- Drew Beausoleil

War has been done time and time again, with big blockbusters like Call of Duty, Battlefield, and even others like The Saboteur and Assassin's Creed III adding their own spin on a war influenced game, just how do you create something that is different than the rest?

11 bit studios, doesn't place us behind the eyes of a soldier, but in the hands of survivors. You start each game with a few survivors, sometimes two friends with a random straggler or complete strangers but each time is different than the last and each survivor will have their own unique attributes. The game plays out with day and night cycles, you stay within your confines of the ruined building during the day trying to repair and build the tools you will need to survive. As night falls you will face the cruel outside world and scavenge other ruins to gather supplies.

This War of Mine is one of the most refreshing takes on an over saturated genre and done with such creative style. The art style is brilliant a charcoal inspired 2D hand drawn setting that sets the mood and tone of the game. Nothing about war is fun, joyful or otherwise a good experience for anyone to have to face and 11 bit studio's gives you the fate of war from the other side. The struggles and choices that come from within the game have weight and meaning, there are no wrong choices, its the choice to survive.

Savaging for food and supplies are a necessity and your only choice of survival, how you choose to disperse those items play a large strategic role within This War of Mine. Do you feed the weaker people within your good or keep the younger more fit, healthy and well fed. Often people get sick...now the choice is up to you, do you give them your last and only med pack to help them recover from their illness or do you keep it for the good of the group and push on as they get worse as the days go by.

Scavenging for food and supplies can be the easy part, its the encounters with others you face that can either go well or have end things abruptly for you and leaving your group one person less to worry about. We were given the Early Access build of This War of Mine, the game entitled us to try and survive for 12 days, though we came very close at times we always fell short. Sickness, raids on your group, encounters with others always had us running into trouble. I had sent one of my group members out to scavenge for the group one night only to run into a conversation of a man trying to seduce a woman. The option is mine, I can clearly leave well enough alone and let the man who is clearly about to rape this woman have his way while I continue to search for supplies or I can try to help this poor innocent woman from something terrible happening. I stepped in to try and help the poor woman only to find myself being shot to death from the nice gentlemen while the woman ran away and escaped. It was nice of her to help me. To me this is the exciting part of the game. The unpredictability of This War of Mine keeps it fresh and has you on your toes as you go about your scavenging.

Crafting tools and items are a unique feature that will have you changing your decision as each day goes by trying to craft the right item for your needs for that day. Falling short on parts that you really needed will have you taking note that when night falls again you will need that specific supply item in order to by you another day. Craft furniture, house hold items, grow a garden or supply yourself with weapons to defend yourself on scavenging hunts or have night watch armed as they guard your ruined home from unwanted raiders throughout the night.

This War of Mine is a must play. You have not experienced a game like this and it’s a much needed refreshing take on war. Each play through is different than the last with new encounters and new game experiences keeps everything fresh. You just never know what's around the corner. I would definitely recommend you check out This War of Mine. I can't wait to play more and find out the whole story when the game reaches completion.