When I first hear that Toy Soldiers: Cold War was in development I figured it was just more Toy Soldiers but in a new setting like the DLC packs that game out for the original. However, while playing it at E3 2011 I was happy to find that Toy Soldiers: Cold War is much more than its predecessor. Sure, the core mechanics are the same but there has been so much more added. Beyond the fact they added co-op and mini-game modes the main campaign is much deeper now as well. The verses mode is still there and playable over Live or split screen. Finally, they added a survival mode where waves of enemies just keep coming until eventually you just can't hold them back any longer and you get overwhelmed.
The main six turret types are back with a few tweaks and changes, but essentially they have the same functions. So, if you played the first Toy Soldiers you should feel right at home with TS: Cold War. Sticking with the move to the 80s the enemies and vehicles are all form the new era and have received an upgrade. You have two different helicopters, tanks and a Bradley at your disposal. The enemies are familiar as well but things like soldiers on horseback have been replaced with ATVs.
One of the main new additions to the game play are called "Barrages". After killing enough enemies you can unlock a Barrage which you can use to quickly clear a large number of enemies. These include things like a B52 bombing run, artillery strikes, AC130 support (with you controlling the guns), nuclear strikes and the Commando. The Commando runs out in true Rambo form and for 60 seconds you have dual wielding rockets and machine gun power.
With all of these upgrades the enemies are a bit stronger than before but you have a lot more firepower at your disposal to offset that. The mini-games are shooting galleries, but with dozens of enemies coming at a very fast pace. After playing for about 30 minutes it was clear to me that Toy Soldiers: Cold War is a lot more fun than the first (and I love Toy Soldiers), and that the developers are working to push every element of the game over the top in true 80's action movie fashion while keeping the core strategy elements in place. Be sure to keep an eye our for the release of Toy Soldiers Cold War because it is sure to be a hit like the original.
