There have been many different turn-based tactic games released over the years but only one stays strong in my mind, always having a soft spot as a true classic of the genre. That game is 'Hogs of War'; released back in 2000 for PSOne and PC by Infrogames Studios.
The game is set in a First World War-era battlefield where anthropomorphic pigs engage in combat to ultimately control the distribution of Swill (the lifeblood of pigs). The player takes turns in control individual members of their squad of hogs to engage in war with the opposition, similar to Worms style of play. Once in control of their Hog the player can move around the 3D environment, jumping over terrain and swimming through bodies of water, only able to engage in combat whilst stood still. The turns are timed and there are different classes of soldier to choose from with add the tactical element to the game as time can be precious and taking out one particular opposition class can sometimes be the win or lose decision in a game.
There are four main classes of Soldier; heavy gunner that specialises in long distance heavy weapons like bazookas and mortars, engineer that specialises in explosive weapons like grenades and TNT, espionage that don't appear on the mini-map and use Sniper rifles, and the Medic that can heal other units in both long and close range. Despite the classes, any soldier can pick up any weapon or ability found in the crates dotted around the battlefield.
There are also a variety of vehicles that can be utilised like tanks, pillboxes, stationary turrets and bunkers and tents that provide no weaponry but allow a small healing ability whilst hiding in them.
The single player campaign features a player chosen nation from the UK, France, Germany, USA, Russia or Japan (represented by humorous names and not the country name), trying to take control of regions of 'Saustralasia' a land rich in Swill.
The overall gameplay of the game is pretty solid as it quite hard to get the turn based games like Worms wrong, but it is the humour in the game that made this game a classic. From the opening sequence to the random quips made by the Hogs in game (all voiced by Rik Mayall), the game is rich in a humour that doesn't try to be clever or up-brow, just plain, simple and easy to get along with.
There was talk of a sequel being released on Nintendo DS, Wii, Playstation 2 and PC but unfortunately it has never seen the light of day and is currently presumed cancelled. This is one game that I would love to see a sequel of but with most classics I know that a sequel would never live up to the pure love I have for Hogs of War, and is probably better off left alone.
If you want to give this game a try, you can download the game via
Brothersoft.
