However, information about specific weapons and classes, plus a much-needed tank tutorial were nowhere to be found.
The struggle to learn the game's rules was almost refreshing in a way, in that the moment where everything clicks was so satisfying it made all the hardship worth it. This is both an asset and the game's biggest problem. According to Red Orchestra 2, the best way to learn is to jump right in and start getting killed. Very few concessions are made to players who may not be familiar with the genre. That one encounter was worth shooting down a thousand helicopters in a big-budget blockbuster war game. Having all the bells and whistles of Battlefield: Bad Company 2, or the recovery system of Halo would have ruined it.Īs if the player wasn't already asked to acclimate enough, the learning curve for this game can be downright brutal. I hit him square in the chest and he drops. Realizing what might be happening, I turn around and discover him running in behind me, also with his pistol out. I take cover, peek out to the side, and he is nowhere to be found. I chuck a grenade in the doorway, to see if I can get him to run away. I hang back with my pistol drawn to see if he will be foolish enough to charge me through the doorway. I'm hit, but I apply a bandage before he can finish me off. We start firing at each other frantically, eventually running out of ammo. I head into the nearby doorway and come face-to-face with an angry Russian with machine gun. Reaching the capture point, I hear a noise to my right. Sprinting from cover point to cover point, I systemically check for any possible defenders. I ask you to consider this scenario: I am playing as a German attacking a capture point in a territories match. This sense of isolation, while difficult to get used to, is what sets the game apart from its contemporaries. This lends itself to a vaguely survival horror-like experience, knowing that certain death is potentially around every corner. A wound in a non-lethal area (arm, leg) can be bandaged, but that is the extent to which the player can heal. There are no medics, no health kits, no life bars, and getting shot even once usually results in death. While it would be easy to write off all these elements as flaws, they combine to make Red Orchestra 2 an extraordinarily intricate experience.Ĭombat in Red Orchestra 2 is quite visceral.
Taking time to assess targets is essential as well, since it's easy to mistake a teammate for an enemy. Paying attention to the sound of gunshots, screams, and other battlefield noise is crucial. He has to become aware of his surroundings in order to survive. Instead of a wealth of of visual aids, the player only has his eyes, his ears, and a sparse HUD display to guide him. Mostly.Ī World War II themed, multiplayer-focused FPS from Tripwire Interactive, Red Orchestra 2 takes a very different approach to multiplayer than titles such as Modern Warfare or Battlefield. When done with care, this minimalistic attitude can be a beautiful thing, and Red Orchestra 2 mostly pulls it off. However, Red Orchestra 2: Heroes of Stalingrad tacks to the other side of the spectrum, forcing the player to be aware of his surroundings through the use of (gasp!) sight and sound.
The trend in most modern first-person shooters (FPSs) is towards the latter scenario, using an overwhelming series of heads-up display (HUD) elements, checkpoint markers, and the like to keep players on-course. Too little assistance, and the player might become confused and frustrated. Too much, and the game risks being overbearing. There is a very tricky balance between giving the player too little help during a game and giving him too much. WTF: Killing myself and a teammate with a bomb that I thought was an ammo box. LOW: Locking most of the tutorial missions based on completion of the single player campaign. HIGH: The frantic struggle after walking smack into an enemy player in a small enclosed area.