Tiny Metal: Full Metal Rumble (2019)

Tiny Metal: Full Metal Rumble attempts to fill the void left by Advance Wars, but struggles meet expectations. Several issues with the games UI lead to more frustration than fun.

Tiny Metal: Full Metal Rumble is a great improvement on its predecessor Tiny Metal.

Tiny Metal: Full Metal Rumble is a turn-based strategy game for the Nintendo Switch that follows its predecessor from two years ago and which improves on pretty much every aspect possible. With its in-depth offer of strategic gameplay options, large amount of content and very strong technical execution, Full Metal Rumble is a marvel of a game that also acts as a tribute to the games that inspired it.

In the end, It just didn’t feel like Area 35 tried anything that dramatic in this sequel, just more of the same with some minor upgrades, and taking ideas from games that did it better. TINY METAL was born in the shadow of Advance Wars, and sadly, Full Metal Rumble never steps out of that shadow. I know that sounds harsh, and much as it pains me to say, I don’t know how else the next game can improve without criticism. Because I honestly still like TINY METAL, I just expect much more from it. That said, for $14.99, you get a lot of game for your money. I spent almost 30 hours just on Story mode alone, and there’s a lot more to do, such as Skirmish, Multiplayer and many, many goodies you can unlock with in-game currency. There’s also labs you can find in Story mode to unlock optional side missions. And if you are a perfectionist, each mission has optional conditions you can achieve to get more points. If you’re a fan of strategy games, TINY METAL: Full Metal Rumble might still be worth a look. But if you’re a stickler and want a better adventure, there are far better options available right now.

This is worth picking up for most fans of the turn based tactical strategy genre and worth thinking about picking up for a newcomers first foray into the genre.