Tripwire Interactive - Rising Storm 2: Vietnam
Should You Wait? Release Date: Q2 2017 (April 1st - June 30th) Steam Rising Storm is a series that found its roots being a mod for the Red Orchestra titles on Steam. However, the second Rising Storm was promised to be its own standalone adventure that Antimatter Studios was creating with the help from Tripwire Interactive (Killing Floor.) Rising Storm 2: Vietnam promises fun for both new and returning fans of the series however it’s not for the faint of heart. Comparing other titles like Insurgency or now Day of Infamy, to its slow paced, boots on the ground combat system works well. Games like these with these kind of skill ceilings are unforgiving to new players, it’s a rinse and repeat cycle for learning. Tripwire knows what is gonna sell copies though, regardless of the skill ceiling, the Vietnam war era. We haven’t seen many shooters of this capacity rise from the Vietnam war since the early 2010’s, so that is sure to pull an audience. Especially since it seems lately, players are wanting to go back in history instead of forward, mostly notably from games like Call of Duty: WWII and Battlefield 1. Indie games are hard to sell, however Rising Storm 2 has its seventh beta wave rolling out this week. Tripwire has lined up sponsors all over for Antimatter’s new 64 play gritty war shooter such as PC Gamer and Gamespot to give out codes for the tests so, really is the game worth buying or should you wait? Rising Storm’s social media account announced late last month that the game was up for pre-purchase on Steam and it would guarantee you access to the last closed beta wave before the open beta later this month. This wasn’t the only string they’re pulling to snag those sales in though, currently the only purchase option is the deluxe edition of the game which is a near $22.99 right now. Antimatter made a statement that this is actually cheaper than the standard copy of Rising Storm 2 will be upon its release, which is rumored for the last week of May or the first week of June. I believe the standard edition the game will be retailed for about $30 on launch and the deluxe will probably be around $40, but the incentives of it being a “deluxe” copy are pretty boring. You get some extra skins for your character customization (which we’ll dive into a little bit later) and you get a digital download of the soundtrack upon release. Personally, I dove into the web and found a copy of the game on CDKEYS for a price tag of $18.60 so I purchased it, because even if I get 20 hours of fun from the game, I got my money’s worth. The sale on the digital deluxe doesn’t have an end date, or at least it doesn’t say. Beta wave 7 starts this Thursday though, as part of the bonuses. Seven waves of beta testing have apparently paid off vastly for the teams though, they say they’re taking the feedback of fans very seriously. Fans are loving the game, myself included. From the short amount of time I got with the sixth testing period, I saw how polished the game was for a beta and I’m blown away. Rising Storm 2 is built on Unreal Engine 3, which is severely outdated now, but the game still looks absolutely stunning, just like Killing Floor 2 does on the same engine. From the stunning vegetation across the maps to the destruction from the traps placed around, the game blows me away. Shooting every gun is amazing, it feels crisp and clean just like you were placed back in time standing in the treelines. You switch on and off between the Vietnamese Army and the American Army every game which gives you a diverse look at both sides of the war. I would have to say for being in beta, my biggest complaint for the game is the announcer voices, they seem cringy and generic. Hopefully those will be worked on for the full release, as the actual character voices are phenomenal. You’ll find your character shouting nicknames for the enemy soldiers that were popular in the Vietnam war, Charlie and G.I, depending on what team you’re on. Overall, the most satisfying sound effects in the game are shooting down an enemy helicopter with an RPG and/or getting a headshot in game, the clunkiness of the bullets hitting the helmets is almost gross in a sense of violence. Character Customization in Rising Storm 2 is up to par with most AAA titles in the gaming industry today. Starting with a basic model for your character depending on what side of the war you are fighting on and then developing a different outfit and even tattoo ideas for them. There aren’t a ton of options, although pre-ordering the deluxe gives you about five or six more. It doesn’t feel like there needs to be too much, as the development teams are trying their absolute hardest to hold this game as true as possible to the disaster that was the Vietnam war. It’s always awesome to see your character model running around the battlefield, after all you made that person what they are. I’m excited to see the finalized way the leveling system and experience plays out, right now you level up but there doesn’t seem to be any incentive to keep leveling. For me atleast, I just love to see that high rank number next to my player name so I can’t really complain even if it’s simple. I love games like Insurgency and the Arma series for their PVP, I even play quite a few different battle royale titles on the steam marketplace. Obviously, with that being said if you can stand the unforgiving and painful learning process behind how to play Rising Storm 2, I’m gonna recommend it. You have to get used to the clunky camera angles found in any shooter that rewards heavily on reaction time, but it’s not hard to adjust. CDKEY’s still had quite a few keys on their marketplace, so if you’re uncertain on paying the $23 price tag, you can get the $5 off there. It may not be much, but I’m sure your wallet will thank you eventually. Ultimately, this depends on the style of gamer you are but I wanna say buy, don’t wait. You should definitely pick up Rising Storm 2 before the sale on pre-orders end, because you don’t wanna be stuck paying a hefty amount for the standard edition. I hope to see you all out on the battlefield. - Dakota G.
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