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“Unleash hell!” is the famous battle cry from Maximus in the film Gladiator. But choosing the right words for a pre-battle speech is pretty crucial. It inspires the troops, raises morale, and prepares them to face the unknown and potentially death itself.
You might want to consider your own rallying cries when playing the battle simulator Shieldwall, as you go about leading your troops from the front lines, taking in an engaging capture-the-flag experience. It’s a surprisingly addictive and entertaining game. For a bit.
Shieldwall is a tactical battle simulator with a humorous twist, placing you in the role of a squadron leader commanding a platoon of soldiers. Played in third-person, you must assemble your army, deploy onto the battlefield, and capture checkpoints, flags, or fortifications while competing against three other enemy factions. You know, the usual ‘battle’ based stuff that we have come to love over the years. It means that this capture-the-flag gameplay will be familiar to anyone who has played objective-based multiplayer shooters over the years. However, Shieldwall on Xbox only offers a single-player experience where you’re directly involved in the skirmishes alongside your troops.
Set in Roman times, with a focus on the Gallic Wars, the campaign features four acts and 16 story scenes. While the campaign is enjoyable, you really shouldn’t come to Shieldwall expecting extensive cutscenes or deep philosophical discussions about the nature of war. The narrative is primarily conveyed through text descriptions before each mission. And the core of the game lies in the battles themselves. Feels about right for us to delve into the combat…
You begin as the commander, alone in your fortress. You can then recruit an army of around 25 troops, each costing resources. You can choose to attack or defend, waiting for the enemy to approach. With up to four teams vying for control, a point system and timer track your progress. The objective is to capture checkpoints and flags to accumulate points. As you advance, you can observe other armies manoeuvring across the battlefield, requiring you to maintain situational awareness and protect your home base.
You have light and heavy attacks at your disposal, and your troops follow your lead into battle. You can hang back and issue commands, strategically picking off enemies, or charge into the fray as a heroic leader. However, be cautious, as it doesn’t take many hits to fall in battle. It’s thankful then that respawns are frequent. As you progress, you can purchase buffs and upgrade your troops with shields or spears. And the combat is well-executed, forming the most engaging aspect of the game.
Visually, Shieldwall is competent. The soldier models are well-detailed, and witnessing large-scale battles with numerous units is impressive. The frame rate remains smooth even during intense clashes too, so that’s good. Further, and whilst the environments are decent, they are not particularly remarkable.
Similar goes for the audio and sound design too. You’ll be hearing stuff that is adequate, with dramatic music that suits the setting.
Shieldwall is an interesting game. While it functions well and offers an enjoyable campaign, the gameplay loop can become repetitive. The most significant drawback however is the lack of online multiplayer on Xbox. The PC version offers online play, which seems like a natural fit for this type of game and so if you’re playing on Xbox, for now, you should see Shieldwall as a solid battle simulator; one that leaves you wanting more.
Shieldwall Marches onto Consoles: Command Your Legion and Conquer Gaul – https://www.thexboxhub.com/shieldwall-marches-onto-consoles-command-your-legion-and-conquer-gaul/
Download Shieldwall on Xbox – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/shieldwall/9MT82MK5JB0W