Behind Enemy Lines: Assault 2 is a continuation of the project "Behind Enemy Lines 2: Assault" and was created by the same German team DMS. For Digitalmindsoft, this is not the first experience of working on the famous franchise in the setting of the Second World War. Studio for a long time collaborated with Best Way, the developer of the original “Behind Enemy Lines,” and after that received the right to independently create products under the brand of the series.
What will please you?
Unlike its predecessors, Behind Enemy Lines: Assault 2 will delight fans with improved graphics, an updated interface and more big amount opportunities. Now it has become much more interesting to go through single-player campaigns, largely due to the reworking of the AI and the addition of tank battles, sniper sabotage and the introduction of camouflage that can hide the player’s units from enemy eyes.
The multiplayer mode has also become much more attractive. Gamers will have to fight for one of five sides (Soviet Union, USA, Great Britain, Germany, Japan) and use two and a half hundred types of equipment, two hundred different units and a huge amount of weapons and equipment on the battlefield.
For particularly demanding players there is a map editor. It will allow you not only to create unique landscapes for battle, but also to come up with your own weapons and equipment.
Official video trailer for the game:
In 2004, a small miracle happened. Without noise and dust, without traditional marketing pandemonium retail outlets our vast Motherland has a strategic toy" Behind enemy lines" from a small studio Best Way. And this, friends, was a product that, in addition to enormous potential, also had some kind of decidedly incomprehensible, but undoubtedly clear charisma. It was simply a pleasure to spend time with the game, it was interesting to play, and the attempts of competitors to win a piece of sympathy for a long time caused contemptuous spitting: “Stop, goon, don’t interfere with your enjoyment.” I think the box opens very simply: " Behind enemy lines“turned out to be the first domestic strategy with a capital “S” in many years, and the euphoria about this is natural.
Understanding with our minds that the post-Soviet developer, sadly, is subject to the morbid influence of pop culture, money and other mortal tinsel, but with our hearts hoping for the successful birth of an heir, we must admit, we waited with trembling knees for the release of the second part. Preserving the charm of the first game, adding a bunch of all sorts of goodies, delighting the visual and auditory receptors of the players in all available ways - this only sounds easy and simple in words. Practically, before Best Way the most difficult task arose: not to be embarrassed, demonstrating to the whole world that she had been honed to razor sharpness " Behind enemy lines" is evidence of their talent, and not a momentary insight that hit the crown. Let's see what the developers have come up with.
Sprat in tomato.
I remember the gameplay of the first part was as simple as three kopecks, but as exciting as preference. Small enough so as not to attract the attention of significant enemy forces, a group of soldiers, saboteurs and reconnaissance agents is dropped behind enemy lines of communications and, through the performance of diverse strategic tasks, actually ensures the success of historical battles and operations. So, I hasten to please the faithful adherents of the concept of the original game: there are no fundamental changes. The group still exists, it is still small and capable of successfully carrying out secret missions.
And right away it should be noted that steath, although it plays an important role, is not at the forefront. As a matter of fact, the gamer is not offered any clear option for controlling his subordinates; everyone chooses a style independently, and this choice changes a lot game process. You can, of course, quietly and unnoticed sneak into German bases, take down the sentries one by one, do not forget to unfasten the parachutes after landing and the moose hooves after crossing the border, shoot only when you are firmly confident in your own integrity. But... " Behind Enemy Lines 2" is a more dynamic game. You can get your share of pleasure from playing with your own shadow, but you risk sleeping through the real juice of the action - the battles.
