so players will have to keep tabs on the maps they enjoyed playing on.
Final Thoughts
Sadly, Line war does not offer players much to talk about unless they are already interested in the genre. For those like myself, the lack of a single player mode with A.I controlled units is a major miss. Pair this with a lack of a tutorial outside of videos and you have a combination that may mix well with some while it misses the mark for others. Studio Centurion has stated that there will be more modes to be released throughout the course of the year so for those who are interested in trying something new, there is a lot to look forward to.
