Iron Grip: Warlord is definitely not your typical first person shooter, nor is it your typical real-time strategy game. It’s both. Unlike it’s prequel, Iron Grip: Oppression, this game does not have one player in one team, who plays in a real-time strategy mode, and another team with several players who play in a first person shooter mode. In this game, there is no versus mode. That can be viewed as a good or bad thing based on your taste.

What also sets this game apart from Oppression is the fact that any player on your team, which is now Atelia, not the Resistance or  Rahmos from the previous game, can build fortifications such as traps and support fire in an RTS style mode, which is entered simply by pressing the G key. In this game, instead of playing as the powerful Rahmos (which played in an RTS view), you’re up against them and a similar enemy known as the Confederation of Fahmos, which is  a super-nation comprised of several other nations.

The game still focuses on guerilla-warfare and defending your stronghold, which is vital towards winning the game. The only real allies you have are the things you can build, such as a machine gunner who shoots enemies on sight, yourself, and any other players you’re with online; if you are playing online. Besides those I mentioned, you’re on your own against wave after wave of enemies. The only real way to win against the enemy is by emptying their morale bar, but that’s the same way you lose. Their morale gauge goes down by killing the oncoming wave of soldiers, which consists of several different types of enemies, such as a an enemy with a flame-thrower or one with an RPG (rocket propelled grenades), or by killing their officer, if present, who will give the enemy a morale boost. Your morale goes down every time you or a team-mate dies, or if your stronghold is destroyed.