Glory Days 2 is a game whose presentation is steeped in the gee-golly-shucks naiveté and optimism regarding war and nationalism that one might see in a stereotypical portrayal of pre-World War II America. The military machines and technology may be more advanced than that, with players eventually gaining control of oddly-named super-crafts with which to rain death upon their enemies, but the feel of the game, the distinct voice of the story, remain cheerily anachronistic, as if caught in a cultural void. This remained a problem for me throughout the entire play experience.

Two Men Enter, One Man Leaves

The ubiquitous rule to the fabled Thunderdome, where post-apocalyptic he-men settled disputes, also reigns supreme in Glory Days 2. Except instead of men, the combatants are armies, but you get the idea. Each stage begins with opposing armies on either side of a long, horizontal map. They converge in the middle and engage in a militaristic tug-of-war that goes on until one player controls the entire map and obliterates his opponent. The player controls either an attack helicopter or fighter plane and lends air support to the ground troops as well as rescues hostages for an increase in resources with which to produce more ground troops.

One of the neat things this game does really well is combine the aspects of a traditional strategy game (Command and Conquer; for example), with resource-management features, and the twitchy action of a straight-shooter (NES-classic Jackal came to mind a few times). The game is neither an arcade romp through rampant militarism (Jackal!), nor is it the resource-hoarding-hell of some of the more tedious strategy games. The balance is definitely more on the action side of things, but without strategy, the player is sure to fail, and this balance shines through in game play rather nicely.

The World Needs Heroes, Max!

Glory Days 2, as I mentioned before, has a very naïve outlook on conflict, which is infused throughout the entire play experience. Games about war and conflict are nothing new, from early-arcade shooters like the aforementioned Jackal and Commando, war has always been a source of material for video games. Although, most of these games were about super humans fighting one-man battles or wars against inhuman invaders. A pulp mentality permeated these games, creating a cultural context that existed outside of our real world. On the other hand, Glory Days 2, in mining images of World War II Americana and attitudes from the ham-fisted cut-scenes between levels depicting letters home to mom and family from the fighting boys, to the art design (pilots in leather bomber jackets, antiquated equipment, and WWII-inspired aircraft). Even the gorgeous 2-D graphics emulate this period with their slightly washed-out and aged look. Technology grows to encompass modern military tools, but the art direction and tone never come in line with modernity.

The game presents, as its title suggests, an idea of the glory days of conflict and war, a time when heroes were easy to find; a time that history has taught us never really existed.

Just Walk Away and I’ll Spare Your Lives

If critics are going to argue games as works of art, or pieces of genius, these kinds of cultural questions cannot be dismissed on the basis that this is “just a game.” But, the critical factor for any kind of game comes down to gameplay: How fun is Glory Days 2? Sadly, the game is very mediocre. I really enjoyed the mix of strategy and action though, while it does keep the game from getting boring or stale, there’s just no enough innovation or real style to make for an exciting game.

There is little variation between levels or missions, which left me wanting for more out of this title, but left me, ultimately, unfulfilled. In the end, the nice balance that the Arkedo Studios achieved between action and strategy weigh this title down, as neither aspect gains a real foothold, with action being repetitive, and the strategy simple. A bigger game, with more detailed missions may have been the way to go, but would have sacrificed the look and feel of the gameplay and negated any of the pluses I’ve already mentioned in the game. 

Final Word

 The graphics are really good, with crisp backgrounds and really detailed 2-D effects, but each level is a variation on the tug-of-war aspect of the game; one long, narrow battle zone that the player patrols like the angel of death, clearing the path for his brothers-in-arms. There is not enough in Glory Days 2 to really warrant the purchase price or anything beyond a rental.