I’ve been writing about V-Commandos on this web site for over 5 years now. The WW2 ways sport, and its a number of expansions, are a few of the greatest 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 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, at the moment are generally known as V-Sabotage.
Extra importantly, 2022 can also be the 12 months the sport lastly obtained a much-deserved glow-up. See, for all the fun to be present in enjoying the sport—and I actually can not stress sufficient how good it’s—it was all the time a bit of fundamental, with easy artwork and tokens that have been purposeful, but in addition a bit drab, and laborious to make out from throughout the desk.
Now, because of 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 provides 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 up a mission. Other than trying implausible, having every participant and enemy (and alarm, door, machine gun nest, remote-control tank and barrel of poison fuel) 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 obtained simple to overlook sure issues on greater missions when the whole lot, from people to objects, 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, real looking variations of the issues we’re alleged to be really utilizing within the sport (or each!), it’s often higher to be enjoying a sport with miniatures than with out.
The unfavourable penalties of this love for miniatures on sport design, manufacturing and delivery 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 sport prices greater than the core sport itself, and in the event you’ve obtained or need V-Sabotage’s expansions, after which their miniatures as nicely, then the associated fee blowout goes to be monumental.
Is that going to be price it for somebody taking a look at moving into the sport now? I don’t know, that relies on how a lot cash you make, how lengthy you’re going to play the sport and all types of different elements which are reminding me whereas I kind this as to why our opinions by no means point out the idea of “worth”!
Personally talking, although, as somebody who has performed this sport numerous instances with associates over a five-year timeframe, sufficient instances that it’s now one among their favorite video games as nicely, 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 type of tactile delights?
