Grit and Courage 1949 Review: The Dream of a VR Tactician

Grit and Valor 1949 is a real-time strategy game of tabletop dieselpunk set in another history World War II fighting to determine the fate of the European continent.

For gamers of a certain age, the premise of grit and courage is nothing new. Konami’s red ring on PlayStation 2 spins a similar story, with G&V’s grid-based strategy board reminiscent of Square’s Front Mission 3, which debuted in 1999.

Originally developed for flat screen platforms, grit and courage are even more powerful in VR. Close to the battlefield of dioramas, you feel like a general of war. It involves inspecting mechs, grabbing the battlefield, tilting to physically place miniature war machines in real time, and not seen outside of a VR headset.

In addition to this interactivity, there is the game’s intense live or dial light element. Each region must win with an uninterrupted series of victories. We will be an exhilarating tabletop wargame that is difficult to put in.

The plot of Grit and Valor 1949 is presented at an expo with characters arranged in a gorgeous, rough comic style cutscene.

The power of the evil axis is apart from winning the war. Through the development and deployment of brutal mechs, they returned the Allied forces each month until they diminished into a small Scotland-based holdout force at the opening of the game.

But now we have our own mecha. The plan is simple, but dangerous. Small attack units of captured enemy mechs escort command vehicles armed with giant EMP devices straight into the heart of Germany. Once there, explode EMPs and destroy both enemy mech units and their ability to wage war.

It is a good premise and is presented in a vague way that is easy to digest but remains entertaining. The bad guy is evil. Good people are good. We hate fascists, so let’s blow it up!

loop

The core gameplay of Grit and Valor 1949 is familiar to Roguelite fans. A comprehensive campaign uses a run-based structure that is divided into regions containing sequences of battlefields that players can select. You will pass through the regions, fight in battles, and each region will peak in the final boss battle. At any point during the running, if the command vehicle cannot be protected, or if all mechas are destroyed, it is game over. Retreat to your Scottish base, spend your resources to become stronger and try again.

The area of fighting that can be chosen shows great variety. Some passes lead to risky battles filled with elite enemies, while others provide easier passes. There are discreet places that lead to random encounters, such as enemy ambushing, extra rest for troops, enemy exile, bonus stops in the item shop, and other events.

Overall, progress is well managed. You’ll die many times before you’re strong enough to clear the region, and while it certainly can feel frustrating, the augmentation and power-ups are always so fast that you can feel the momentum of your progress. Runs every time, keeping the risk/reward dichotomy of various battlefields and immature regions attractive and unpredictable.

Combat and strategy

The battles play on compact grid-based maps presented as dioramas. Your goal here is to overcome the waves of enemies, destroy all opposition, and advance into the next battle.

Positioning is important as the cover object absorbs damage, protects a small number of mech units, and protects high ground grant damage bonuses. This adds a few strategies, but can also lead to those frustrating moments. For example, the cover is marked with a green grid on the game board, which is incorrectly present only on one side of the cover object. Our mech may appear to be hidden behind the cover, but if you stand on the other side of the wall, the cover won’t count. Also, elevated mechanics don’t always work. Sometimes our mech stands on a shelf just a few meters away from the enemy, but for some unknown reason, we decide not to be involved even when attacked.

The enemy approaches the waves, becoming randomly visible from all four points on the compass, and is dropped onto the game board via a helicopter. This means you cannot simply set it in one position and get into combat. Instead, we constantly rotate the game board, constantly positioning and rearranging, making sure the battle turns into a desperate, continuous dance.

Another combat wrinkle is the mech “lock paper messer” logic. It consists of three different class units: ballistic, explosive and fire. Each of these three class units is weak and strong against the other classes, and this dynamic knowledge and exploitation has a major impact on the tide of battle.

Despite some annoying habits, the combat is almost completely satisfying and effective, despite being mostly touched on above. There is a lot of attention and attention paid to creating a balanced, rewarding, and rewarding experience. The final result is one of the best strategy war games I’ve played in VR.

Extensive customization

There are six pilots that can be selected for a particular mech. These have their own unique traits and unique special attacks. This includes laying offensive jumps for mines and jet assists. Incidentally, they all have their own unique, loving personalities, and matched with excellent audio effects.

Many elements of grit and courage are almost infinitely upgradeable. Pilot statistics and skills can be upgraded with courage points awarded through combat. New mechs can be unlocked by finding blueprints during battle, and mechs can be upgraded with collected scraps. There is achievement-based research and development, which leads to further statistical boosts, allowing you to create new weapons by merging low-spec items in the workshop forge. And that’s not even the whole thing to tinker between runs at the resistance base.

For me, it’s all a bit overwhelming. There are so many parameters to track, so many collections and management and development resources to adjust and augment. If you’re like me, you might find yourself simply jumping into the fight with the coolest gear and shattering it to the point of being strong enough for us to win.

VR vs flat

The flat version of Grit and Courage is actively reviewed, but it’s even better in VR. This way, leans into the game board, reach for a fight to get a better angle, grab the fight, pick a deadly mech with your fingertips and drop it wherever you like.

That said, the backstage of this great interactive is that you often stand and sit with your neck bent to see the game board better. The continuous progression of logelite and the faster pace of combat means that longer gaming sessions can be a little exhausting. Still, for a 30-60 minute session, the grit and courage of VR is fantastic.

Grit and Valor 1949 Review – Final Verdict

Grit and Valor 1949 delivers a fresh and refreshing experience with a sophisticated blend of tight grid-based combat, log-elite progression and tactile VR interactives. The compact battlefield is tense, the battles are attractive and exciting, and many upgrade systems are constantly forced to play us just one more time. The complexity of the game may be a bit overwhelming for some players, but overall, 1949’s grit and courage are a tactician’s dream.

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