This last weekend during the crazy nightlife that I lead, I found myself bored and wondering if I had a game I had not played for a while. The game I saw that needed some attention was “Men of War: Assault Squad 2” developed by Digitalmindsoft. After playing the entire weekend as the great and mighty Soviet Union, I decided an article of information about the game using some moments from my playthrough would be in good order.

“Men of War: Assault Squad 2” is set in World War II and is acclaimed by many as the best real-time strategy title out on the market to date. This much-improved version of “Men of War: Assault Squad” brings with it lots of new content.

“Men of War: Assault 2” is a World War II game where you can play as any one of the five large nations who contributed to the war effort. These are the United States, British Commonwealth, Soviet Union, Germany and Japanese Empire.

According to the Steam Store page, there are “15 new single-player skirmishes, 65 multiplayer maps and five game modes, 250 vehicles at your command, more than 200 soldiers with unique equipment and battles that are fought in diverse environments.” As you can see there is a lot of content and great gameplay available to anyone who wants a strategic WWII experience.

For the most part, the game is all about using your infantry, artillery and armor to push the enemy back and then using whatever remains to capture Command Points. There are many different strategies to hold and acquire these Command Points. A well-rounded and slow approach will almost always win the day, but creativity is encouraged in how you deal with a situation.

You could have squads of soldiers go prone and sneak around enemy lines until the moment is right, or you can save up enough MP to cash in for the faction specific special unit. The Soviet Union’s version is a massive mortar gun on tank treads that can level a building in a single shot. Hail Mother Russia.

As a battle progresses and you have captured the center command point you unlock an ability that will help bring swift defeat to your enemies.

My favorite ability belongs to the Soviet Union. Can you guess what that ability’s name is and what it does? If you guessed the name “For Mother Russia” and the ability to throw a large number of conscripts at the enemy, then you are correct. Yes, overwhelming numbers is Russia’s special ability and it is made 100 times better if you can time the activation with the refrain of the song “Moskau” by Dschinghis Khan.

I like this ability more than others because the conscripts rushing forward to face the enemy gives a much-needed break. I can use the time to regroup my soldiers and be ready to push forward again after the conscripts have softened up the enemy.

For instance, the USA’s ability is to send two P-51 Mustangs with two rockets each at a specific location on the map and blow whatever it is they are aiming at to kingdom come. This is a very quick and destructive ability, but it is temporary compared to the Russian conscripts, who will stick around and keep fighting well after the ability has recharged.

Graphically, the game is very well done. Everything looks well-polished and to my knowledge, every weapon, vehicle and artillery piece looks historically accurate with every bump and edge placed with great care. As previously stated, buildings are 100 percent destructible and this gives an extra strategic flair for the game. If an enemy is hiding inside a house, you can attempt to destroy it with them in it. Or if there is a lack of cover, you can shoot down trees or buildings to give you an edge over your opponent.

Sound design is also incredibly well done. If the volume is at the perfect level, it sounds like you are in a battle yourself. While your soldiers are fighting, you can hear each individual gunshot. You can also experience a sort of mixed fear and desperation in your men as an enemy armored vehicle (let us say a German Tiger) heads their way and they are out of anti-armor weapons. The sharp pings of bullets hitting the metal hull of a tank add so much to the battle.

There is also a great musical score which, if you have patience, can make an epic charge of armored vehicles and infantry so much more epic.

“Men of War: Assault Squad 2” is not a new game. However, it is definitely one that should be checked out if you are interested in owning a nearly perfect strategy game. I say nearly because there is one thing that somewhat hinders the game’s greatness — the core gameplay.

Like I said before, the goal for most missions is to capture all of the Command Points on the map to win the battle. Other than a few missions, the goal of each is repeated over and over again, even though each battle is completely different. I know that this is somewhat a representation of real war where capturing and holding various positions is crucial to winning. In this game, however, I feel there should be a few different missions rather than just capturing and holding, capturing and holding capturing and holding.

Overall, “Men of War: Assault Squad 2” is an amazing real time strategy (RTS) game that already has a lot of attention but I think it deserves more. I have not even mentioned the map editing, multiplayer or the modding community that pumps out new variations of the game almost daily. Those are features that you may have to mess around with yourself to get a better scope of the game’s awesomeness. “Men of War Assault Squad 2” can be found on the Steam Store and is on sale many times throughout the year.