Sudden Strike 2 Review

WW2-inspired games have always occupied a great portion of the gaming scene. Just take a look out there and tell me what you see - you see Medal of Honor, Return to Castle Wolfenstein, the Commandos series, etc. Also, we witnessed a vast number of developers announcing even more games that portray the troublesome times of World War 2 (Battlefields: 1942, World War II: Panzer Claws, and so on). Back in December 2000, Sudden Strike was one of the titles that succeeded in recapturing the atmosphere of WW2 conflicts. The game offered players a chance to experience huge authentic battles from the perspective of various nations - the British, American, French, Russian, and German, specifically. Maintaining the tradition of the original game, Sudden Strike 2 doesn't do anything to revolutionize the visual aspect of the game. Rather, this game tends to bring an exciting and authentic interpretation of the battles that took place in actuality. Instead of investing time and energy into making demanding 3D graphics, the crew at FireGlow has concentrated on improving the gameplay by increasing the number of missions, units, and tactical possibilities.

Bombing the crap out of Hitler's summer house.

Hey, this isn't Normandy. Where are we? Check that map again.

Once the game commences, you'll be offered a choice of five different and completely new campaigns; which are dispersed in chronological order thus: Germany, Japan, GB, USA, and USSR (each campaign contains 10 pretty long missions). Each one of these presents various challenges to the player. In the very beginning I wanted to play as the 'good guy' (you know the ol' Allied-forces-kicking-Nazi-butt routine), but then I thought what the heck; and I decided to try out the German campaign first. Believe it or not, I soon discovered that the German campaign fits my liking completely and it undoubtedly turned out to be an awesome experience. Call me what you like, but I enjoy conquering the entire world, or at least attempting it.

The previous game had thrilling and excellently balanced missions throughout the campaigns, but there was one flaw mind you. None of the missions were really correlated, which made each the tasks empty and rather pointless. Fortunately, in Sudden Strike 2 the missions are closely tied and every single task you perform has significant impact on your next assignment. This is an aspect of gameplay I enjoyed most - after you complete the assigned duties, you're obliged to continue your operation in order to achieve your ultimate goal. So, it sometimes boils down to completing several minor objectives towards a greater purpose. Rather like in real life. Nice one.

So, the cool thing is that throughout the entire game you'll always be busy with something. There's an amazing array of details, all of which contribute to greatly to the in-game realism (another plausible aspect maintained from the original game). Basically stuff like not being able to fly a transport plain without a pilot unit; and repairing damaged tanks, air-fields, and railways so that you can use them, occupying enemy vessels and utilizing them for your own purpose, etc.

Then again, you have many other details that broaden the gameplay even more.

You are given various opportunities such as attaching artillery units to backs of trucks, summoning back up paratroopers, hiding your infantry in the undergrowth, and so on. To put it simply, these choices offer you an almost infinite number of battle strategies. Believe me it's really fun to carefully arrange an attack, and then see it carried out successfully.

For those of you who are hoping to see some innovations, I can assure you that you won't be disappointed. There will be plenty of new air and land vehicles ready to be used in battle (50 altogether). The best thing is that now your forces are equipped with boat transport units, allowing you to transfer your troops over water surfaces (which create even more options in terms of military strategy). On top of that there are so many different infantry units; you'll find it a pickle to remember them all.

Use those trees and rocks for cover!

We cannot last much longer here!

The interface remained the same and the game still lacks optional unit formations. This did not bother me that much, although I do think that hardcore strategy players, who are used to RTS standards, will pine for adequate formation options. Fair enough, the game does offer you the choice to hide and scatter your troops across the area, which gives you a reasonable amount of tactical possibilities. But I think that still doesn't make up for the lack of more advanced troop formations.

Beyond that, the game does have a few obvious flaws. One of the most irksome drawbacks is the fact that your units can easily get lost in the shuffle during battle. How you ask? Well, it happened to me a number of times. Here's an example: I was concentrating on a certain job in the northern part of the map, while my troops were left to fend for themselves. When I returned to take control of them, they couldn't be seen anywhere! What gives? Later on, I found them lurking behind a tree or a bush. Hey, it's great that they can hide out of sight of the enemy, but not out of sight of their beloved commander (me)!

The AI in Sudden Strike has greatly improved and you'll find that enemies can hide and use terrain advantage rather successfully. As for the friendly AI...hmm, well, there are a few points that need to be made here actually. First of all, your units can hold their positions and defend themselves without your help for a long time. Nevertheless, when they are given the order to move from area to area they can often lose their way, and end up going in a completely different direction (i.e. bad pathfinding at times).

The game did not improve much graphically. But the variety of units is simply astonishing and you will get to see some cute rain and snow effects too. Also, almost all objects can be destroyed on the screen: bridges, houses, fortifications, etc. Not much, but it does the trick I guess. Anyways, it's like I've said before, the game focuses on the expanding strategy possibilities and enhancing the overall gameplay.

In reference to the sound qualities in Sudden Strike 2, there's nothing in particular worth mentioning. The music is OK though, the sound effects in the environment are convincing enough, while the troops and units have specific voice responses to your commands; which of course differ from nation to nation.

Overall, I think that you guys should seriously think about getting this game. Playing it was a juicy rollercoaster ride. And even better I guess, because a rollercoaster would end pretty quickly. Where as Sudden Strike 2 has constant action and at the same time it lasts for quite a while. Those flaws I've mentioned are not that big a deal and they shouldn't trouble you too much if you relax and concentrate on the positive aspects of the gameplay, such as the well-balanced missions, tons of new units, tactics, and so on. The conclusion is that if you've thoroughly enjoyed the original game, don't miss this one. And if you're new to the series, then do not hesitate to give it a try.