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 number 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 not referred to as V-Commandos. Authorized wrangling with the house owners of the Commandos sequence of video video games have made positive of that. The sport, and its expansions, are actually referred to as V-Sabotage.
Extra importantly, 2022 can be the yr the sport lastly obtained a much-deserved glow-up. See, for all the thrill to be present in enjoying the sport—and I actually can’t stress sufficient how good it’s—it was at all times slightly primary, with easy artwork and tokens that have been practical, but additionally 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 offers every of the sport’s heroes a stylistic refresh.
G/O Media could get a fee
Having lastly taken these miniature upgrades for a spin final week, one among my important 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. Apart from wanting 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 all the things, 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, reasonable variations of the issues we’re imagined to be really utilizing within the recreation (or each!), it’s often higher to be enjoying a recreation with miniatures than with out.
The unfavourable penalties of this love for miniatures on recreation design, manufacturing and delivery prices is one other story for one more time, in fact, although a few of these impacts can nonetheless be felt right here; the miniature enlargement for the core recreation prices greater than the core recreation itself, and for those who’ve obtained or need V-Sabotage’s expansions, after which their miniatures as properly, then the fee blowout goes to be monumental.
Is that going to be value it for somebody taking a look at entering into the sport now? I don’t know, that depends upon how a lot cash you make, how lengthy you’re going to play the sport and all types of different elements which might be reminding me whereas I kind this as to why our critiques by no means point out the idea of “worth”!
Personally talking, although, as somebody who has performed this recreation numerous instances with buddies over a five-year timeframe, sufficient instances that it’s now one among their favorite video games as properly, 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 this can be 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 folks desire to play board video games in 2022 these sort of tactile delights?