The second part elevates battles to the absolute; everything here is built on them. Brutal, crazy fights on the enemy’s line of defense, when half a clip is discharged into an enemy who carelessly leaned out of the trench. Knives and fists flashing in the angry hand-to-hand combat that broke out in one of the dugouts. Long, exhausting firefights with enemy snipers and reddened eyes intensely examining every centimeter of the area being shot - will a knight of the optical sight appear in need of a bullet from a Mosin rifle. Powder smoke, the roar of explosions, tracers streaking the sky, the clanging of the tracks of a heavy tank methodically weeding trenches and an anti-tank grenade sending an armored monster to such and such a mother. Just don’t forget that, under our strict guidance, very Not a large group of warriors whose task is often not the default kill the "m all" e, but a much more subtle thrust with a fencing rapier. You can have a blast during assault operations, where our small detachment is only one of the attacking units. Allies are running around, tanks are crawling slowly, in a matter of minutes only a thick blob of an exploding bomb remains in place of the neighboring platoon, bordered by shell craters, and the group moves forward, together with many other soldiers, breaking through the enemy’s defenses. It’s worth seeing - unfortunately, words cannot convey emotions.
Meanwhile, we do not make assumptions about the results of our actions: after each mission, we carefully report what breed of pig was successfully planted in the Third Reich, and how many times it managed to grunt before being shot. Individual mournful descriptions of our failures deserve five plus points. Are you surprised and find nothing worthy of respect? Then imagine how much more interesting it is to see a statement of the fact of the complete defeat of the Allied forces with detailed and detailed description physical, intellectual and other insolvency of the reporting unit, than, in case of failure of the task, look at the “Loading, please wait” slider.
And we are installers, high-altitude workers...
You have to fight, even if you are an ardent opponent of violence (uh... let me ask, why then read a review of this, no fools, very cruel game?). In this difficult task, you have to make full use of the power of small arms, auxiliary ammunition and equipment, of which there are many.
True, one narrow point appears here: if with firearms, grenades, mines and other means of destruction, everything is clear, the technique is not so simple. Firstly, it breaks down very quickly, and secondly, different units can break down, and not everything can be repaired. An experienced engineer is able to restore an exploded track, but the engine, turrets, and machine guns are beyond his capabilities. This is how it turns out that the two limbs supplied with the fighter from birth are more reliable than the “Royal Tiger”, which is so convenient to shoot from the rear, having previously immobilized.
From time to time, the unit demonstrates the beginnings of artificial intelligence: the notorious technician, under a hail of bullets, rushes to a paralyzed tank and, at the cost of his life, restores the damaged chassis; snipers independently occupy optimal positions and vigilantly monitor approaching enemies; The shooters maintain a perimeter defense, even moving in such a way as to protect themselves as much as possible from enemy fire. However, it won’t work to play observer: dummies, deprived of a guiding hand (which, we bitterly admit, soldiers still remain) are rapidly dying.
Either the machinations of the shaitan, or the glimpses of AI should be called a dubious innovation: the game engine itself forms groups. It looks something like this: you select a bunch of shooters, send them to that stream - and that’s it. From this very time on, the group was formed: the allocated soldiers fought together, shared ammunition among themselves and also moved together. At first glance, it’s extremely convenient, but at second, you want to quarrel and break something: even trivial reconnaissance turns into a light show, provided that the whole cheerful company gallops along with the spy on the way to enemy territory. You have to press a bunch of additional buttons and icons. I state that this opportunity does more harm than good, although, apparently, it’s only a matter of crooked implementation, because the idea itself of automatically forming small units as part of the main one is very viable.
The list of unpleasant discoveries continues with a “drunk” mouse: one mouse button is responsible for both selecting units and assigning them a destination. I wonder, what if you need to move a specific fighter into the midst of your own from the other end of the map? Pray for the cursor to point to the ground and not to the figure of another young fellow?
It is unclear with what joy they stuck on the “fog of war”. In games based on the Second World War, especially in games of such a nature as " Behind Enemy Lines 2"Such a forced limitation of the range of perception of death is similar, especially since the insidious enemy seems to be deprived of such inconveniences and calmly shoots helpless infantrymen from beyond the edge of the horizon. A good mood can restore excellent balance. Three cheers, but the enemies miss, so just like us, they die just as quickly, and experience the same problems with vehicles. With some skill, you will, I’m sure, get out of the most difficult battles without critical losses.
Allow me to report!
