14 DAY TRIAL // Valor & Victory: Arnhem is developed by Yobowargames and published by Slitherine Ltd. This is the third piece of downloadable content for the title, which focuses on one of the most famous engagements of World War II. Players will be able to replay the battle in a turn-based and top-down fashion.
The DLC offers six new bite-sized scenarios, designed to show off the most important moments of the bigger battle. Players can also opt to play a full Arnhem engagement with a lot more involved units and a 25-turn duration.
The core gameplay of Valor & Victory is centered on turns, made up of phases that allow players to perform specific actions. Always keep in mind that firing means a unit cannot move normally and can only launch an assault later. Focus fire, envelopment, and combined arms are the best ways to overcome determined opposition (as they were during the real World War II).
Arnhem is fought in close quarters, making the move and assault phase especially important, and forcing players to take risks if they want to make good progress. The computer plays pretty well with the light ruleset, mainly when it is on the defensive.
Finding ways to keep the bridge and its nearby clumps of buildings, playing as the British, or maneuver around them and crush that well-defended position, as the Germans, is challenging. Even if the game is not aiming for depth, it manages to deliver a good board game-inspired take on turn-based tactics.
Valor & Victory is a decent-looking title for its genre and constantly aims to deliver the information that players need to plan and execute their moves. I would have liked a little more personality for the terrain and the units but fans of this kind of experience will not be disappointed. The sound design is less impressive, and I suggest turning down the soundtrack and replacing it with a good history-focused podcast.
Conclusion
But the developers seem to have missed a chance to make this one of the titles that can gently introduce newcomers to this kind of experience. Arnhem is a good battle to simulate but I would love to see scenarios that come with notes about the associated history and info about the real-world tactics that players can emulate to get results in Valor & Victory.
Review code provided by the publisher.
