Triumph! War 2099

3 Dumb AI, Fun Game
Triumph! War 2099 is a classic “Klik” title from 2001, the spiritual sequel to a World War 2 game that’s also by Anthony Lopes (I think that game was just called War?). TW2099 is an entertaining blend of action and real-time squad tactics. There’s nothing superhuman about your character – he’s just like any other grunt except that he has the ability to issue simple commands and summon reinforcements. As such, the game does a great job of making you feel like you’re part of a large-scale war (up to 50 guys on the screen, depending on your settings).

Unfortunately, the AI of your fellow marines is pretty useless, and they’ll get slaughtered quickly by the vicious Krattes, who are a lot more mobile and seem more intelligent, too. In many of the missions you’ll want to lead a marine into a safe corner and away from the battle – so long as there’s one other guy on the map you can keep respawning. I don’t know what kind of basic training these guys had, but some of them don’t even seem to know how to fire a gun.

Still, Triumph! War 2099 is a really entertaining game and well worth trying, especially if you have a friend (or three) to play with. I played through it recently with my friend Andy Hull and we had a great time. It holds up surprisingly well and is a testament to how enjoyable it can be to play a game where you’re not a lonely hero.