But the bugs here are arrogant, cunning and sneaky, like terrorists. At first, it generally seems that the game has been thoroughly combed through by specially trained teams of programmers and testers, and not a single “bug” is expected for all four gigabytes. But then the game suddenly crashes once, twice, three times, exactly after completing a particularly difficult mission, otherwise it crashes and freezes right in the middle of a difficult one. offensive operation. Panacea: persist more often and wait for patches.
Okay, let's not talk about the sad anymore, especially since there is something to say about the good. A modified engine runs at the heart of the game" Behind enemy lines", but I wouldn’t dare call such a modification a modification: the motor has been reassembled, cleaned, lubricated and reassembled. The result: a picture of excellent quality, as you can see without leaving the checkout - look at the screenshots.
Although, of course, physics plays the first fiddle. Without the slightest doubt, I admit that the translation of Newton’s laws into the laws of zeros and ones in execution Best Way adds a net point to the final grade. Credible explosions with plausible ones shock waves, tanks waddling over potholes, a cinematic cannon scattering into rubbish, little men flying like volleyballs, fire instantly engulfing everything that could burn. Great!
The rosy impression of the visual execution of the game is killed by a targeted head-shot of the audio. The music tracks are depressingly boring, the sounds are forced, and the voice acting of the characters generally requires immediate switching off and subsequent burial. Hence the natural advice: try to watch, not listen - there will be an order of magnitude less disappointment .
Final comments.
Gameplay. The gameplay is as clear as a tear, clear as a felt boot, and attractive as a suitcase of green bills." Behind Enemy Lines 2" - that's why it's worth buying this game and immersing yourself in the atmosphere of an epic action movie about World War II.
Graphic arts. A gorgeous picture and mind-blowing physics are the spices to the dish that turned a simply excellent blockbuster into another masterpiece.
Sound. Well, what can I say, the curse of most modern virtual fun has touched this game with the edge of its faded, torn cloak. WinAmp, as usual, is ready to help the grief.
Verdict.
We are happy to note that the fall season in the gaming industry is opening with an undoubted hit. "Behind Enemy Lines 2"" is a high-quality, interesting, spectacular and beautiful action movie. And please don’t pay attention to the obsessive word “strategy”, just enjoy it.
- Genre: RTS
- Release date: September 2006
- Publisher: Ubisoft Entertainment
- Developer: Best Way
- Multiplayer game: yes
Introduction
Interestingly, many people remember the good old game called Commandos. This game was, to some extent, unique - it allowed you to look at strategy from a different angle. In conventional RTS, command is carried out according to the principle “we give homogeneous orders to a crowd of identical military units.” For the first ten minutes of the game, I thought that this was an “updated” commando. But then I realized that this is far from true. But I can’t wait to start the review, so let’s meet - Behind Enemy Lines 2.
Test system
The game was tested on the following configuration: A64 2800+, 512Mb, AGP 128Mb GF 6600GT. At a resolution of 1024x768 (with maximum settings graphics) there were quite strong brakes, fps did not rise above 24, periodically (depending on the level) dropping to 10. For a comfortable game you need to have a much more powerful configuration./p>
Game process
The theme of the Second World War is very popular among strategy games. A lot of games are based on real (and not so real) events of this war (and how many films have been made). Some games try to rely as much as possible on famous battles, others make their own adjustments. Whether this is right or wrong is not for us to judge. The main thing is that players enjoy the missions. The developers of Behind Enemy Lines 2 allowed themselves to deviate a little from the story, but as a result we received very interesting tasks.
The player is given a choice of one of three sides- USSR, Germany and Allies. Each side has two sets of missions - in one you have to play for ordinary soldiers, and in the other - for elite troops. There are about thirty missions in total. Considering the completion time, we can safely say that you are guaranteed a week of gaming in the evenings.
The game overturns the established foundations and proves that “there is only one warrior in the field.” At the beginning of each mission, several soldiers are under our command (from two to ten, depending on the mission). Each of them has personal equipment, so you can arm them at your own discretion. For example, you can divide the roles and one will be a sniper, the other a mortarman, etc. Or you can arm everyone with heavy machine guns - that’s also an option.
