I’ve been writing about V-Commandos on this web site for over 5 years now. The WW2 techniques recreation, and its a number of expansions, are a few of the finest expressions of stealth in all of board gaming, and for these 5 years it has remained one among my most-played co-op experiences.
In 2022, although, it’s time for some adjustments. For one, the sport is now not referred to as V-Commandos. Authorized wrangling with the homeowners of the Commandos collection of video video games have made certain of that. The sport, and its expansions, are actually generally known as V-Sabotage.
Extra importantly, 2022 can be the 12 months the sport lastly received a much-deserved glow-up. See, for all the thrill to be present in taking part in the sport—and I actually can’t stress sufficient how good it’s—it was all the time just a little primary, with easy artwork and tokens that had been useful, but in addition a bit drab, and onerous to make out from throughout the desk.
Now, due to some improve packs, the sport has a ton of fantastic plastic miniatures representing every character, enemy and even choose items of kit in beautiful element. It additionally has new participant playing cards, that includes new artwork that offers every of the sport’s heroes a stylistic refresh.
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Having lastly taken these miniature upgrades for a spin final week, one among my predominant takeaways is that this doesn’t change how the sport performs one bit. What it does do is make an enormous enchancment to the general expertise, in addition to your high quality of life whereas taking over a mission. Except for wanting incredible, having every participant and enemy (and alarm, door, machine gun nest, remote-control tank and barrel of poison gasoline) represented in 3D makes scanning the desk and planning methods a lot simpler, since beforehand you’d need to scan the entire thing repeatedly simply to recollect what was the place. It additionally received straightforward to overlook sure issues on greater missions when every part, from people to gadgets, was represented by a flat little cardboard token.
Additionally as anybody who has been round Kickstarter for the final 5 years will know, plastic miniatures are simply extra enjoyable to make use of. Whether or not it’s as a result of it harks again to our childhoods or as a result of they’re tangible, scaled, lifelike variations of the issues we’re purported to be truly utilizing within the recreation (or each!), it’s normally higher to be taking part in a recreation with miniatures than with out.
The adverse penalties of this love for miniatures on recreation design, manufacturing and transport prices is one other story for an additional time, in fact, although a few of these impacts can nonetheless be felt right here; the miniature growth for the core recreation prices greater than the core recreation itself, and when you’ve received or need V-Sabotage’s expansions, after which their miniatures as effectively, then the associated fee blowout goes to be huge.
Is that going to be price it for somebody taking a look at entering into the sport now? I don’t know, that is determined by how a lot cash you make, how lengthy you’re going to play the sport and every kind of different elements which can be reminding me whereas I sort this as to why our evaluations by no means point out the idea of “worth”!
Personally talking, although, as somebody who has performed this recreation numerous occasions with buddies over a five-year timeframe, sufficient occasions that it’s now one among their favorite video games as effectively, the addition of miniatures has actually elevated the entire expertise for me. I’m usually fairly dismissive of the present frenzy for plastic minis in board video games (see my factors above!), however it is a uncommon case the place, having performed the sport first with out them, I can say it’s undoubtedly higher with them.
Which sounds…superficial, however then isn’t half the rationale individuals want to play board video games in 2022 these form of tactile delights?