- Publisher: AREA35
- Release Date: Dec 21, 2017
- Also On: PlayStation 4, Switch
- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
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Dec 21, 2017Tiny Metal doesn’t copy the Advance Wars formula — it improves it. The third dimension brings with it a better way to do battle and tell where your enemies are. This change allows the tactical side of combat to flourish in a new way and one anyone who enjoys the Wars games will find it fun. It controls easily with a base controller, and while PC users can get a bit of an edge using a mouse to traverse maps, it isn’t a game-breaking issue for those prefer a pad. It’s a gorgeous-looking game with a cartoony art style that adds a touch of slapstick to battles, which remain funny thanks to voice clips that entertain until they get a bit too long in the tooth due to repetition. Minor quibbles aside, though, Tiny Metal is an excellent tactical RPG at the end of the day and one that longtime fans of the genre should check out.
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Jan 11, 2018Tiny Metal’s visual style pays homage to Intelligent Systems’ dormant Advance Wars series, but its under-baked action isn’t as cute. The battles never feel like a chore and I enjoyed basking in my easy victories, but Tiny Metal needs a few more tools in its arsenal if it wants to take on the legacy of Advance Wars.
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Jan 15, 2018Tiny Metal isn’t particularly innovative, but that’s not bad. It takes a solid foundation and successfully brings back an experience many players miss.
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Jan 10, 2018Tiny Metal is a love letter to turn-based strategy games of the past, offering a similar experience which doesn't overstay its welcome. Sadly, the game by Area 35 doesn't even try to move away from its main influence, the Advance Wars series, resulting in a game that doesn't feel particularly daring or innovative. Still, there's plenty of fun to be had, especially in Skirmish Mode, where all of the game's subsystems and mechanics get the chance to shine.
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Jan 5, 2018Tiny Metal's mechanics succeed in creating an accessible war sim like Advance Wars. However, its level design is a bit too much on the easy side and does not offer enough depth.
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Dec 31, 2017It’s the kind of game where you jump in just to take two or three more turns and suddenly an hour has passed, and you can’t rest until that pesky enemy gunship or tank fleet is down for good. Hopefully that can continue next year if the multiplayer patch comes as promised.
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Dec 21, 2017Tiny Metal is an admirable return to the traditional turn-based strategy genre. There’s enough of a challenge both in the campaign and skirmish mode to keep players happy for a good while, but the lack of any sort of multiplayer at launch hurts its overall score.
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Dec 28, 2017Underneath a forgettable campaign and unimpressive AI, Tiny Metal houses the seed of a really deep and entertaining multiplayer wargame. But until a head-to-head mode is added, it’s not much more than a set of unchallenging training scenarios broken up by far too much overwrought dialogue. I had plenty of fun with it, but didn’t get the kind of edge-of-my-seat decision-making moments that turned the tide of a difficult battle I could find in similar games.
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Mar 13, 2018Right now, Tiny Metal feels slightly undercooked. It has the strong foundations of a game that could be great, but is let down at almost every turn.
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Mar 9, 2018The lack of multiplayer wouldn't hurt so much if it weren't already promised, and the fact that the game launched without that feature makes it feel like an Early Access title rather than one with a $25 price tag. If you don't mind such things, then Tiny Metal is still worth checking out if you're a fan of simpler strategy. For anyone else looking for some challenge, it might be best to hold off to see if and when multiplayer goes live.
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Apr 7, 2018A fun and well made TBS title held back by lackluster plot and mission design.
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Feb 2, 2018I don’t often criticize a game for not living up to the standards of another but Tiny Metal tries so hard to mirror Nintendo’s approach I must speak up when I see failings. When you come at the king you better not miss, and Tiny Metal stumbles at every step on its way there. I wanted to love Tiny Metal, I really did, but in the end, as I chipped away at the game, it just made my longing to step back onto the Advance Wars battlefield even stronger. At best Tiny Metal is a rough draft of something that could be great further down the line.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 5 out of 15
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Mixed: 1 out of 15
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Negative: 9 out of 15
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Jul 27, 2018