Game Title: Rising Storm 2
Publisher: Tripwire Interactive
Developer: Antimatter Games, Tripwire Interactive
Format Reviewed: PC
Also Available on: PC
Price: $25.00
A Fair Fight.
Originally an expansion to the critically acclaimed Red Orchestra series, Rising Storm 2 breaks off in its own standalone first-person shooter. The environment is still set in the same tropical local as the first game, so expect to see the sun, beaches, palm trees and of course the gunfire.
Instead of huge bullets from bolt actions rifles whizzing by your helmet in the foxholes of Japan’s island territories, you’re now dodging automatic weapon held by the common foot soldier in Vietnam. Watching your step as there are traps virtually everywhere, begging to be tripped.
The series is well known to be unforgiving at first, but for those players who will be country for the long haul will find nothing, but a brutal yet enjoyable game.
The Belligerents
In Rising Storm 2 there are two factions and two teams within each. The U.S Marines Corps and Army represent the Southern Vietnamese forces. Fully backed with modern tools of war, such as the helicopter and a standard chain of command where the squad leader is very important. Against them are the Northern Vietnamese consisting of the NVA and the Viet Cong. Although clearly outgunned, they are not outsmarted and play crafty tactics to crush their enemy.
Although the two armies are different, make no mistake that one is not overpowered than the other. Each team have classes that match or counter each other in their own respective fields, such as the North’s Grenadier and the South’s RPG. All except for the pilot’s section, obviously.
That being said, I’ve never felt cheated of a match because one team had napalm or the artillery barrage went on forever. It all came down to the simple core factors of what made the team, the people. Role performance is very important in this game and seeing a low-level player take an important role such as point man or scout, one of the classes that have the vital smoke grenade used to capture critical points is pretty disheartening.
The Gameplay
For the most part, you’ll probably be playing as a Rifleman or a Guerrilla, the most abundant and standard class for both armies. You’ll either race to the objective to either capture/defend it or hold a strategic choke point and cut off defenders/attackers. If bullets or ordinance is fired right near your position your character will fidget or lose focus because of the shell shock. Once an enemy plop into the sights of your gun, you just can’t spray and pray. Target distance is very important as you must calculate bullet drop or if he’s mobile, predicting where he and where your bullet will meet.
The Verdict
Although the small number of maps and the only rewards for level progression are cosmetic, Rising Storm 2 will keep players running through the jungle for countless battles to come.
