Play Advance Wars: Days of Ruin Online

Summary

Advance Wars: Days of Ruin drops the series’ bright cartoon vibe for a gritty, post‑meteor world where surviving factions scramble for the last scraps of civilization. You command Will, a spiky‑haired cadet, and lead a CO‑centered army across fog‑shrouded grids, using new units like the fast Bike, the flare‑emitting Flare, and the versatile Gunboat to outmaneuver opponents. CO powers are toned down; they now affect only a limited "CO zone" and fill slowly as you deal damage, making timing of the ultimate ability a tactical decision rather than a guaranteed boost. The game also introduces level‑up mechanics for individual units—each kill nudges a unit from I to II to Vet, granting modest attack and defense bumps without carrying over between missions. Terrain has grown harsher, with Wasteland slowing ground, Ruins offering cover, and impassable Plasma walls generated by Meteor debris that disappear once the meteor is destroyed. Online play via Nintendo Wi‑Fi Connection lets two players battle worldwide, while the map editor and hot‑seat mode keep local multiplayer fresh, even supporting up to four players on a single cartridge. Critics praised the bold visual shift and robust multiplayer, though some missed the series’ classic modes; overall, the game earned high scores on Metacritic and was even named IGN’s Best Online Multiplayer Game of 2008.

Storyline

Advance Wars: Days of Ruin (often called simply Days of Ruin) drops players into a bleak, post‑apocalyptic world where a century‑long war between Rubinelle and Lazuria was ended by a cataclysmic meteor shower. The impact killed roughly 90 % of humanity, blanketed the sky with dust that halted photosynthesis, and left the shattered nations scrambling for survival.

The story follows the Rubinelle 12th Battalion, nicknamed Brenner’s Wolves, as they rescue a young cadet named Will and an amnesiac soldier they name Isabella. Together they confront the rogue sergeant known as The Beast, whose raider band threatens the fragile peace the battalion is trying to build.

A year after the strikes, the 12th Battalion encounters the New Rubinelle Army and is drawn into a clash between the Lazurian Army and the NRA led by Greyfield. After a brutal victory at Fort Lazuria, Brenner sacrifices himself to protect fleeing Lazurian prisoners, and Lin later kills Greyfield, ending the NRA’s missile onslaught.

The private contractor Intelligent Defense Systems, headed by Dr. Caulder, then emerges, unleashing the Creeper disease and the massive bomber Great Owl. The battalion destroys the Great Owl, infiltrates Caulder’s fortress The Nest, and puts an end to his experiments by destroying the lab.

One year later, the survivors have founded the village of New Hope. For the first time since the meteors fell, the sun rises over the hills, signaling a tentative but hopeful new beginning.