Shieldwall – PS5 Review 1

I’ll always root for a little guy, especially if there’s a good idea on display. Shieldwall is a tactical battle simulator that uses a comedic set of characters to lighten the mood. Nezon Productions are a very tiny team and it’s unfortunate that this size has produced a game with very little substance. There’s a charm in the collision of two opposing forces but the sheer lack of options makes every battle feel tedious.

Shieldwall‘s gameplay revolves around building a squad of infantry strong enough to capture enemy flags. Each round typically has a time limit and your main objective is to outscore the opposition by holding strategic points on the map and killing enemy soldiers. The main resource is gold and, whilst this does slowly build up, you can spend some of that gold on upgrades. These perks can unlock new unit types and deliver other benefits.

As a hero, you can order a squad to defend, hold position or charge enemies. If your hero dies in battle, you’ll respawn at your home base or the last flag you managed to capture. Tactically, it’s a bit light on options. The unit types available to you are miniscule and it really limits any diversity in the ranks. I’ve found most battles become a war of attrition as I built up score. There is a quick kill available if you take over the entire map but the AI loves to squabble and I always saw areas that were under contention.

It wouldn’t be so bad, if there was more variety on the table. I know this is a very, very small team but Shieldwall deals exclusively in this capture the flag mode. The lack of multiplayer really harms it, too. There are AI skirmishes you can set up in the Battle mode. Unfortunately, this is permanently set to four players, meaning everything is a free-for-all. There’s no chances for alliances or focused one-on-one fights.

There are dozens of maps which you can unlock by beating the levels in the campaign mode. This mode doesn’t really differ from the standard battles with the objectives remaining the same. Differences come in the location and and the opposition army. They have heroes of their own with their own specific bonuses.

One thing I’ve noticed is how each battle I seem to start at a deficit. When the clock starts ticking, it seems the other armies already have a fair soldiers at their disposal. They can mobilised in seconds and I do not find that fair. Unit limits top out at 25 but, without the gold flowing, it can be time consuming to build those numbers back up. Soldiers have a dispensable quality to them. As a hero, I can chip in some damage but I operate more like a queen bee that the swarm needs to protect.

The skill tree but it seems easy to climb and short on options. I’ve maxed it out a few times and it just enforces how little Shieldwall lets you fiddle. It just feels so limited and, as I’ve mentioned before, I don’t think the AI has the same limitations. To the game’s credit, the AI will not always focus on you. That can lead to scenarios where you can sneak into their base whilst they’re already occupied. Your forces will try to engage but, for the most part, you can direct them to more pressing targets.

Things can be a little trickier when catapults and incendiaries are added to the mix. Again, these are more obstacles for you to navigate rather than things to unlock for your own good. Once you’ve one battle in Shieldwall, you’ve seen them all. Environmental challenges provide a mild deterrence but the maps generally act as a way to funnel combatants together.

The lack of a multiplayer is a shame. With the map selection and relatively quick matches, it could be a decent time. You could envision a version of this focusing more about human competition. As it is, the single player feels so lean. Yes, there’s a couple dozen missions but it’s so slim on variety and chances to experiment.

Presentation is also light. There’s no cutscenes to speak of with only pre-battle text providing some light historical context. Aside from that, you get a nice post-battle breakdown showing kills, captures and the progression of each army. The humour stems from the cartoony characters. They have their own high-pitched battle cries and the blood splatters are nicely colour coded. It doesn’t go much deeper than that. The maps are nicely designed and take on some cultural touchstones like the Colosseum in Rome. It would be nice to see some time of day changes or weather. As it is, every fight takes place in broad daylight. The heads up display and controls seem fine. It’s confined to the outskirts of the screen so you have an unobstructed view. There’s no tutorial to speak of but I picked most of it up inside the first encounter.

It’s a real shame there isn’t more to Shieldwall. Once you unlock them, there’s plenty of maps to conquer but your means of doing so rarely changes. It’s a game very light on options and potential for tactical trickery is cut as a consequence. The lack of multiplayer feels like a bizarre omission and the single player loop simply isn’t compelling.