App Army Assemble: Warbits+ - "Should you play this remake of the classic strategy game?"

• This week, our App Army readers put their tactical nous to the test in Warbits+
• The strategy side was well-received
• If you loved the original Warbits, you won't be disappointed

In 2016, Risky Lab released Warbits to the world, and everyone loved it, including us here at Pocket Gamer. Now, eight years later, the team has released Warbits+, a remake that introduces multiplayer and community-made maps. With many fans of the original in our App Army, we handed the game over to them to see if they thought it stood the test of time.

Here's what they said:

Brian Wigington

As someone who never got around to playing Warbits, I was excited to give it a go. I can say that I now see what all the hubbub is about. Warbits + is an addictive battle game that boils war games down to their essence. Red VS Blue, different types of units with various differences like attack, health and defence, turn-based battles, and lots of maps.

Essentially you are placed on a map and need to smartly manage limited moves and attacks per turn for each unit. The enemy can counter your attack, which means you need to plan on that as well. I was impressed with the different variables like the type of terrain and unit type give various advantages/disadvantages. Capturing a town will give you bonuses and give you an edge.

Moving out of the way of the heavy hitters so that you can hopefully attack first in a coordinated effort with other units makes the game thought-provoking and challenging. Despite the strategy genre, the game is very approachable for most people in my opinion. I can highly recommend Warbits + as one of those polished games you simply leave on your device for quick, fun battles

Pierpaolo Morgante

Warbits+ is a turn-based strategy game where we play to either destroy all the enemy units or capture their headquarters. The game offers two distinct modes, campaign and multiplayer. I am not a huge fan of multiplayer mode, so I only focused on the campaign mode.

We start by learning how to play with every unit at our disposal, and the game eases us in with tips, hints, and tricks as we make our way through the first levels. As we play, we need to keep in mind the strengths, weaknesses, and characteristics of each unit as well as the bonuses or extra difficulty that come with each terrain type. At the end of each level, we get three different ratings, and I recommend maximizing them all before moving on to the more challenging levels.

Understanding the units, terrains, and game mechanics is crucial to enjoying the later stages. This is because the game’s difficulty is initially relatively easy, but then it ramps up to become a real challenge! I found the game to be really enjoyable and never frustrating, although the increased difficulty is definitely something to get used to.

Overall, the game is really well made and it offers tons of content, including an editor to make our own maps. Warbits+ is a must-have for all the fans of turn-based strategy games.

Eduard Pandele

Do you still have Warbits on your phone since, like, eight years ago? Then the only reason to get this one (and, yes, it's a great reason) is to play multiplayer matches. The other differences, so far as I can tell, are some balance changes (are jets weaker? They feel weaker, or at least they felt stronger before).

But, this is still one of the greatest turn-based strategy games you can play on your phone right now, and I highly recommend it. The campaign is ace, easing you into the game mechanics one map and one new unit at a time - you'll have no problems learning the game (and I highly suggest you replay the missions until three starring them all - it's a great way to prepare for what's next).

Next is, of course, 24 evil skirmish/puzzle missions that bump the difficulty really high. Once you've done all those, it's time to find humans to fight against. And if you feel like creating your own levels, you can do just that with a map editor that's not just complete, but also really easy to use. All in all, a great Advance Wars competitor that will scratch that itch for a while. The only thing I disliked: the dialogue font is tiny and squished even on a tablet, I hope they'll add an option to change it in the next update.

Bruno Ramalho

I must say that this kind of strategy game is the one that grabs me for the most time on my mobile phone when I get it going. Warbits+ is a polished game, with very nice graphics, animations, and sound effects (the music is nice but the loop gets annoying after some time). The game takes you by the hand if you have never played a game like this before, and it's quite enjoyable.

I like that the warring factions have a nice sense of humour and their conversations are quite entertaining while you are learning the ropes. This alone is a 20-mission campaign, and you can learn all about the game from this alone. You can then go for the Challenge mode with much more to play and do, and even a Versus mode where you can play locally against your friends, or go play against other players online (you need to register an account for this). 

You can even build your own map if it's your thing. I like that you can play with your mobile in portrait or landscape. Kudos to the developers. With so many units to bring into play, and so many strategies available to you, this is one game you're not gonna put down for a long time.

Torbjörn Kämblad

The original Warbits was released 8 years ago. The inspiration from Advance Wars released on Nintendo handhelds was apparent at that stage, and the first Advance Wars I remember playing was released 18 years ago. It was Dual Strike that kept me entertained on a long 15-hour train ride through Sweden back and forth.

The formula hasn’t changed much since that train ride. Warbits+ is quicker, has more up-to-date units but is ultimately the same game albeit with multiplayer added.
I like Warbits Plus a lot even though the units are a bit pale compared to the Nintendo original. Once you get into it, and truly spend the time needed, you will want for nothing and dream in red and blue units making the best of the terrain. If you want an agile strategy game to occupy your mind, this is it!

Robert Maines

Warbits+ is a turn-based strategy game set in a virtual world as you play as Red team against the Blue team. Winning each scenario involves either wiping out all enemy units or capturing the HQ. Taking over cities and towns helps you gain resources to build various units with different capabilities.

As the name suggests this is a remaster of the original 2016 game, that adds cross-platform multiplayer and enhanced graphics. Heavily inspired by Advance Wars on various Nintendo consoles this is an addictive game. Even if you complete the campaign there are challenge levels, map editor and multiplayer over the internet to mess around with. Was a great game back in 2016 and this remastered version doesn’t disappoint.

Tom Chan

Warbits is a turn-based strategy game with unique units and delightful character designs. In this game, players must control their own units to annihilate the enemy or occupy the enemy's stronghold. When a combat unit launches an attack, an estimated damage ratio will appear on the enemy. This estimated value will change based on the terrain, the unit types, and the remaining health of the combat unit.

If the opponent is not destroyed, after the attack, he will counterattack. Although the counterattack damage is smaller, it will still affect the battle situation. If the damage estimate is only 10%, it is better not to act rashly. Rigorous strategic elements are hidden behind its cute appearance. If you don't know how to use the characteristics of each unit flexibly, you are struggling in this game.

From this point of view, the game is not easy to play and there are a wealth of instructions and tips to prepare you. Therefore, players do not need to spend too much time memorizing the characteristics of each unit. They only need to pay attention to the terrain and combat unit characteristics. Characteristics, stronghold occupation and battle line movement are enough.

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