Red Orchestra 2: Heroes of Stalingrad

 PC
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 49 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 31 out of 49
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 49
  3. Negative: 1 out of 49
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  1. GameFocus
    Sep 23, 2011
    72
    Red Orchestra 2 is a fickle monster. On the one hand, the innovative gameplay and close attention to realism and detail give this release tons of potential. Unfortunately, the amount of bugs present coupled with the most clueless AI we've seen in awhile takes away a lot from what this game has to offer.
  2. Eurogamer Italy
    Nov 22, 2011
    70
    The multiplayer of Red Orchestra 2 offers various interesting debate points about the realistic online shooter breed: praised by many, played by few. Forgetting some bugs and the (hopefully) soon to be addressed performance hiccups, Red Orchestra 2 is definitely an entertaining product that, online-wise, will guarantee months of brutal fun.
  3. Absolute Games
    Oct 17, 2011
    70
    Despite a few old-fashioned quirks, Red Orchestra 2 is fun to play. Clean up the bugs, and it will become a nice middle ground for those who are tired of Battlefield, but couldn't fall in love with ArmA.
  5. Thunderbolt
    Oct 13, 2011
    70
    it's an admirable game that probably deserves an audience of dedicated players.
  6. Gamer.no
    Oct 4, 2011
    70
    If you strip the game's uninspired visuals and interface and manage to come past its bugs and glitches, Red Orchestra 2 takes no prisoners with its realistic mechanics and physics. It is a game for a hardcore PC audience who thrive on this type of games with its relatively slow-paced tempo yet high intensity.
  7. GameOver.gr
    Oct 3, 2011
    70
    Tripwire, "the modders that became developers", delivers a decent, multiplayer oriented FPS based on the WWII battles between the Nazis and the Russians. And the result is game almost perfectly suited for those who love massive online battles.
  8. IncGamers
    Sep 28, 2011
    70
    If Red Orchestra 2 appeals then I daresay you'll have a great deal of fun, but you might want to leave it a month to see if things improve.
  9. Metro GameCentral
    Sep 26, 2011
    70
    As hardcore as first person shooters get but fascinatingly distinctive as a result - if you have the resolve to endure its rougher edges.
  10. Edge Magazine
    Sep 21, 2011
    70
    It has flashes of brilliance, but then you get stuck on some cover and get killed because of it, and that moment is shattered.
  11. Cheat Code Central
    Sep 15, 2011
    68
    An immensely ambitious game, and in some ways, it's even a groundbreaking one. However, its focus on realism will turn off fans of arcade shooters, and the developers will have to do some patching before everything truly clicks. If you want a hardcore multiplayer FPS that thoroughly immerses you in the Battle of Stalingrad, this could be the game for you-someday.
  12. GRYOnline.pl
    Oct 4, 2011
    65
    An unfinished game with many bugs casting a shadow on an otherwise good and demanding FPS. Do you remember all the announcements preparing us for a multiplayer campaign and cooperative skirmish? These modes are not finished yet. I'm disappointed that a game not so different from the beta version appeared on the market. Tripwire Interactive has a thing for supporting its games so I'm sure that after several patches and mods Red Orchestra 2 will fly. But for now it's not worth a full price.
  13. Bit-Gamer
    Oct 5, 2011
    60
    To release this game in such a poor state is almost offensive. What's there is great when it works, but the bugs should have been fixed by now. To follow the rules of a review, we can only score the game on its current state, which means it falls way down the all-time rankings. The caveat, though, is that if you give Red Orchestra 2 a little more time and you're willing to overlook the faults, it's likely capable of breaking into the top five games of the year so far.
  14. Eurogamer Sweden
    Oct 4, 2011
    60
    A multiplayer centric WW2 shooter that puts great emphasis on realistic mechanics and ambiance. Unfortunately realism does not always translate into fun, resulting in a game with little appeal except to the hardcore fans of the era.
  15. Gamekult
    Sep 19, 2011
    60
    Quotation forthcoming.
  16. Gamereactor Denmark
    Nov 17, 2011
    50
    If you think both Battlefield and Call of Duty are too exaggerated and unrealistic, and feel Counter-Strike is too soft, Red Orchestra 2 might be the game for you. It doesn't appeal to us, though.
  17. AusGamers
    Oct 10, 2011
    50
    Bugs are aplenty. The voice system barely works, crashes happen regularly and pings fluctuate from game to game.
  18. BigPond GameArena
    Sep 23, 2011
    50
    While its cover and suppression systems and tanks are outstanding, there are far too many bugs throughout the single and multiplayer game. While broken animation and even the bizarre leveling bugs can be ignored to an extent, the constant framerate and sound dropping - not to mention outright crashes - make RO2 too frustrating at the moment - and sadly it's only going to get worse as more people get fed up and move on to something else.

