14 DAY TRIAL // 
I was able to sneak two squads for classic infantry up the sides of the map and steadily take out United States squads, but I had big problems in the center, where some stubborn defenders with machine guns entrenched themselves behind some solid fortifications.
I decided to bring in a Tiger, which is powerful but expensive, and to support it with a StugIII and some Panzergrenadiers, a combined arms team that should be able to punch through.
The first line of defenders dropped quickly and I pushed my tank further away, drawing fire from a few Shermans, which quickly died a fiery death, and taking out another infantry unit in the process.
I diverted my own Panzergrenadiers to the side to capture some more resources and that’s when I made a fatal mistake in Men of War – Assault 2: I took my eyes off my most powerful unit.
As my infantry once more made progress, I tried to switch back to the Tiger, only to find it with tracks shot off, which tends to happen really frequently, and unable to return fire as one enemy tank and two AT guns chipped at its armor.
A classic case of failure in a game that always punishes lack of care but can also deliver some of the best World War II based installments in the strategy genre.
Story
Men of War – Assault Squad 2 is yet another video game that uses World War II as its setting and aims to explore some of the most interesting engagements of the conflict and show how various units and squads were able to change the course of entire battles.
The game aims to deliver some narrative context for the missions and there’s a clear Band of Brothers vibe coming from the title created by Digitalmindsoft, with its focus on squads of troops that bear the brunt of the combat and rarely have all the resources and the backup that they need.
In terms of content, Assault Squad 2 does not introduce much when compared to the first title in the series and the number of new missions and units is rather low, which will certainly annoy those fans who have waited for two years to get access to it.
But a quick look at the scenarios that are included reveals a variety of choices, using everyone from Germany and the Empire of Japan to the United States and the Russians, which means that there are plenty of hours of content to be enjoyed by those who have had no previous contact with the Men of War concept.
One of the best features of Assault Squad 2 is how the choices that the player makes create interesting small narratives for each mission, creating the feeling that entire books could be written on the heroics, disappointments, fatal tactical mistakes and the necessary sacrifices made to reach the final objective.
Gameplay
Men of War – Assault Squad 2 is a direct sequel to a standalone expansion for a game that was launched in 2009, but the core mechanics of the title are remarkably similar to those introduced five years ago.
The experience mixes a real-time tactics approach to battles, superficially similar to that of Company of Heroes, with the option to assume direct control over every unit present on the battlefield, zoom in and then direct it, while the other squads stay put.
The player can choose which of the methods of control is the most important, as controlling large squads and moving them into position can be crucial during a tense battle, but there’s also the option to change the course of a fire fight with one well-placed shot from a piece of artillery.
Almost the entire world of Men of War – Assault Squad 2 is destructible, which means that gamers can try to blow up new exits through walls or they can test the effect of grenades on wooden houses.
Men of War – Assault Squad 2 can be played mostly as a real-time tactics experience, especially on the easy, and it represents a satisfying entry in the genre, but to truly appreciate the experience, gamers need to push up the difficulty level and get ready to spend hours with one mission.
Careful movement, well-placed shots delivered when a unit is directly controlled, solid use of the various grenades and rockets and a lot of scavenging for extra weapons and supplies become crucial for success and it’s incredibly easy to make a mistake that can lead to defeat in minutes.
The developers have put a lot of effort in order to create a very accurate simulation of the battles of World War II and players who want to truly enjoy it need to take the time to learn about the weapons and the tactics of the period and then actually use them to reach their objectives.
The Artificial Intelligence is well developed and can detect player weaknesses, while also benefiting from what seem to be free units from a point on.
There are also moments when it makes stupid mistakes, which is probably why the developers are recommending multiplayer for gamers who want to experience a true challenge.
Another problem with Men of War – Assault Squad 2 is that the missions can sometimes feel created using the same two or three master templates, especially the ones that focus on advancing and capturing points in the center of a narrow map.
The development team also says that it has put in a lot of work into the game engine and the backend in order to make the entire experience run smoother than before, while delivering more impressive battlefield moments for the gamer to enjoy.
The addition of support for the Steamworks service from Valve also means that it should be easier than ever to create mods for Men of War – Assault Squad 2, which should appear in the Workshop over the coming months, as the fan community aims to introduce even more realism to the title.
Graphics and audio
Men of War – Assault Squad 2 is a good-looking game, but it lacks some of the spectacle of a similar title, like Company of Heroes 2 from Relic.
The battlefield and the units lack a bit of detail here and there and some weird slowdowns affect the action at certain points, seemingly at random.
The graphics quality will not be the most important thing for those who love the series, but it might be a drawback for those who only now discover what it has to offer.
The sounds and the music of Men of War – Assault Squad 2 accurately portray World War II and it’s easy to know what kind of situation the player’s forces face simply by listening to the rounds hitting the ground around them and the explosions of shells that fall in their vicinity.
Multiplayer
Men of War – Assault Squad 2 is pitched as a game that’s best enjoyed in multiplayer, with other human players who have learned the mechanics of the game and can carefully use their knowledge to create solid tactical plans and then execute them with ruthless efficiency.
The biggest new features are eight-versus-eight battles, which feel huge and impossible to understand at first but can provide some of the best moments in the entire series.
The problem, which is more present than in other titles, is that most player groups are already well formed and have solid knowledge of the game, which means that there are limited opportunities for newcomers who lack a number of friends that can join them in multiplayer.
The Good
- Complex war simulation
- Numerous interacting systems
The Bad
- Focused on multiplayer
- Relatively limited new content
Conclusion
Unfortunately, the game does not add enough new content for those who have been long playing the series and the developers and publishers need to deliver something entirely new in the near future in order to regain their trust.
