Men of War 2 review - A challenging RTS World War game

In past few days,  we were exploring Men of War 2, a gritty world war game and we'll cover everything you need to know to determine if it's worth playing. Men of War 2 takes us to the scenery of the challenging battlegrounds of World War II offering players the opportunity to command American, German and Russian (Soviet) military forces across various campaigns, game modes and multiplayer modes.

The size of this game is really impressive with hundreds of infantry units, combat vehicles, tanks and fighter planes at your disposal. Also, the visuals are on point and the destructible terrain adds sort of a layer of realism that's hard to ignore plus you can even hop into the cockpit of tanks and join the action from a first person perspective, which is a great feature.

Now, before we dive any deeper, it's important to mention that Men of War 2 arrives at a critical moment. A game that is similar to Men of War II - Company of Heroes 3, had its fair share of problems, thus leaving some long-time multiplayer enjoyers feeling let down. The developers of Men of War 2 are well aware of this and are aiming to win over disenchanted Company of Heroes fans by making the game more approachable than its previous titles.

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Men of War 2 is a fun real time strategy game with a lot of content and decent graphics

Game modes and campaign

And now, let's talk about the challenge level. This game can be downright brutal especially if you're accustomed to titles like Company of Heroes. Infantry units are armed to the teeth and are capable of taking down anything in their path. Mortars machine guns, anti-aircraft guns and artillery can turn the battlefield into a hellish landscape.

It's a hardcore transition from the more forgiving games in the genre and thankfully the developers have thrown us a lifeline. The developers have added some customization options to multiplayer modes allowing players to adjust the difficulty to their liking. Whether you want the classic Men of War experience or a more forgiving challenge there's something here for everyone.

Speaking of game modes, Men of War 2 has some intriguing options. Combined arms is a three versus three mode that opens up customization possibilities providing a chaotic battlefield experience.

Front Line injects a fresh twist into matches by focusing on territorial gains for those who prefer players versus environment situations.

The game features three main story campaigns each offering a unique perspective on World War. The American campaign “The Falaise Pocket” pits you against the Germans. 

The Soviet campaign “Thwarted Blitzkrieg” challenges you to slow down the German’s Advance. German campaign “On their own soil” lets you experience the collapse of the Third Reich.

Two additional historical campaigns add even more variety to the mix Men of War 2 and also offers Raids and Conquest modes for single players. Raids feature 16 randomly generated battles while Conquest lets you shape your Army's path to conquer territory.

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Players can choose between different game modes, features and campaigns

Men of War 2 Gameplay

In Men of War II, there is no base building, no resource gathering and there's no need to control tons of units or formations. Instead you control just a few units at a time so depending on your specialty that could be some infantry squads, a couple of tanks or a mixture of similar units and each unit has a lot more granular control than your average strategy game.

In the case of tanks, for example, crews can be ejected from the vehicle as required. You can control the turrets separately from the hull. You can swap weapons and use special abilities. There's also modeling of armor and penetration values, and individual crew members and functions of your tank can be disabled in combat. So you might lose a track, a turret, or your gunner even. 

All of this makes micromanaging these vehicles a heck of a lot of work, and you can understand why having a handful of these to worry about would be a nightmare. Infantry is similar, with controls for stances, positioning, cover, grenades, weapons, etc. You can use them to deploy mines, barbed wire, dig trenches, that kind of stuff. Your units are requisitioned through the echelon system. There are three echelons of units available to you, with each getting progressively stronger and more expensive. 

These come online as the game develops, and each unit has a certain number of them available to you. So resources are finite, and you need to use them smartly lest you end up with no units left in a game timer that's got a third to go. 

The headlining feature of Men of War 2, and undoubtedly the most iconic one for the series, is the ability to take direct control of any unit under your command.  There are multiple ways to control them once you enter this mode.  

Or you can enter third-person mode where the game transforms towards something that is not perfect, and some things could use some work, but it's pretty unique and an awesome way to get into the thick of the action. It makes you feel like you're making a real difference on the battlefield. 

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You can remain in a sort of bird's eye view, with the standard 3D camera being available to you and WASD controlling movement

Controlling a tank this way, for example, might open up shots that you weren't comfortable with the AI attempting in the standard view, or allow your units to really pull their weight in a way that they simply wouldn't be able to do if left to their own devices. I know this is a staple mechanic for the series, and I can't compare it here to how it functions in previous games, but for me, this is super, super cool. Overall, the gameplay is interesting because units feel so vulnerable. 

A well-placed shot will take out even the strongest of vehicles, and infantry will get absolutely destroyed and deleted if you put them in the wrong position. I will say the experience is not one for the players without high dose of patience.

Now, let's talk about the everything that was wrong with the game. The game revolves around playing attack and defence constatly. Furthermore, the UI is terrible and it's so hard to do basic things like see which troops or tanks you have selected. Even the main menu is confusing and the voice acting is still terrible. The battles are too fast, the vehicles feel super weird, they drive too fast.

However, I can say that positives beat the negatives. The game's realism option with toggleable terrain is a great addition, that makes the game more intereseting. And let's be realistic here, Men of War 2 is the synonym for RTS (real-time-strategy) games! There's even full mode support from day one promising endless possibilities for customization and creativity. 

In conclusion, Men of War 2 is shaping up to be a challenging and immersive World War II RTS experience with its variety of game modes engaging campaigns and dynamic battlefield adaptability. In the end, we know that there's a lot to sink your teeth into whether you're a fan of intense multiplayer battles or prefer a single player campaign, this game has something for everyone.