This makes huge adjustments to the battle. For example, I once again proved to myself that a sniper is the most terrible soldier. I completed missions several times with just one soldier (I could have lost the rest by stupid accidents, but I didn’t want to replay), while in a simple strategy it’s virtually impossible to do this.
Another, no less important feature is the presence of many attack modes. For example, you can order to throw an anti-personnel or anti-tank grenade at the desired location, or to fire a shot from a sniper weapon at a given target, or to conduct massive shelling of the target, etc. All these functions allow you to quickly conduct a battle. In addition, you can split the squad into small groups and command will be more effective.
I was pleased with the function of “sheltering” troops. If you hover the cursor next to something that you can hide behind, the soldiers will immediately be able to take into account nearby objects in order to hide behind them. This eliminates unnecessary manipulations - everyone will choose a place for themselves and will fire from a position that is advantageous to them. Only in rare cases does this function interfere; usually it is very helpful.
I was very surprised by the AI. The characters behave very realistically, at least, as far as it applies to AI. For example, during an attack, each warrior tries to fire from a position that is convenient for him. If the enemy is hiding in cover, then he himself will guess to use grenades. True, when encountering military equipment, they are not so smart - you have to tell them that it is worth using anti-tank grenades.
The game implements interaction with technology almost perfectly. For normal operation of military equipment, it is necessary that the crew be in in full force(driver, commander, etc.). The lack of people will directly affect the performance of the combat unit - for example, a tank will not be able to move and fire at the same time. Interestingly, the damage system is thought out to the smallest detail. For example, the caterpillar may fall off, or the turret may be damaged, and then the tank will not be able to rotate it, while maintaining the ability to shoot from it, or it may simply tear off the turret, but will still be able to move. Minor damage (for example, repairing a broken track) can be repaired, but for severe damage nothing can be done. And we must not forget that any vehicle, in addition to maintenance, needs ammunition and fuel.
The destructible world adds realism. Almost everything is susceptible to destruction - from trees to buildings. The latter collapse not only from heavy equipment, but also from grenades. Situations look very beautiful when they explode lower floors, and after them the upper ones collapse. And if you also take into account that the falling parts bury enemy forces under them, then it turns out great.
There are a lot of moments in the game that you can’t take your eyes off. I haven't even listed half of them. The rest, I hope, you will see for yourself.
The graphics deserve the most best words. The first thing that catches your eye is the excellent drawing. All objects, equipment, people are drawn on the right level. In principle, a more thorough drawing is not necessary (there is no time to look at faces - this is war). The appearance of tanks and self-propelled guns will appeal to avid fans military equipment during the Second World War.
Along with gorgeous rendering, we are provided with a fully controllable camera. IN modern games it should be a gentleman's minimum. Especially in similar games. Only such a camera will allow you to choose the right angle to control the situation on the battlefield.
The only thing I didn't like were the buildings. No, appearance just great. But if there are enemy soldiers sitting inside, then seeing them will not be an easy task. You can make the roof disappear only when the camera is zoomed in as close as possible, and not from every position. It would be nice if you could make some floors invisible through the panel (like in The Sims), or make them invisible from a higher height. These are, of course, nitpicking, but I think the nitpicking is objective. Nevertheless, for the graphics we give it a solid A+. No, with two advantages.
The sound design is also up to par. No sound effect causes negative emotions, everything is done at the proper level. You don't have to sit at the game for long to distinguish the sound of a shot from the sound of a bullet bouncing off a wall. The casual background music gives the battle meaning. We also give an A+ for the sound. Just great.
Nitpicking
In practice, other than the aforementioned quibble with the camera, there is nothing to complain about in the game. Everything was done at the proper level.
It's almost impossible to get by without glitches in a game like this. This is how much time should be spent on tests in order to simulate all possible situations. Yes, in the game I saw “inexplicable and incredible” things, such as an armored personnel carrier throwing out a dozen dead soldiers, but this can be called the exception rather than the rule.
