This weekend marked the 100th anniversary of the beginning of The Great War. This devastating conflict that lasted over four years and claimed more than 16 million lives is rarely the chosen focal point for a videogame and even rarer is there a game that can be called good produced on the topic. Ubisoft has timed the release of Ubisoft Montpellier’s latest title Valiant Hearts: The Great War to coincide with this monumental anniversary. This historical puzzle adventure game is very different from the typical run of the mill war game. This game is not about being a super soldier decimating the unending waves of your opponents. Rather, you will find it to be about the overlapping experiences of three families as they experience this conflict, each in different ways. Even though the game possesses a comic look and you are not slaughtering thousands of soldiers, it does not shy away from the horrors of war and in particular the violence of the trenches.
You play the game as four different people whose stories interlock throughout the war, all the way from the outbreak to near the conclusion of the war. In addition to the experiences that you play through, there are diary entries periodically from the characters that help fill in the story and expand it back to home front. You will find at the beginning of each new level there are historical factoids that can also supply some additional background information to the events, and who knows…you may find that you learn something from them.

The puzzles are not overly challenging but are not so simple to be boring. There are time based hints that are available for use, but to be honest every puzzle can be solved without the use of them. In addition to the puzzles there are items to be collected through out each area of the game. These items help give you an understanding of what life during the war was like.  Again, an interesting historical lesson can be gleaned from this game.


The ending will touch you and will leave you thinking that perhaps the ending you want isn’t always the best way to finish.  All in all this game was well worth the time. It was an enjoyable gaming experience covering a horrific time in history.

*I would just like to say thank you again to the writer of this review and long time friend Chris. Its a great addition to the site and all of us are thankful for the content*