Tiny Metal

 Switch
User Score
5.7

Mixed or average reviews- based on 36 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 36
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 36
  3. Negative: 13 out of 36

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  1. Sanistus
    Dec 22, 2017
    7
    The graphics are very muddy. I think the dev said the game runs at 1080p 30FPS, but it does not look like 1080p at all. Slightly more tolerable in handheld mode, but still very noticeable. I also found the art somewhat unappealing overall. The video that runs when you start the game runs like trash, too. Not a great first impression.

    Once you get into the game, though, it runs well    The graphics are very muddy. I think the dev said the game runs at 1080p 30FPS, but it does not look like 1080p at all. Slightly more tolerable in handheld mode, but still very noticeable. I also found the art somewhat unappealing overall. The video that runs when you start the game runs like trash, too. Not a great first impression.

    Once you get into the game, though, it runs well enough. I don't play too many tactics games, so I don't feel like I can critique the gameplay very well, but I'm having fun. The multiplayer also hasn't been implemented yet, which is really dumb, but... whatever, I guess. Fine.

    Another issue I have is that the dialogue auto-skips when the voice actors finish their lines. Normally that would be fine, but all the voices are in Japanese, and sometimes they finish before I'm done reading.

    Tiny Metal could be better, but I needed something to keep me busy while I'm stuck at my Grandma's house for Christmas, and it should serve me well enough.

    I also like the weird Japanese man that yells "TIINY METALL" every now and then when you start the game up. That voice clip gets a 10/10    … Expand
  2. TheFlannelFox
    Jan 6, 2018
    6
    After years of hearing game journalists praising the Advance Wars franchise, which I have never played. I was very excited to jump into the spiritual successor Tiny Metal.

    Heavy Metal Tiny Metal is a turn based rpg where you command an army of different squad types consisting of infantry, tanks, helicopters, fighter jets, in order to eliminate all of the opposing troops and capture    After years of hearing game journalists praising the Advance Wars franchise, which I have never played. I was very excited to jump into the spiritual successor Tiny Metal.

    Heavy Metal
    Tiny Metal is a turn based rpg where you command an army of different squad types consisting of infantry, tanks, helicopters, fighter jets, in order to eliminate all of the opposing troops and capture their headquarters. Yes that is the same objective in EVERY single map.

    Moving each unit, then choosing whether to wait, attack, capture a building, until all units have been moved and it’s the enemies turn. Capturing a building allows you a base which you can heal a wounded unit and capturing a factory gives you the opportunity to build new units, once you have saved enough money to do so.

    Each unit has a certain number of occupants. For example, in your metals aka tanks, you have three tanks, and in rifleman unit you have ten soldiers, so a rifleman unit with all ten soldiers will do more damage than a unit with only six. So getting the first attack on a unit when in battle really means something, also riflemen don’t do much damage to tanks, however lancers do, there are many specificities like this on the battlefield which creates a tense tactical challenge for you to complete. Like many other turn based tactical RPGs certain units can only damage specific units, a militarized twist on the common elemental classes we usually see in other popular RPGs.

    Steel gridin’
    My biggest issue with Tiny Metal is that from level to level there is absolutely no sense of progression. While you do get better at the game, your units don’t carry over at all. Yes in each level your units can level up raising their damage as they complete tasks, but at the end of each level you wipe the slate clean. Regardless of the amount of troops you are left standing with when you stand victorious, you move on to another lengthy cut scene and a fresh battlefield. At first it doesn’t really matter, but it becomes such a repetitive formula. Added to the fact that every level is made from the same kit, there is no visual variety. Different textured levels would be a simple way to break up the monotony of every level being grassland.

    On land or see
    When in docked mode the graphics are very jagged and doesn’t feel up to par with the other 3d titles on the system, but looks clean and crisp in handheld. When in the heart of gameplay it would be nice to be able to rotate your viewing perspective, at times not being able to see enemies because of the angle I’m looking at. Yes you can transition between an extreme close-up perspective view and an extra wide top-down view, but having only these as options leaves the player wanting much more.

