Raid: World War II Review
Imagine putting a nice old school FPS in a cauldron By adding a ladle of cooperative, a pinch of Quentin Tarantino's Basterds Without Glory and a dusting of that feeling to have accustomed title like Payday, we will get something that is very close to Raid: World War II .
The new title developed by Lion Game Lion (known to the masses for the realization of Payday DLC, in fact) is a parable of trash action, where trash is intended with an extremely positive meaning. There is therefore no expectation of a faithful reproduction of the events around the Second World War, but rather a riot of bullets and frenetic action.
Content
We find ourselves in the moment of maximum expansion of the Reich, and nothing seems able to stop the Nazi forces. In the heart of the British secret service, Winston Churchill personally instructs Mrs. White and Control to build a small Task Force able to bring chaos behind enemy lines. Destiny wants the heroes the world needs to be on the death row of a Gestapo prison; Sterling, Wolfgang, Rivet and Kurgan are certainly not model soldiers. Each with a captivating story and unique characterization, will be forced to look back at each other in a guerrilla war without rules. The choice is simple: collaborate or die, with the incentive to keep all the gold they will manage to get hold of.
Storyline
Before throwing ourselves headlong into the gameplay of Raid: World War II , it is worth analyzing the personality of our main character, a fundamental component of an experience in which interactions and comedy are an integral part of the project. Sterling could have been the flagship of an aristocratic English family, a decorated officer, but the insubordination pushed him to other shores. Rivet is the most classic of American gangsters and the army represented his only salvation from the electric chair. Wolfgang is a foreigner in his homeland; Austrian, his unbridled greed led him into the ranks of the Nazi party, but not even the easy earnings were able to quench his thirst. Kurgan is a war machine of the great mother Russia. Dishonored and convicted of cowardice, he may finally have his revenge.
Gameplay
It comes as a group so heterogeneous represents a bomb of comedy and impropriety ready to explode during each mission. The gameplay is simple and fun, and it all starts from the central hub. Here we can choose a character and a class. The classes that we could try are obviously four: the Recon, armed with Springfield and equipped with skills focused on the aim; Assault with its BAR and a skillset dedicated to ammunition care and management; the Insurgent with a loyal pump-action shotgun capable of mixing speed-related abilities and a tank-style game; finally the Demolitions unit, embroidered around explosives and resistance to damage.
Although it is possible to be accompanied by bots during a Raid, it is recommended to play four-player co-op to experience the full experience. Collaboration is in fact an indispensable element to survive the suicide missions we face. From the choice of loadout to communication during the game, it is essential to rely on their teammates, especially considering that completing a raid and getting all the loot possible are two very different results. The offer of the mission in fact revolves around a system of depth that goes to make our life more difficult every time we will prove quite greedy.
Another driving force of the stock is the operations. In this way we will have to face a series of raids subtended to an RNG component that affects both the quantity and the content of the same. Each operation requires an investment of more time than a single mission, but offers an interesting insight into the general title of the title, some secret Nazi projects (Heimdall) and goes further to further enhance the already good characterization of the characters. Last but not less important are the outlaw Raids; these are totally untied by war operations (it is worth mentioning the robbery in Hitler's art gallery), and we will face them with the sole purpose of filling our pockets.
Weapons
The arsenal we will have available to sow destruction among the swastikas is extremely varied. Among primary, secondary and hand to hand weapons, we can count on twenty pieces completely customizable through modifications and accessories of all kinds. There is no lack of instruments with a certain style, such as the punch knife, which go along with great classics like the M1 Garand and the ubiquitous Thompson. All weapons can be enhanced through a series of challenges, even if the buffs we can get will be anything but memorable.
The Successful Elements
All that glitters is not all gold. Although the setting, the renewed lore, the splendid footage of Hitler at the end of the mission and the characterization of the characters represent perfectly successful elements, the feeling of being in front of an expansion of Payday remains very strong. Beyond the game engine, remained unchanged, it makes a strange effect to see a focus so attentive on the mechanics of theft, which are likely to be too similar to those already seen games.
If on the one hand this element could annoy some players, on the other hand will satisfy all those who are looking for an experience faithful to that of robberies, as well as open horizons towards infinite possibilities.
Gaming Details
Developer--------------Lion Game Lion
Publisher--------------Starbreeze Studios
505 Games (console retail)
Engine-------------------Diesel Engine 2.0
Platform-----------------Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Release-------------------------Windows: 26 September 2017
Playstation 4, Xbox One: 10 October 2017
Genre-----------------First-person shooter, tactical shooter
Mode--------------------Single-player, multiplayer
Conclusion
A few criticism that could be raised against Raid is rooted in the skill-building system. The skill tree is not particularly impactful, often bringing accessories, not incisive improvements, and therefore leaving little room for the variety of builds. In a title strongly linked to the grind of missions subtended to a very light presence of RNG, one feels the lack of an engine towards the upgrading different from the simple possibility of facing the higher difficulties. It must be taken into account that we are only at the beginning of the life cycle of this new experience, and we will certainly see more variety and cleanliness from this point of view.
In summary, Raid: World War II is an excellent cooperative FPS but lacks elements capable of making it unique within the panorama in which it is placed. Style, interactions and design are to be promoted with full marks, and anyone looking for an experience of this kind can only be satisfied by the massacre of Nazis. Being able to annoy Hilter is the icing on the cake of a title from the truly remarkable offer to the launch, but that will find its highest point in the future thanks to the support that 505 Games has already shown to be able to offer over time.
Happy Gaming!!!!