Forget Modern Warfare 3 and Battlefield 3. This is the only game you’re going to want to play this year. Well…this and maybe Skyrim.

You really have to pity those console gamers and times like this don’t you. The only reason we didn’t get round to doing this review quicker was the fact that we’ve had such a blast playing this game. The sheer amount of work that has gone into making this game since its predecessor was released in 2006 is staggering. Let’s take a look at this game and see what makes it one of the greatest, and probably the most overlooked, game of this year.

By upgrading from the Unreal 2 engine to the Unreal 3 engine Tripwire Interactive have been able to boost the visuals of the game by a huge amount. Light now reflects off different textures, guns and player textures look more detailed and refined and buildings are a lot more real looking. Even though the Unreal 3 engine produces no real breakthrough in graphical visuals it is still up to par with most games out there at the moment. However, there is one big visual achievement that is worth recognition – the vehicle interior. One of the best things about driving a tank (apart from being a menace on the battlefield) is the fact that you can simply look around those amazing machines. Because it took almost 3 months to sculpt the interior of the tanks, there are currently only 2 in the game. The T-34 and the Panzer IV.

Red Orchestra 2 emphasizes heavily on realism. This isn’t a God mode, run and gun, camping, nade-fest, double health game like Call of Duty. If you are shot in the chest once you are likely to die, pop your head round a corner too long and you’re going to have it blow off by a sniper. The weapons in the game behave realistically, with bullet drop and spin taken into account. You’re also going to have to manually check your ammunition because of the fact that there is no ammo meter as well as no health bar. You can also hide behind cover to avoid enemy gunfire and can peek out to fire at the enemy, or if you don’t feel as daring, you can simply pop your gun over the top and blind fire at enemies in front of you.

While there is no strict health system, players can still have their vital organs damaged which can mean instant death. If you receive a minor wound it can be bandaged but if you leave to long it is likely that you will bleed to death.

There are a variety of different game modes, the most popular being Territory which is when two sides fight over locations of value for control of the battlefield.

The Grain Elevator and Fallen Heroes map and made to resemble the exact conditions and surroundings that the German and Russian armies fought in during the war. This makes you feel more involved in the battle. The audio is also of a very high quality. Guns sound different, artillery pounds your ears and footsteps prick up the hairs on your neck.

The only downside to the game is probably the addition of the two single player campaigns. They basically play out as online multiplayer battles only that you’re playing against bots instead of real players. They do provide an insight into the battles of the Eastern Front but offer no real gameplay experience worth mentioning.

With that being said, if you have never played a Red Orchestra game before (which I highly recommend you should) the campaigns can teach you the game mechanics and train you up a little before being thrown into the brutal, intense and unforgiving multiplayer experience that Red Orchestra can provide.

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