GAME REVIEW - Rising Storm 2 Vietnam

in #gaming7 years ago


http://store.steampowered.com/app/418460/Rising_Storm_2_Vietnam/
I've always been a fan of first person shooter games that attempt to stay as close to realism as the gaming market will let them. That's an important point that goes unconsidered all too often; typically manifesting in the form of complaints over ballistic damage. Certainly there are markets for reality-based games but, for the most part, gamers are looking to engage in or otherwise enhance experiences that they cannot enjoy, for one reason or another, in their immediate physical experience. The Red Orchestra series of games has done a great job of finding that balance from the very beginning. In the most recent iteration, Vietnam, you will find the same considerate balance of realism and arcade, accompanied by the intoxicating setting of the Vietnam War. Everything from the CCR playing in the menu to the stereo-typical voice-acting of enemy troops as they try to hunt you down has a way of immersing you more deeply into the virtual conflict around you.

Basics

"One shot, one kill. Semper Fi" is rarely an idea applicable to a video game, and as I alluded to above it often causes friction in the gaming community. The funny thing is, many folks who want their single shot to be more deadly end up complaining when they find themselves on the receiving end of the same mechanic. This is what you'll see more often in Rising Storm 2. With relatively realistic ballistic damage and no body armor, one shot center-mass is all it takes. Pistol, rifle, shotgun or shrapnel, it doesn't matter. Sticking to cover and working flanks is the key to overcoming the opposing team in this game.

Unlike Call of Duty and Battlefield, where you can observe mild benefits from working together, Rising Storm 2 practically demands it. There are three tiers of players in each round; commanders, squad leaders, and squad members. Each team gets a commander who can call in a variety of artillery strikes along with strategic spawn abilities. Also unlike CoD and Battlefield, the progression in Rising Storm 2 is marked by achievements and cosmetics only. Weapons, attachments, secondaries, perks, and abilities are all tied to their respective classes and do not change with your level. So, if your gaming enjoyment comes from purely playing to win, this is your type of party!

Commanders & Squad Leaders

The commander's options are based on the faction of the being represented. For instance, the U.S. has access to napalm strikes whereas the Vietnamese have access to ambush spawn order. Artillery strikes are virtually dependent upon Squad Leaders, who must place marks in order for the commander to order a strike at a particular location. With friendly fire being defaulted into the on position, communicating in regards to artillery is incredibly important if you want to avoid teamkills that rack up spawn time and point penalties. Squad Leaders also enable squad members to spawn into the game outside of static starting positions.

Vietnamese Squad Leaders have access to a pick-axe which allows them to strategically place one tunnel per squad around the map. One good tunnel can be a massive game changer; allowing a full squad to continuously work a flank or spawn behind enemy lines. The U.S. Squad Leaders allow squad members to spawn directly on their location, provided they're in the open and not underground.

Tunnels

Yes, I did say underground! Just about every map has tunnels that wind their way between multiple objective points. Anyone can use them, however, U.S. troops are unable to use primary weapons underground and must rely on pointmen and squad leaders who are equipped with a M1911 .45. The exception to that rule being; U.S. troops may use bayonets in the tunnels but may not fire the weapon upon which the stabbing implement is affixed(This is my biggest issue with the game mechanics as they currently stand). In my opinion, it would make more sense to restrict U.S. troops to hip-fire but I'll hold on to that thought and give the devs a chance to redress the mechanic.

Classes

Rising Storm 2 does have a variety of classes to choose from but not in the manner many FPS players are accustomed to. Each team can have an unlimited amount of riflemen, but every other class is limited in the number of players that may use it at once. Much like scarcity would dictate in reality, every VC isn't allowed to go skipping through the jungle with an RPG on their back and an RPK on their hip. Typically, each team will only have two machine gunners and two heavy-hitters such as the RPG or Grenadier classes. So, you have to use them wisely. RPG's have one job on most maps; ambush helicopters.

If you've seen any of my videos, you'll notice that I tend to play as a Scout or Pointman. Each team gets between 4-8 of this class due to their strategic importance. Aside from Squad Leaders, scouts and pointmen are the only class with smoke grenades; making them necessary for assaulting a position or covering flanking movements. Additionally, scouts and pointmen see traps outlined in red; giving them a better chance at spotting and disarming before the traps can inflict casualties.

Snipers are present in Rising Storm 2 but like the RPG and machine gun classes, they are typically limited to two per team. With the aforementioned "one shot, one kill" mentality to this game, Snipers can be quite lethal when they are patient and position themselves correctly. Hit detection is often complained about from folks trying this class for the first time. While ping can have a dramatic affect on hit detection(nothing new there), the more likely issue is the increased point-of-aim sensitivity. There is a zeroing function for every rifle sight in the game. You won't experience much difference with iron sights, if you just leave it at 200m, but snipers have to be much more precise about the distance if they want to expect to hit exactly where they are aiming.

Traps

Traps, lots of traps! I can't stress how many traps you have the potential to see in one round. Every Vietnamese rifleman may have an active pungie pit. Every Vietnamese Scout may have two active tripwire traps. Sappers have access to 3-4 anti-personnel landmines. With 64 player maps, you can have 30-50 active traps at time and often do!

Is It Worth The Purchase Price?

Currently, Rising Storm 2 is marked down 10% in the Steam(not Steem) Store; making it about $22.49 USD. Considering the general lack of games based on the Vietnam War to begin with, Rising Storm 2 is easily worth the price if you're interested in that historical setting. In terms of an enjoyable experience, I would contend that this game is worth it, even if you're not overly interested in the setting. If you like tactical first person shooter games, and you accept the general concepts of Cover vs Concealment, you'll likely enjoy the ever living hell out of this game. I know I do!

http://store.steampowered.com/app/418460/Rising_Storm_2_Vietnam/