To be honest, I didn't pay much attention to this game when it first came online. I thought it was just another reskinned strategy game. But then I saw that it had a good reputation among the players and the downloads were steadily increasing, so I started playing it seriously for a while. Today, let's objectively analyze why it is so popular and whether there are any hidden dangers.
Let's talk about the graphics first. The game adopts the style of Lilliput + Desktop War, and brings the little green soldiers that I played as a child to the mobile screen. This style of painting is not exquisite, but it is very recognizable, especially for players born in the 80s and 90s. One glance at it can evoke childhood memories. The scene design is also very thoughtful, such as using a pencil box as a bunker and an eraser as a cover. The details are very attentive. The overall look and feel is above average. Although it is not as good as the picture quality of those 3A masterpieces, it is better than the uniqueness and emotional bonus.
The gameplay is the core highlight. It does not follow the old path of traditional SLG of "building troops - pushing pictures - being beaten by the boss", but instead combines elements of tower defense and real-time operations. Players need to arrange defensive formations and control heroes and units to conduct offensive and defensive battles. The battle rhythm is relatively fast, and a round can be completed in a few minutes, which is very suitable for fragmented time. Moreover, each hero has unique skills, and the green soldiers are also divided into several types. There are restraints between the types of soldiers, and the strategy is deep. In addition, the design turns the room into a battlefield. The maps are miniature versions of real objects, which is very fresh.
In terms of money, this game can be said to be quite conscientious. There is currently no mandatory payment point, and the guarantee mechanism for drawing cards to obtain heroes is also transparent. As long as zero-Krypton players are willing to spend time saving resources, they can also get most of the core characters. The only payment points are some acceleration props and skins, but they will not affect the game balance. In this era of 648 krypton gold at every turn, this charging model can indeed attract many light players.
The social system is quite satisfactory, with legion battles and cooperative defense with friends, but it is not forced to socialize like some games, so lone wolf players can also play it comfortably. Moreover, the in-game chat atmosphere is pretty good. Many veteran players are willing to share their formation experience, and guidance for novices is also quite detailed.
But let's talk about the shortcomings. The first is that the later content is a bit weak, the difficulty curve of the main level is not very smooth, and some levels are so stuck that people want to drop their phones. The second is that the balance of heroes still needs to be optimized. Some heroes are too strong in the new version, leading to serious homogeneity in battles. The third issue is optimization. After playing for a long time, frames may occasionally drop, especially when there are many units on the battlefield.
Overall Rating: 8.5/10
Advantages: full of emotions and not cheap, moderate strategic depth, friendly even with zero krypton, low social pressure
Disadvantages: There is less content in the later stage, the balance needs to be adjusted, and there are minor flaws in optimization.
I personally think that the main reason for the popularity of Soldier War is that it has found the right positioning - it is not trying to compete head-on with those big manufacturers SLG, but attracts a group of nostalgic players with feelings and differentiated gameplay, coupled with a restrained charging model, so that players are willing to stay and play slowly. If we can continue to update content and fix the balance in the future, there is still great potential.