Today we met great game, which has no fundamental flaws. Everything in the game is at an excellent level - graphics, sound, AI, and missions. The only disappointment is the high resource consumption, but this is not surprising - for good graphics you have to pay. I'm glad that the price is comparable to the pleasure you get from the game. I cannot help but recommend this game for purchase - there is nothing in this game that could turn away a potential player. Quite the contrary - it is already useless to advise you to buy it, because... It’s already on your shelf. If not, then you still have the opportunity to buy this game for your collection. I'm sure you won't regret it.
Lutovinov Maxim (aka. Kok)
18
/10.2006
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IN printed publications the game is advertised with a large screenshot that includes multiple game screens of a single battle. The dotted line marks key events, through which the publisher demonstrates the main capabilities and features of the gameplay. This is a rare case when advertising very clearly and successfully emphasizes the strengths of the project. In reality, the game is as good as in this single screenshot, where everything is laid out on the shelves.
Fiction and reality
It’s nice when a project is created competently, taking into account the mistakes of competitors, from beginning to the very end. And at the beginning we have several training tasks, during which mentors teach the player the principles of combat with small arms, the use of grenades, mines and explosives, and the intricacies of battle using shelters and fortifications. They also instruct you on how to use equipment, operate a tank, supply it with ammunition and fuel, and repair damage. After all, the game involves not only single pedestrian missions, but also large battles with the storming of enemy positions by soldiers and equipment.
In addition to useful training missions, there are online and single player, with the latter consisting of four campaigns of varying difficulty levels and a dozen individual maps. Unfortunately, the level editor was not found on the disks, but I want to believe that it will appear soon. The game just begs to be played skillful hands cardmakers.
Campaigns (USSR, Germany, USA, England) are built on the principle of a general plot, which develops from level to level and tells some of the stories of the Second World War through the eyes of one of the participating parties. The missions are quite diverse and interesting. I warn you right away, not always we're talking about about historically accurate events. The authors quite intricately intertwine fact and fiction, enlisting the support of famous science fiction writer Alexander Zorich, who had a hand in the plot and all the in-game dialogues and texts.
In contrast to the fictional plot, the game's weapons, equipment and tactical features strive for realism. Reasonable realism within the game. The situation with realism is in many ways reminiscent of the Blitzkrieg story. There is just as much truth here as is required to make the game interesting. Moreover, play in real time, which is aerobatics for tactics. With all due respect to Silent Storm, one cannot help but admit that real time adds a battle dynamic to a tactical game, thanks to which the game takes on a completely different look. But at the same time it does not turn into an RTS, fully retaining its tactical charms.
To fight
Couple of soldiers Soviet soldiers takes a position in a dilapidated house and, taking cover behind stone walls in the very center of a small village, easily repels attacks from superior enemy forces. The German infantry is dying literally before our eyes until a Tiger rushing to the rescue appears on the flank, destroying a seemingly reliable cover with one precise shot. However, even against heavy enemy equipment there will be effective means. Allied artillery, tanks, and finally, a brave fighter with an anti-tank rifle or grenade and the courage of a suicide. In general, it’s very nice that the authors devoted great attention infantry, which is usually forgotten, underestimating its merits on the battlefield.
There is nothing to do in this game without soldiers. Infantry is issued individually and is highly valued. The main thing is to manage it correctly and not expose it to machine gun and armored vehicle bullets. There are no cannon fodder factories typical of RTS, so every unit is worth its weight in gold. Problem number two is ammunition, which is running out at an alarming rate. Storage areas are quite rare, so the corpses of enemies are searched with great care. This is the only way to maintain the squad’s combat effectiveness at the proper level.
The infantry is able not only to use walls and fences as cover, but also to destroy tanks that are formidable in open battle with one grenade. She also has one like this useful feature, as the ability to control technology. Let's say a tank ideally requires a crew of four people - commander, driver, gunner, gunner. German motorcycles and Russian armored vehicles can accommodate duos - driver, gunner. Equipment, like infantry, needs ammunition that can only be supplied by living people. You also cannot do without a simple ordinary soldier in case of damage. Another thing is that a destroyed wheel cannot be replaced from scratch, so a seriously damaged car will have to be abandoned and a replacement must be looked for. Capturing enemy equipment is encouraged and welcomed.