    Verdict
    Tiny Metal fell extremely short when trying to walk in to footsteps of gaming greats. Only keeping me interested for a short while, sooner than later the repetitive gameplay, lack of progression, cliche story, and lack luster graphics had me exiting the battlefield.

    Be sure to watch my video review at my YouTube channel TheFlannelFox    … Expand
  3. Felix128
    Mar 1, 2019
    7
    Good game, missing some key features. It draws on some of the best mechanics from the Advance Wars series and adds a slight twist on the established formula. Yes, there are a few minor issues with UI and on the Switch version the resolution can be improved. Still, I like the anime-influenced art, the stylized (but simple) graphics and the strong core mechanics. It seems that the developersGood game, missing some key features. It draws on some of the best mechanics from the Advance Wars series and adds a slight twist on the established formula. Yes, there are a few minor issues with UI and on the Switch version the resolution can be improved. Still, I like the anime-influenced art, the stylized (but simple) graphics and the strong core mechanics. It seems that the developers are committed to adding the online multiplayer and I can see this being a lot of fun when played with friends.… Expand
  4. bradward
    Jun 16, 2018
    5
    After playing Tiny Metal, I recommended it to friends. It's basically Advance Wars, but without CO powers, sea units, troop transports, or ammo/fuel mechanics, but with some new features like dealing extra damage to units from the back or side, being able to attack into fog of war if you have a radar unit, and "hero" units that can be deployed on some maps. There's 15 missions and 5After playing Tiny Metal, I recommended it to friends. It's basically Advance Wars, but without CO powers, sea units, troop transports, or ammo/fuel mechanics, but with some new features like dealing extra damage to units from the back or side, being able to attack into fog of war if you have a radar unit, and "hero" units that can be deployed on some maps. There's 15 missions and 5 "hidden" missions that can be unlocked by finding certain objectives on some maps. Then, MANY (50+?) skirmish maps of varying sizes and difficulties.

    So that's the good. Now here's the bad.

    The AI is a bit underwhelming. No level presented a challenge like many of the Advance Wars levels did.

    The lack of CO powers, sea units, troop transports, and fuel/ammo mechanics does take some strategy out of the game when compared to Advance Wars.

    It's kind of buggy. Just yesterday I was playing a campaign map, and when I built an infantry unit on turn 1, it was an enemy infantry unit, which then began capturing the building that I just built it from. Then, in the same map, a "hero" unit that I recruited was capturing buildings at half the rate that he was supposed to. And, even though every hero unit has a price listed next to them, which supposedly is the price to recruit them, that amount is always actually zero--it never subtracts that amount from your resources. These are just a few bugs that I personally have run across, and while they don't happen often, they do happen, and it's usually pretty noticeable when it happens.

    But the worst part of Tiny Metal, in my opinion, is the lack of communication from the developers. The multiplayer part of the game which has shown as "coming soon" in the main menu seems to be somewhere in limbo, with no real update from the developers in months.

    So, in its current state, I'd have to say this game is about a 5/10. It's kind of fun, but very unpolished, and missing some pretty important features.    … Expand
  5. BlueFalcon90
    Dec 2, 2018
    6
    Taking inspiration from Advance wars it sure does live up to it in some ways. It feels like Advance wars while being different. It for sure stands alone on its own. Minimal graphics giving it nice detail in animations and art while presenting great gameplay. Anyone who enjoyed the Advance Wars Series will enjoy this as well.

Awards & Rankings

77
#77 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
66

Mixed or average reviews - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
  1. Pocket Gamer UK
    Mar 6, 2018
    80
    The perfect game for waging adorable warfare while on the bus, on your sofa, or on your toilet.
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  2. Digitally Downloaded
    Jan 9, 2018
    50
    What Tiny Metal, as a clone of Advance Wars, does unfortunately abstract things too far, to the point where there’s no real strategic depth left.
    Read full review
  3. GameSpace
    Jan 8, 2018
    70
    Tiny Metal is a very promising, and likely the best, attempt at replicating the successful Advance Wars formula that fans have been looking for. Although multiplayer has yet to be added to the game, and there are some minor performance issues, each of these can be taken care of with a few patches. This puts the game in a position to be great after a bit more work has been done to it, or to make an easily improved sequel.
    Read full review
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