Why Hogs of War is the Best PS1 Multiplayer Strategy Game You Missed
In the late 90s, the turn-based strategy genre was dominated by 2D titles like Worm Armageddon. Then came Hogs of War, a game that took the artillery-combat formula, pushed it into a fully 3D environment, and added a layer of British satirical humor that remains unmatched on the PlayStation 1.
The Core Concept: Worms in 3D
Hogs of War features six swine-based nations fighting over “Sow-a-stika,” a world rich in swill. Players control a squad of hogs in turn-based combat. While it looks like a simple shooter, the depth comes from the 3D terrain. Unlike 2D games where you only worry about left and right, here you must account for elevation, wind speed, and line-of-sight in a 360-degree theater of war.
The Rick Mayall Factor
One of the primary reasons Hogs of War stands out is the voice acting. The legendary Rick Mayall (The Young Ones, Bottom) provided the voices for every single hog in the game. His comedic timing and the hilarious national stereotypes of the different pig armies (The French “Pipsqueaks,” the German “Mershocks,” etc.) give the game a personality that makes every defeat feel less frustrating and every victory feel like a comedy sketch.
Class-Based Strategy
Success in Hogs of War depends on how you promote your pigs. As you gain “Promotion Points,” you can specialize your hogs into four distinct classes:
| Class | Specialty | Key Weapon |
|---|---|---|
| Gunner | Long-range artillery | Bazooka / Mortar |
| Medic | Healing and support | Healing Syringe |
| Engineer | Explosives and sabotage | TNT / Landmines |
| Spy | Infiltration and stealth | Sniper Rifle |
Why It’s a Multiplayer Masterpiece
Hogs of War supports up to four players via a “Pass-the-Pad” system or the PS1 Multitap. The 3D environments mean you can hide behind buildings, tunnel under hills, or take the high ground to rain fire on your friends. The sheer unpredictability of the physics engine leads to legendary “couch gaming” moments where a misplaced grenade can cause a chain reaction of exploding pigs.
The Hardware Reality
Running Hogs of War on an original PS1 can be demanding. The game pushed the 32-bit hardware to its limit with its large 3D maps. If you find the frame rate chugging, playing the game on a PS2 with “Fast Disc Speed” enabled in the system configuration helps smooth out the loading times between turns.
Hogs of War FAQ
The PAL (European) version is relatively common, but the NTSC (North American) version had a smaller print run. In 2026, a US copy can be quite pricey, making it a “hidden gem” for collectors.
Hogs of War was re-released on Steam, but the PC port is notoriously buggy. For the best experience, playing the original PS1 ISO through an emulator like DuckStation allows for 4K resolution and improved perspective correction.
A sequel was in development for the PS2 but was ultimately cancelled when the developer, Infogrames, faced financial restructuring. A remaster was successfully crowdfunded recently, proving the cult following is still strong.