I'm twisting and turning
Considering that events are developing in real time, and several units are under command at once, the player was entrusted with setting the behavior of the combat crew. You can take full control of the tank you like, driving it like an arcade game, or you can simply set a behavior strategy and watch the maneuvers from a bird's eye view. IN different situations Both methods can be effective. After all, it’s impossible to keep an eye on everyone anyway.
The game engine compares favorably with all its predecessors with its three-dimensional image and careful approach to detail. Here you will find realistic shadows from living trees, a point damage system, and an honest account of the terrain. And what explosions are there! It is impossible not to note the decent quality of the models, successful textures and detailed animation of even the simplest infantryman. The game is ready to boast of complete destructibility of objects. Tanks easily cut down birch trees with their tracks, blow up enemy vehicles, leaving craters behind them, mercilessly crush infantry and crash into buildings at full speed, which quite realistically collapse. The picture is on top level. Some are static and some are dynamic.
Formally, the camera can rotate, change the tilt angle and image scale. In practice, only rotation is fully implemented, when you can work all 360 degrees. But the scale and angle of inclination change in such tight ranges that the difference is almost not felt. Perhaps only this circumstance and high system requirements may cause serious complaints about the technical side of the issue.
The sound design also did not disappoint, although for some reason not all the texts were voiced. But the sounds of battle leave a very pleasant impression. So is the behavior of artificial intelligence. Enemies use all the means available to the player - they rely on hearing, take cover behind walls and in trenches, attack in groups, go around from the flanks, and throw grenades at firing points. Any mistake by the player is instantly and mercilessly punished by the AI.
Certificate of honor
Until now we have had two games of this kind. Blitzkrieg and Confrontation. Today, new real-time tactics have been added to them. Beautiful, interesting, exciting, complex and truly original. It looks like we have another worthy developer capable of creating world-class games.
Pros:
- Modern engine
- True real-time tactics
- Possibility of direct control of units
- Many missions
- Good story
- Adequate opponent
- Jammed camera
- High system requirements
Having barely appeared on the shelves of domestic stores, the long-awaited strategy “Behind Enemy Lines”, from the Best Way development team, was immediately dubbed by some as our answer to the famous “Commando” series, by others - as a brilliant alternative to the “Blitzkrieg” wargame, by others - as a new hobby fans of the tactical game "Confrontation". It would seem that all of the listed games, except for belonging to the same RTS and the theme of the Second World War, have nothing in common with each other. However, despite this paradox, all conflicting assessments are correct. The designers of Best Way managed, strange as it may seem, to combine completely different styles of playing the game. And the point here is not so much in the various missions of the game, and the initial conditions in which you will find yourself when starting to complete the next task, but in your desire to play through the game exactly as you please. Yes, I was not mistaken. From now on, no iron rails plot. There is a task and there is a goal. They can be carried out in many ways available ways. You can take a tank and make a crazy meat grinder. But are you a fan of commandos? No problem! We send only 1 infantryman into “battle”, and, with the appropriate skill, the task will be completed.
Hitler is kaput!
To restore justice to the absolute novelty of the gameplay, I would like to note that the idea of combining different playstyles is by no means new. There is a tactical wargame very similar in this regard to “Behind Enemy Lines”. These are wonderful and quite creative “Soldiers of Anarchy”. It is possible that only the absence of the entourage of the Great Patriotic War prevented them from being classified as "similar" games.
Of course, to say that VTV has nothing new and unusual would be, to say the least, unfair. In this regard, the developers did their best. Interesting and unique innovations include, for example, the ability to manually control units. Based on a rather stupid, essentially artificial intelligence, your charges are capable of not only behaving passively or too inactively, but also, no matter how crazy it sounds, causing harm to friendly units (enemy fighters also sin with this: while going through one of the missions, my the soldier found himself locked in a tank, surrounded by a whole platoon of Fritz, and while they were trying to disable the tank with small arms, they managed to lose half of the personnel to themselves). That is why there is a constant need to switch to manual control and not let the very smart AI “do its business.”
