Do you wish there were more World War I games out there? I know I do, and seeing as how Battlefield 1 is about as authentic a WWI game as Shantae Half Genie Hero, there’s still a big hole in the market. The developers at Vashta Entertainment agree, and they’re hoping Trenches of War will fill that hole. Or should I say, trench? No, no I shouldn’t.
Trenches of War is a 2D strategy World War I game. Originally released on mobile devices, Vashta is hoping to bring it to the PC with numerous enhancements for just $500. But how do their proposed changes stack up to the small funding goal, and how does the Kickstarter campaign itself look?
Not good, on both fronts.
Among the changes the developers want to make are “enhanced graphics,” including a day/night cycle, better art, and realistic water physics. They also want to add an online multiplayer mode, an enhanced camera to account for a larger screen, new music and sound effects, and continue to update the mobile version of the game. That’s a lot of new stuff for such a small amount of money.
The good news is that Vashta at least realize that physical rewards are out of the question with such a small budget. Conversely, this also means the backer rewards are sorely lacking. For $50 you get to play the PC version before anyone else, and for $75 you get to name a level.
The Kickstarter page doesn’t go into much more detail than the pitch video. There’s a little more background about the release history of Trenches of War, and the stretch goals are written down, if rather blandly.
One thing that might not be apparent is that there’s little in the way of actual info about the game itself. The pitch video starts with the proposed new features, and there’s only a slim paragraph on the page giving any details.
“Trenches of War is a World War I-inspired strategy game. Battle through the Alps by spawning units and capturing trenches, barracks, and factories. Cross rivers that rise when it rains. Use or destroy bridges and cornfields that may aid or deter your maneuvers.”
That’s apparently all Vashta thought was needed to be said about it. I suppose they figure they don’t need to talk about the game itself since it’s free on mobile. Its not a good idea to open the door to speculation that you figured everyone’s already played your game and thus you don’t need to talk about it. That’s probably not the case, but anyone who hasn’t played the mobile version aren’t going to have any idea what this game is like with only the short bit of gameplay in the pitch video.
I briefly played with the mobile version, and it was fun little game. It could definitely stand some improvements, which will hopefully be ushered in by this Kickstarter. They’re already half way towards their goal with 28 days to go, so these criticisms will do little to dissuade people, or maybe they’re already fans of the game.
In any case, here’s hoping those backers don’t find themselves stuck in a nightmare when the campaign is over. That was another joke believe it or not.
