It's been quite some time since I played Wargroove 2 on the Nintendo Switch, about two years in fact, and thanks to my ridiculous ADHD brain, that's more than enough time for something to become a completely new experience. So, when I say I fell in love with Wargroove 2: Pocket Edition all over again on mobile, I truly do mean it.
Wargroove 2 is a tactical RPG with bags of humor, a generally cheery spin, and is a delight on the original Switch. Plus, it's a game that smartly expands on what made the original so engaging to begin with. Developers Robotality and publisher Chucklefish seemed to pay attention to what fans loved and critiqued about the original, to hone this sequel into something bigger and bolder.
If you know your Fire Emblem from your X-COM, you likely know the gist of this title, but allow me to go into detail. Wargroove 2 is a turn-based RPG played out on a grid that extends across a map. You control a small army of units, and must defeat opposing forces while they adhere to the strict movement rules and remember certain weapon match-ups.
You start out the game playing as the adorable forces known as the Faahri, which are based on rodents. While each faction in the title has its own version of set units, for the Faahri, the class known as the Spearman is called the Perforator. Much like the weapons triangle in Fire Emblem, the Perforator has the advantage over Soldier units, but is weak to Mages and Trebuchets (though I feel like we're all weak to Trebuchets, honestly).
So far, so Fire Emblem. However, Wargroove 2 dances to the beat of its own drum with a few key changes. Firstly, this is not a cast of characters where each unit will earn a place in your heart. You have one Commander who is blessed with a name and characteristics, and perhaps one other character on the field with dialogue, and then everyone below them is disposable. So, there's little chance of naming a Thief after your best mate and then getting upset when "Trevor" gets obliterated by a rampaging rifleman.
Instead, your units are almost a currency to be maintained and managed. Each map has villages dotted around, some belong to you, some are empty, and some belong to your enemy. Capturing a village earns you currency, and capturing barracks allows you to create one new unit (depending on their cost and your funds) each round. So yes, those smaller units are almost cannon fodder, but you're constantly creating new units and reinforcing your existing army. It's just as important to capture an area's buildings as it is to battle properly.
Then, there's the titular "Groove" mechanic, where your Commander units get to use a big, flashy attack to do some serious damage, or just a unique form of gameplay that makes each faction and each battle different. The endearing character Lytra uses a Groove called Melodic Cyclone, which spins surrounding enemies around, allowing you to mash them into each other or simply drop your foes into the deadly clutches of the ocean.
Without going into the nitty gritty, Wargroove 2 is a really fascinating spin on the tactics genre, and one that balances humor and witty writing well alongside some genuinely moving moments. You feel empathy for each faction, and the greater conflict that the entire story covers is surprisingly emotional. If you want to learn more about the minutiae of the title, be sure to read my original Wargroove 2 Switch review.
Now, if you're picking this up for the very first time on mobile, this is really a fantastic version of an already great game. When I heard the title was coming to mobile, I thought of other fantastic mobile ports like Balatro or Loop Hero, where a game I loved on Switch would be genuinely improved with the freedom and quick response of a touchscreen. Now, for Wargroove 2, that's mostly true.
With a whole map of units to command and foes to thwart, it's genuinely such a thrill just being able to quickly tap each unit to select them. Once you've chosen your unit, it's very convenient to just quickly tap your opponents and check how much damage each unit can do. Similarly, it's genuinely much quicker to check your enemies' movement grid, their strengths and weaknesses, and much more. This is definitely the quickest and slickest way to play Wargroove 2 yet, and that's fantastic news.
However, some quick UX changes would be appreciated. There's no dedicated button to speed up battles or units, and it's not even entirely clear when you can speed through battles. A uniform "speed up" button would be good, especially if it also worked for dialogue and cut scenes when replaying scenes. Plus, a menu button on the screen would be good, instead of having to press an empty tile and then press it again. There are a few other small annoyances, but nothing game-breaking.
I also tested Wargroove 2 with a Gamesir controller, and it felt like a very natural fit. In my testing, Wargroove 2 ran just as smoothly as on Switch, with no crashes and no slowdown. Older devices may have issues, but on a modern phone, I had zero hiccups. In fact, the mixture of using a controller and occasionally tapping units, when it would be quicker than using the analog stick to select them individually, quickly became my favorite way to play. I'm very tempted to just continue my Wargroove 2 journey on mobile from here on out.
As a package, in terms of bang-for-your-buck, Wargroove 2: Pocket Edition is an astounding proposition for fans of the genre. There's the already hefty story mode, then there's the rogue-like Conquest Mode, which offers up unique scenarios to explore endlessly. Further to this, you can play against other players either with Local or Online multiplayer up to four total combatants.
Finally, there's a level editor mode thrown in, where you can create or download either individual levels or entire campaigns. If you love this game, there's truly a bottomless well of fantastic content to explore and enjoy, propped up massively by an enthusiastic and talented community. You can even import or export save files to share your progress between platforms, though I didn't get a chance to test this for this review.
If you're a mobile gamer: in a sea of micro transactions, live-service titles, and games just generally trying to squeeze every last bit of money out of you while eking out tiny amounts of content, it's genuinely refreshing to see a package so full of fun. Wargroove 2: Pocket Edition brings so much life to the tactics genre, mixing smart decisions with an embarrassment of riches to deliver an overwhelmingly impressive package for tactics fans. Engaging gameplay mixed with bright and beautiful visuals, and some genuinely funny writing, means that the world of Aurania is just brimming with energy and enthusiasm in a way that brings a smile to my face.
If you've already played on Switch or other platforms, this isn't quite the slam-dunk port like one of the best mobile games, Balatro, where mobile becomes the genuinely best way to play. However, it does offer some really slick improvements to gameplay that make those long and arduous battles just a bit quicker. I hope to see the interface improved over time, but as it stands, Wargroove 2: Pocket Edition is a promising mobile port of a genuinely fantastic game, and possibly the perfect place for newcomers to dive in.