Under your sensitive and vigilant control, the fighters will go through four campaigns (for Soviet Union, UK, USA and Germany), each of which has five varied and interesting missions. It may seem that only 20 levels is too few. I hasten to reassure you - this is not so. Their small number is more than compensated not only by the quality and interestingness, but also by the relatively long duration of the tasks. Even if you attack enemies with tanks like a bull and arrange a massacre, you will not be able to complete the tasks in a short time. As a rule, the maps are full of objects that are almost impossible to take on the move. Many ambushes, snipers in the windows of buildings, minefields, vile “Deutsche Soldaten” (who, for some reason, want to play hero and, risking their lives for the Fuhrer, run out onto the road and throw an anti-tank grenade under your car) will not allow you to relax and forget that There is a real war going on here.
The cards in the game are made very carefully and carefully. Everything has been worked out, down to the smallest detail. Surroundings, houses, weather, the landscape of the area, are made with such care and love that you are simply amazed. The models of military equipment are especially remarkable. Such realism and historical authenticity have never been seen in any strategy before. And the special effects accompanying the explosions of this technology are almost impossible to convey in words. In a word, the graphic component is at a height unattainable for others. It is quite natural that this imposes very stringent system requirements on computer hardware. It's official, it's CPU from 1 GHz, 256 MB random access memory, the video card is no worse than GeForce 2 with 32 MB. But even on a computer with an Athlon XP 2000+ and a GeForce 4 Ti4200, quite noticeable “brakes” were observed.
I was incredibly pleased with the high realism of the physical model, which sets a new, high bar for this type of game. Tank battles are now almost completely similar to real ones. In the heat of battle, tracks, onboard guns, and other parts of the vehicles fail. But even here there was an annoying curiosity - the tank, blown up and overturned by a grenade, not only continues to shoot, but even tries to rotate the turret. In addition to the equipment itself, absolutely all elements of the map are destructible - various buildings, fortifications, trees and much more.
The advantages of VTV include such a “trick” as the level of fatigue of soldiers. Supermen don't belong here. The fighters, loaded to the very limit of “I don’t want to”, cannot even run at all. Therefore, when planning a daring outing, it is worth taking into account how much you took on your chest... or rather on your backpack, unit (oh, if only Russians could be given a shot of vodka before a mission, the game would definitely become popular in Russia for centuries).
We wanted the best, but it turned out as always.
Unfortunately, we are never without shortcomings and oversights. A healthy pan of tar in a tank of honey is symbolized, first of all, by a terribly inconvenient chamber. The degree of its adjustment is so small that at times, when sending a person into the building, it is completely impossible to see what is going on there. We just have to rely on chance, and hope that our valiant soldier, using the “outstanding” AI, will be able to kill the enemy himself.
On top of everything else, it seems to me that there is an excessive overuse of the vulnerability of the technology. Grenades are, of course, good, but when the caterpillar breaks on the first hit, it already begins to drive you a little crazy.
There is almost nothing to say about the music - very mediocre and poorly memorable melodies, but they are quite suitable as background noise. The same cannot be said about sounds. They were completed with a solid A+. With a good audio system and loud sound, get ready for the fact that your neighbors may think that a gang war has started in your home and will call the police.
What do we get as a result? Fortunately, this time we (and not us) have a solid and conscientiously made tactical strategy, which can be called both a stealth game and a wargame, with interesting missions, innovative innovations, excellent graphics and physics. Of course, there are shortcomings, and quite noticeable ones, but they are not worth considering VTV as mediocre entertainment. We have one of the best RTS games in recent memory.
P.S. In their desire to make the game as realistic as possible, the developers apparently went a little too far. The game has a mission in which you need to rescue a captured partisan. So, after the girl is saved, it is almost impossible to control her. I managed to make her run two hundred meters to the rescue boat with great difficulty. The partisan never wanted to listen to orders, she ran wherever she wanted. What a pity that at that moment none of my soldiers deigned to offer her the moon from the sky, or at least... a bouquet of flowers...
