MEN OF WAR 2
Hold the front line in Best Way’s new WWII strategy sequel
Setting what must be a new record for confusing videogame names, Men of War 2 is actually the sixth game in the series, if you include its various spinoffs. More than anything, the sequel denotes the return of the original game’s developer Best Way, with the Ukrainian studio bringing some nifty ideas to its RTS depiction of World War II.
Chief among these is its front line mechanic, through which territory is controlled not by pre-designated control points, but by the moment-tomoment position of your units on the battlefield. Moving an infantry squad into a new chunk of territory will dynamically adjust the front line, enabling you to perform actions like call reinforcements into that area, dig defensive trenches, and build fortifications with sandbags. The front line also lets you see the shape of a battle at a glance, enabling you quickly respond to vulnerabilities or assaults.
ASSUMING CONTROL
Of course, humans are notoriously squishy, so to cling on to territory you’ve gained, you’ll want to ensure your infantry units are sufficiently well supported. For this Men of War 2 provides plenty of resources. Across the game’s two campaigns (one set on the eastern front, and one charting the Normandy invasion) you’ll command tanks, armored vehicles, and horse-drawn artillery. The game also offers limited representation of air units, letting you call in planes for strafing runs on enemy positions.
At its broadest, Men of War 2 will see you commanding a suite of units across the entire front line, holding off massive enemy assaults with tanks, artillery, and infantry simultaneously. But detail is equally important to developer Best Way, and other missions will see you controlling just a handful of infantry units, issuing specific orders like whether they should stand or go prone, when to throw grenades, and even the fire-mode of their individual weapons. And if that still isn’t specific enough, you can also take direct control of units, and attempt to change the tide of battle personally.
It’s an impressive blend of spectacle and simulation. What remains to be seen is whether Best Way can build the game’s core into satisfying campaigns, and how easy the game will be to learn. The clean UI and highly responsive units are a step forward over previous games, but a comprehensive tutorial certainly wouldn’t go amiss. If Best Way can provide a sufficiently instructive boot camp, then Men of War 2 could give Company of Heroes 3 a run for its Nazi gold.