War. War never changes
Grit & Valor-1949 throws you into an alternate post-WWII timeline where mechs changed the battlefield forever. It’s part tactics game, part roguelite, and part mech brawler, and while it doesn’t reinvent the wheel, it nails the core fantasy: watching giant machines stomp, blast, and burn their way through enemy lines.
If you like watching big stompy robots tear through waves of enemies, Grit & Valor delivers. Combat is fast paced but never so chaotic that you lose track of what you’re doing. The real-time battles are pausable, which is key; it gives you breathing room to plan around enemy positions, utilize cover, take advantage of high ground. These mechanics shine brightest when you have a solid squad of mechs, each with strengths and weaknesses, forcing you to think rather than just charge in.
MSRP: $19.99
Platforms: Xbox (reviewed), PlayStation, Switch, PC
Price I’d Pay: $19.99
The setting: dieselpunk with giant mechs in an alternate 1949 is gimmicky, but it works well. The aesthetic of Nazi walkers, resistance forces using captured mech tech, EMP weapons… it’s a familiar “what-if” story, but it delivers enough character to keep you invested. The visuals are clean, maps are readable, and the mech designs have personality. One of the game’s strongest points is how it handles upgrades. You start with modest mechs; you die, go back to base, then use what you gained (materials, components, pilot upgrades) to push a little further next time. Those incremental wins feel good. The unlocks feel tangible: more durability, better weapons, more tactical options. For roguelite fans, that “one more run” pull is real here.
Even though the core combat loop is solid, early runs feel very similar. The same map layouts, similar waves, same types of decisions. Until you unlock a few extra mech-types or upgrades, things can get stale. After several runs the novelty starts wearing thin until new gear shakes things up. Tactical variety is there, yes, but only to a point. The rock-paper-scissors relationships (bombers vs machine-guns vs flamers, etc.) and height/cover are useful tools, but don’t expect massive surprises or emergent strategies. No fancy flanking, no super complex enemy AI. For some players that’s fine; for others, this simplicity might feel like not getting enough complexity for your buck.
As you push into tougher runs, the game leans more on your unlocked strength than clever tactics. Sometimes you’ll find you survived more through upgraded stats than actual skill or planning. There are boss fights, and those can hit hard; but a lot of the grind feels like you have to pile on upgrades just to not get steamrolled, rather than learning new strategies.
Will you get your money’s worth? Probably yes, especially if you enjoy roguelites, mech combat, and alternate history settings. It doesn’t reinvent the genre, but it doesn’t need to; it leans into its strengths. If you want something with deeper tactical complexity or huge narrative ambition, this won’t be your “forever game,” but for what it sets out to do, eh it does it well.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
