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Wartales is out now on the Nintendo Switch, allowing players to hire mercenaries, adventure through hills and forests, and take on fabled beasts and dangerous bandits wherever they go. The game’s Nintendo Switch version was simultaneously announced and released on the same day during the September Nintendo Direct.
Originally released on PC through Steam on Early Access in December 2021, and on April 12, 2023, for its full PC release. The game was developed and published by Shiro Games.
Wartales is a tactical RPG with an open world sandbox, where players take control of a band of mercenaries, looking for gold and glory, and a better life.
Starting with a merry band of four and a pack mule, players get to explore the war-torn Kingdom of Alazar, interacting with NPCs who will give them quests and progress the story. The world is teetering with locations to explore, beasts to hunt, weapons and armor to equip and upgrade, materials to collect and sell, and bands of thieves, soldiers, and other mercenaries to defeat.
As a tactical RPG, the game’s combat involves the player and the CPU taking turns to make moves and fight, similar to other tactical RPG games like XCOM, Fire Emblem, and Final Fantasy Tactics. With an open world sandbox, players travel and explore the world and discover new locations.
The game also has a light survival mechanic for food and paying your band’s wages. Every three days, your mercenaries will demand their pay in gold, which will come from the money you earn as loot or as a reward from contracts. Food also plays a vital role in keeping your band healthy and happy, as you would have to feed your band of mercenaries every day with food you acquire either through trade or hunt.
Wartales was received favorably by critics when it came out, scoring high scores in critic reviews. In our own Wartales Review, we gave the game a 6.5/10, noting that the game has a lot of potential for its unique gameplay elements, but its difficulty spikes and overall imbalance make the game a bit hard to play through during its midgame content.