Grit and Valor 1949 Preview

Into the Blitzkreig

It’s been over six years since Into The Breach left a giant hole in many of our hearts, unable to find a similar love since. However, recently we got a chance to go hands on with Grit and Valor 1949, which might be the one to help us all move on. Even though it does share some resemblance to Into The Breach with grids, mechs and tactics, Grit and Valor tweak the formula in enough interesting ways to offer a unique take on the genre.

Grit and Valor 1949, takes place in an alternate timeline where WW2 still rages on, but in a dieselpink setting and while it might look like Iron Harvest on the surface, the intimate small maps feel like a combination of Into The Breach, Slay The Spire, Commandos and even a little tower defense vibes thrown in for good measure

Similar to Into The Breach, you have a squad of mechs, pilots and your job to defeat the waves of enemies while using each mechs powers correctly as well as utilizing the environment which is a small grid that feels reminiscent. The big difference is that Grit and Valor feels closer to an RTS and not a turn based tactic, which means you need to use a different part of your brain and react quicker. Each level is short with a handful of waves, which after you decide your path similar to Slay The Spire depending on what you need as well as a small run based upgrade in true roguelite fashion.

Grit and Valor: 1949 ran great on the Steam Deck and while gamepad was an option, the best way to play was KBM. Running this well on Steam Deck this far ahead of release is promising.

If there is an area for improvement, it would be the readability on screen. Sometimes it’s hard to know which mech you are controlling as they all look somewhat similar. Considering Grit and Valor 1949 is closer to an RTS, every second counts. It’s also hard to see what some mechs are doing in regard to things like healing, but since we are still far from release, it feels like there is plenty of time to improve, tweak and polish.

Grit and Valor 1949 has a familiarity that is welcoming and while the game won’t be out until 2025, it’s definitely one that we are going to be keeping our eye on.