The Wars series, after several iterations of game settings that featured brightly-coloured engines of destruction, has officially changed its look in the next game, Advance Wars: Days of Ruin.



Here is a trailer.

In a nutshell: no more CO powers, no more nations, no more neon orange tanks. Hello, meteorites killed 90% of mankind, hello ruined cities, hello none of the characters smile three chapters into this game, hello pillage and murder, hello roving bands of armed groups fighting each other for scant resources.

When the first few glimpses of the new game emerged through the Paris gameshow, 'concerned parties' *cough*<font size="1">ninjadebugger demota fandomgreen</font>*cough* were quick to appraise me of the situation. The concern of course was that I'd be... unnerved, given my, ah, attachments to one of the Advance Wars characters. After all, it was, quite literally, love at first sight.

FLAAAAAAAAAAAAK! FLAKALAKALAKALAKALAK FLAK!!!

Ahem. Excuse me.

Now, not only is Intelligent changing the look and feel of their game series, but they are forgoing use of the entire cast and crew they'd had around for three games. To be honest, I was pretty sad when I learned about it. Not livid like I was when I heard about the game now called *spit* Battallion Wars, which I will not link to here. Just... sad. The thing that almost became the Advance Wars for the Gamecube, among other things, was a break from the established aesthetic. It was ugly. Which made sense-- Intelligent had no hand in making it. Advance Wars: Days of Ruin isn't ugly, not by a long stretch. By all accounts, it's shaping up to be a pretty good game, too. And given Intelligent System's track record, I wouldn't expect anything less either.

I just really wish I'd sent their character design team that gushing, fanboyish thank you letter long, long ago though.

But anyway, when the news hit these shores officially, the more I learned about the new game, the more likely it became that I was going to buy it. I was going to pass at first, not out of an act of boycott or anything, but simply because I didn't think they'd have anything to offer me that interested me anymore. Watching the trailer though, it looks like a nice buy anyway-- it's still war, after all. And they at least had the decency not to say outright that any of the original crew had been killed in the cataclysmic meteorite storm. 10% of the population can fit a good number of survivors.

When in doubt, resort to creative denial!

Seriously though, putting aside the matter of Days of Ruin most likely belonging to a different continuity entirely, the theories and possibilities abound. Demota mentions a prequel scenario that sounds as attractive as it is unlikely. Racewing and the Wanderer talked about the possibility of the world's ending being Lash's fault, and I expressed my wholehearted support of thought in that direction, as it was implicit that she'd be the most likely to survive anything that she actually caused.

And barring everything else, there can always be Postapocalyptic Desert-Wanderers Lash and Hawke. I can still indulge in my personal pet fandom; it will just be in a different context and setting altogether. My imagination has room enough for that.

It makes sense of sorts, really. As Lurker mentioned, the possibilities for the original AW crew have been pretty much tapped out in the last game, and Dual Strike can arguably be taken as the close to our look into their world. I just wish Intelligent Systems had told us beforehand or something, I dunno. And I can't help but feel that the Bolt Guard was royally and undeservedly stiffed. Poor Kindle.

In the end, Days of Ruin is simply different, and that's probably the safest and truest thing that can be said about it. Change always needs some adapting to, but I can't help but feel that this is a small step towards something I wouldn't buy. Everything has its place, and everything in its place, and while I appreciate the abstract beauty of tactical war and the gritty nobility of combat on the field, it's not really what I liked Advance Wars for. Sometimes, you just want to play with your little tanks and armies and blow shit up without having to deal with orphaned children, mutilated war veterans, concentration camps and whatnot.

Advance Wars is getting the EXTREEEEEEEEME treatment, and depending on how it goes, I might even ride along, just out of sheer momentum. And if I lose interest, then there's still the hope that, as with many things human, this change is at the far end of a cycle, and the whole thing will come full circle again someday, with the return of blue skies over a war-torn, but somehow still happy world.

And who knows? Somewhere into the later chapters, or perhaps in a sequel, a jeep may emerge from the dust-enveloped landscape, bearing a precocious female warrior, fighter or tactician, it doesn't matter, but preferably with ridiculous hair. And on the villains' side.

So to all those who were worried about me for a while, thanks, your concern is appreciated. I'm taking it better than I expected to, really, all things considered. It's not like my dog died or anything.

And you'd probably be surprised how well I'd take it if my dog did die. It helps to be a cold-hearted ass sometimes.

COME ON, INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS, MADS NEEDS HIS EVIL WAR LOLIS, DON'T FAIL DADDY NOW