Awards & Rankings

73
#73 Best PC Game of 2011
20
#20 Most Discussed PC Game of 2011
28
#28 Most Shared PC Game of 2011

User Reviews

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User Score
7.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 771 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 490 out of 771
  2. Mixed: 138 out of 771
  3. Negative: 143 out of 771
  1. neomatrix248
    Sep 13, 2011
    10
    Red Orchestra 2: Heroes of Stalingrad is a refreshing change of pace for the FPS genre. It brings the genre back to it's 2000-2005 roots toRed Orchestra 2: Heroes of Stalingrad is a refreshing change of pace for the FPS genre. It brings the genre back to it's 2000-2005 roots to the WW2 era, and merges it with today's technology to provide an authentic, immersive, beautiful experience. This game plays differently than your popular shooters like Call of Duty and Halo, so it's not for everyone. It's definitely catered to a more hardcore audience than most mainstream titles, but still offers game modes for gamers with all tastes. The combat in this game is fast paced, but realistic. There are minimal hud elements, like no crosshairs for instance. Weapon aiming is quite unique, too. Weapons don't shoot in the center of the screen, but rather the weapon moves with the mouse until you get closer to the edge of the screen, when your camera will shift. For anyone who's played the Arma series, the aiming is similar to that. Weapon and bullet physics are also very realistic. Firing SMGs in more than 4-5 round bursts will make it impossible to hit a target further than 40-50 meters away. The game also features a full ballistics simulation. Bullet drop and travel time must be taken into account when shooting.

    The game features HUGE maps with up to 64 players. The vehicles in the game feature full 3d-modeled interiors, where players must realistically navigate the inside of the vehicle to move to each position. No more instantly teleporting from the driver seat to the machine gunner seat, for instance. Vehicles also feature realistic damage models. You can take out a tank's engine by hitting it with an armor piercing round, or even kill the gunner with a well placed shot to the gunner's seat, rendering the tank useless until another player takes over the position.

    The graphics and sound design are all top notch in this game. The performance was a little shaky in the beta, but in just two weeks time they have greatly improved framerates and reduced lag. Red Orchestra 2 is a must have for anyone who is a fan of first person shooters who want a more authentic experience than mainstream shooters will give you. It is a game that game developers should take notes on when designing games in the future. Tripwire Interactive put a lot of hard work with limited resources into this game, and the result is something extraordinary.    … Full Review »
  2. Poerisija
    Jun 20, 2012
    8
    Fixed hit detection and renewed playerbase - worth the money now. New maps are needed, but community is making them with SDK and TWI hasFixed hit detection and renewed playerbase - worth the money now. New maps are needed, but community is making them with SDK and TWI has promised new maps and tanks. Lack of content is my only gripe left with the game - and that's after 200 hours of playing.… Full Review »
  3. DEnglish
    Sep 18, 2011
    4
    The combat is fierce. The avatar weapons are very well done, it feels authentic. Cover and mantling is very good. The maps are detailed, andThe combat is fierce. The avatar weapons are very well done, it feels authentic. Cover and mantling is very good. The maps are detailed, and offer plenty of dramatic play. The fundamental offering of WW2 combat is met, which gives HOW hope for the future.

    Where HOS falls down is in leaving the realism genre for an arcade offering. More accurately, it tries to straddle the fence, and predictably, slips and nuts itself with a leg on either side. In trying to please both, HOS pleases neither the realism crowd, nor the arcade crowd.

    HOS incorporates all of the tired features of the successful shooters: recon planes, mini-maps, radar, automatic reloading, leveling, and skill grinding. By doing this, it is competing against the biggest gimmick shooter companies. It will lose. TWI does not have the resources to compete on the disposable game market. Therefore, the arcade shooters attracted by bells and whistles will move on to the next game, leaving RO standing in its present state before the realism audience. This will be a dire moment.

    An example of one of the gimmicks that are not innovative and that get old quickly is the canned voices. The voices are cute at first, but soon get tedious, as they become the same thing over and over again, or give one away as they are trying to be stealthy. The unintended side effect of canned voices is that players are left unable to communicate effectively about the battlefield. This is an example of a major re playability error. Much more attention should have been given to what players want to say, not what the software is programmed to say.

    The more a game plays itself, the more disposable it is. The more a game needs to be played, the more it will endear itself to the community that made RO successful. Canned voices is one example of the game being taken away from players.

    That the game lacks any real historical context is another glaring fault that will affect it's long term chances. The maps start and stop with no contextual background, no information on the units fighting, where they are, or why they are there. There is simply a side start screen, and the map starts. An arbitrary battle that ends in a tired theme song and another canned voice. Modders and map makers will want to tell the story of their contribution. In its present state, HOS is arbitrary in its context, and repetitive in its presentation and conclusion of the map.

    HOS destroys Fog of War with recon planes and maps showing enemy locations. This type of feature firmly implants HOS in the genre of disposable game. The realism community requires the puzzle of combat, the arcade crowd required targets presented at a fast pace. When the arcade players move on, HOS will stand before the realism faithful as a redundant, self-playing game. There are numerous examples of this effect. HOS should have taken advantage of the void re: realism shooters, and entered the game world defiantly, with a solid, realistic game. Instead of blinking-lights, TWI should have focused on features that would make the game dynamic for years to come: flamethrowers, spreading and persistent fire, in-game hero effects, player placed MG positions (not the forever frozen ones it has now) and any other of a myriad of potential things that the scenario of Stalingrad combat gives. HOS should have stood firm on the requirements of realism shooters. The response to "I don't know where my enemies are" should not be "Here is a radar". It should be "listen to the battle, you will learn".

    It will be very interesting to see where HOS goes from here. The bugs and balance issues will be fixed. What remains to be seen is how the game will rebound from the inevitable disposal it will face, and what the realism faithful will decide to do.    … Full Review »
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