Hobo Wars is a dark comedy action game featuring continuous brawling gameplay across multiple installments. You play as a vagabond character who can learn new skills after every battle. As you progress, the adversaries become more formidable, the weaponry more varied, and the levels less predictable.
Hobo Wars starts with simple encounters. The main character gets beaten by the police and goes on a revenge mission. After each fight, new combat skills can be unlocked.
The skills are very different in their style; some are for direct attacks, others apply crowd-control effects or do area-of-effect damage. As you move through the chapters in the game, you gain more skills, which give you more options for dealing with various groups of enemies.
Hobo Wars goes beyond simple melee combat. The game gradually introduces a variety of special weapons. Some can take out multiple enemies at once, others do a lot of damage but require precise timing to be effective.
Later there is fighting with weapons. You can get into bigger battles with guns, heavy ordnance and special attacks.
Each installment of Hobo Wars transports the character to a new setting. You will face off against police, thugs, armed forces, and unique enemies. Some chapters are set against a backdrop of war, featuring a significant increase in both the number of opponents and the firepower available.
As the game progresses, the focus shifts toward the ability to handle multiple enemies simultaneously. Levels packed with numerous opponents create greater pressure, making area-of-effect skills particularly useful.
Each section usually culminates in a boss fight. Bosses can be anything from a combat vehicle to a unique creature or a character with great power. You need to dodge attacks in some encounters and identify the right moment to counter attack.
Hobo Wars has bosses that are much harder than the normal levels. The fact that a few tries are needed for some battles to get the strategy right helps to differentiate the different stages of the game.
The character learns more and more powerful skills as the game progresses. The environment changes to various locations such as Heaven and new enemies and obstacles are introduced. At this point, the combat system has a ton of moves to work with.
Hobo Wars is a truly unique experience for those who like action games with a wide range of skills, bizarre weapons, constant boss encounters, and gameplay that encourages experimentation.
