Game review
Wargroove 2
6 / 10
- Developer
- Chucklefish / Robotality
- Publisher
- Chucklefish
- Released
- 5 October 2023
- Platforms
- Windows
- Genre
- Strategy
- Monetisation
- One-time purchase
- Players
- Online and local multiplayer alongside a single-player campaign and a new roguelike mode
The short version
Wargroove 2 is Chucklefish and Robotality's direct sequel to their Advance Wars-inspired tactics game, released on 5 October 2023. It sits at 69% positive ("Mixed") across a comparatively small 270 English-language Steam reviews — this review read essentially the full negative sample (84 of 84) alongside the 100 most recent English reviews. This outlet reviewed the original Wargroove the same day, giving this review a direct, same-day point of comparison.
Unlike the original game, where the dominant complaint was tactical shallowness relative to Advance Wars, this review found Wargroove 2's negative sample converges on a different problem: excessive, often unskippable dialogue and exposition. Story or dialogue-related terms appear in roughly 35 to 40 of the 84 negative reviews read. "The endless dialog pop ups are such a drag," reads one representative review, from a reviewer who otherwise praises the gameplay directly. A second, distinct complaint concerns a features trade several longtime fans of the original see as a net loss: the sequel added a new roguelike mode and new commanders but removed the original's Arcade and Puzzle modes and reduced multiplayer map options. "What did it cost: No more Arcade and Puzzles - A lot of maps removed from Multiplayer," reads one detailed review listing the trade-off explicitly. Recent sentiment sits at 59% positive, below the 69% lifetime figure.
Biggest strengths
- Reviewers who play through the story dialogue describe the core gameplay as a genuine improvement on the original, with some directly praising it as among the best modern Advance-Wars-style tactics available
- A new roguelike mode adds a genuinely different way to play beyond the campaign structure of the original game
- Continues the series' charming 2D pixel art and presentation, unchanged in quality from the first game
Biggest weaknesses
- The dominant complaint in this review's negative sample, unlike the original game, is excessive and often unskippable dialogue and exposition, appearing in some form across roughly 35 to 40 of the 84 negative reviews read
- A specific features trade — removing the original's Arcade and Puzzle modes and reducing multiplayer map options in exchange for new content — is seen by several longtime fans as a net loss rather than a straightforward improvement
- Recent sentiment (59% positive) sits below the already-modest 69% lifetime figure
Who it's for: Existing Wargroove fans continuing with the sequel — go in prepared to skip through substantial dialogue, and be aware some modes from the original were cut in exchange for new content rather than simply added alongside it.
Our recommendation: Worth it for fans who want more Wargroove-style tactics and don't mind extensive story content, but go in aware this review's own sample found a specific, different complaint than the original game — dialogue bloat rather than tactical shallowness.
6 / 10
Introduction
Wargroove 2 is Chucklefish and Robotality's direct sequel to their Advance Wars-inspired tactics game, released on 5 October 2023 at NZ$28.99. It continues the series' turn-based, territory-capture formula with new commanders, units and a roguelike mode alongside its story campaigns. It sits at 69% positive ("Mixed") across a comparatively small 270 English-language Steam reviews. This review read essentially the full negative sample, 84 of 84 reviews, plus a sample of the 100 most recent English reviews. This outlet reviewed the original Wargroove earlier the same day, giving this review a direct, same-day point of comparison.
A different complaint than the original
Where this outlet found the original Wargroove's negative sample dominated by unfavourable comparisons to Advance Wars' tactical depth, Wargroove 2's negative sample converges on something different: dialogue. Story and dialogue-related terms appear across roughly 35 to 40 of the 84 negative reviews read. "The endless dialog pop ups are such a drag," reads one review from a player who otherwise calls the gameplay "a blast" and "the best modern Advance Wars type of game." Another, more pointed: "the amount of exposition that I've had to trudge through and ultimately skip seems to be more than half of the gametime. I'm not looking to read a fan-fiction novel." This is a genuinely distinct throughline from the original game's complaints, not a continuation of the same issue under a different name.
What the sequel traded away
A second, specific complaint concerns a direct trade-off several longtime fans of the original describe as a net loss. "What was added: Roguelike mode - New campaigns - 5 new units... What did it cost: No more Arcade and Puzzles - A lot of maps removed from Multiplayer," reads one detailed review itemising the change. Another notes that "Wargroove 1 has more active players on Steam than its sequel," arguing the changes "utterly failed to appeal to the wider casual community" the first game had built. This review found the Advance Wars comparison that dominated the original's complaints still present here, at lower frequency (9 of 84), suggesting the underlying tactical critique from the first game wasn't fully resolved in the sequel either — just overshadowed by the new, more frequently repeated dialogue complaint.
Verdict
Wargroove 2 improves on its predecessor's core tactics according to several reviewers who push through its dialogue, but this review's same-day comparison finds a genuinely different, dominant complaint than the original game: excessive, often unskippable story content rather than shallow tactical depth. A specific trade-off — new roguelike content in exchange for the original's Arcade and Puzzle modes plus reduced multiplayer maps — reads as a net loss to several longtime fans. Worth it for players who want more Wargroove and don't mind substantial dialogue to skip through, but go in aware this sequel solves a different problem than the one its predecessor's critics raised.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Reviewers who play through the story dialogue describe the core gameplay as a genuine improvement on the original, with some directly praising it as among the best modern Advance-Wars-style tactics available
- A new roguelike mode adds a genuinely different way to play beyond the campaign structure of the original game
- Continues the series' charming 2D pixel art and presentation, unchanged in quality from the first game
- New commanders, units and a Groove/Super Groove mechanic add mechanical variety over the original's roster
Cons
- The dominant complaint in this review's negative sample, unlike the original game, is excessive and often unskippable dialogue and exposition, appearing in some form across roughly 35 to 40 of the 84 negative reviews read
- A specific features trade — removing the original's Arcade and Puzzle modes and reducing multiplayer map options in exchange for new content — is seen by several longtime fans as a net loss rather than a straightforward improvement
- Recent sentiment (59% positive) sits below the already-modest 69% lifetime figure
- The Advance Wars comparison that dominated the original game's complaints persists here too, though at lower frequency, suggesting the underlying tactical-depth critique wasn't fully addressed in the sequel either
Screenshots
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Wargroove 2Image: Chucklefish via Steam -
Wargroove 2Image: Chucklefish via Steam -
Wargroove 2Image: Chucklefish via Steam -
How the review scores each part of the gameWanderer Editorial -
The essentials at a glanceWanderer Editorial -
The short versionWanderer Editorial