Swords And Soldiers 2 out on PC today

Silly side-scrolling RTS Swords And Soldiers 2: Shawarmageddon might be a few years overdue (it launched on Wii U back in May 2015), but it still knows how to raise a smile. Its meat-hungry armies of Vikings and Demons also make me wish that I had a decent barbecue setup to hand, but that’s neither here nor there. It’s out today on PC after a long absence, and developed by Ronimo Games, better known on PC now for the still-popular platform MOBA Awesomenauts. Below, a meaty launch trailer.

Swords And Soldiers 2 looks like it’s handled the hop back to PC gracefully. Our version of the game has more info in the UI and a massive bar of hot-keyed options, which should help in keeping your troops reinforced while you focus on the front lines. As with the original Swords & Soldiers, it’s mostly a game of tug-of-war, trying to get the right combination of units lined up to exploit the weaknesses of whatever troops are leading your enemies formation. There’s a bit more to it than that, including multi-lane maps, but it’s mostly a lightweight take on a normally demanding genre.

While generally focused on the strategic, there’s a few light action elements to the game, too. Certain special spells require precision timing to place a wobbling reticle on the target you want splattered, or just mashing the mouse button for extra combo attacks. The sequel leans a little more on the fantastical side of things. While there were plenty of magical units and attacks in the original game, the sequel adds a whole army of demons, fully playable in skirmish and online modes. The game was apparently well received on Wii U – hopefully it can still find its niche on PC.

Swords And Soldiers 2: Shawarmageddon is out now on Steam for £10.25/€13.49/$13.4, and a little cheaper if you own either Awesomenauts or Swords And Soldiers HD. As for me, I could murder a kebab right now.