Gallic Wars: Battle Simulator mixes RTS gameplay with roguelite tones to create something a bit unique. It just a shame this interesting concept stutters with a cumbersome interface and lack of direction.

The opening tutorial is quick but doesn’t explain much or the gameplay very well. As the player places units on the map, the enemy also preps for assault. As the battle starts, the two sides storm each other with the player trying to defend an area of the map, guiding units along the way.  Like any tower defense or tactical strategy game, unit placement and direction is paramount to success. For example, attacking from the rear creates a critical bonus. Leaving a gap or not placing enough troops in one area could mean a quick game over though. The default camera position is also zoomed so far away it is impossible to tell friend from foe and basically turns into an ant battle.

While this gameplay has the potential to be entertaining, it almost becomes unplayable due to the complicated UI.  The screen is filled with buttons and icons that don’t do anything even if you click on them and using the trigger buttons with analog stick isn’t responsive.  It is overly complex and the tutorial never goes into detail on how to accurately place troops, explain which soldiers are better than others, or really why you should be doing any of this. Winning a battle allows the player to climb the battle ladder like any fighting game campaign, growing in numbers along the way, but one death and it is back to the beginning to try again just like any Roguelite title.  It is strange because it seems like there is a lot of game here but becomes a lesson in tenacity when there is so much to absorb without any guidance or direction. 

Also available on PC. An October 2021 release date is currently scheduled for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.

Not As Good As: watching Braveheart

Also Try: an Asterix game  

Wait For It: a new Advance Wars

By: Zachary Gasiorowski, Editor in Chief myGamer.com

Twitter: @ZackGaz

Please consider joining my Patreon.