Game Review
By Trekie (J. Stalin)

It took me a while to decide how to sum up the follow up to the game we all love and hate. ITS FAN Bl**DY TASTIC!

However like the first game it takes a lot of getting used to and you have to wean yourself onto it. But once you get into it you'll be addicted for life. Say goodbye to your free time SUDDEN STRIKE 2 HAS ARRIVED!

Released on the 31/8/02 both myself and my former clan-founder of BB have been hooked ever since. For example on the saturday we played for 14 hrs, until 4.30am.

This game is as if someone has gone back to sudden strike and been able to re-release it all over again with so many issues addressed. The best way to describe it is as a compromise between APRM's realism and sudden strike's addictive gameplay.

For example, a t34 can barely scratch a king tiger or tiger 2's front armour, but get behind it and its going down.

Tanks are now able to fire very large distances while having smaller lines of sight. This has been addressed by having the ability to have tank commanders sit out of their tanks in the turret while not under fire to improve the LOS which is called march mode. They also have the ability to carry troops on them, but the troops aboard them cannot fight until deployed off the tank. However while aboard they do improove LOS ( the tank officer combo often works well if the combat is not too intense as men aboard tanks are very vulnerable). Most tanks have 3 weapons now. A main gun, a coaxial machine gun, and a hull mounted machine gun. This finally allows your tanks to engage approaching troops ahead of them while fighting tanks or troops using their turrets.

Officers have far better LOS than ordinary infantry, but officers (as well as snipers) now come packed with binoculars that improve their LOS, but makes defence a bit easier and more realistic as a result.

Mines now come in 3 types: - ANTI-Tank - ANTI-Personnel - Delayed action (this is the true implementation of those silly demolition packs from SS forever which actually work well for tactical retreats or taking out bridges)

However where mines differ from the original is that they can only be placed by engineers, who while packing a rifle can plant 5 of any of the three types. However like the original they still require managing and if you send your men through an anti-personnel minefield oddly enough they will blow up!. Fortunately all troops can defuse mines

Howitzers still come with their hugely useful ability to fire with level sights and frequently much to the cost of enemy heavy tanks i find myself using them as heavy AT Guns to take down the heavy tanks such as the German elephant or isu152 or Tiger 1 or 2.

AT guns often lack the punch to take out heavy tanks, so use them to overlook minefields or ambush the heavier tanks in their rear quarters or use them to take out lighter tanks while your heavier guns target other things.

Infantry has been improved greatly. The original types still exist, but all infantry can now stand or crawl, however when crawling they take less damage but move slower and their LOS is reduced. All infantry have better LOS than first game. In addition troops can now be made to enter buildings and you can decide as to their distribution, with troops higher in buildings having better LOS but being more vulnerable. The only two new types of troops available not in the first game are commandos and crew. Crew are needed to crew the many vehicles of the game or capture enemy vehicles abandoned by their crews. Commandos are probably going to remain unique to single player but are equipped with a rifle and flare gun and have excellent LOS. The flare gun is used to signal reinforcements once an area is cleared.

Ships come in 3 different types:
-Patrol ships are armed with machine guns and can take 2 extra men as gunners on board, ie you can load 2 panzerfausts on board or an officer to give it more firepower or improove its LOS.
-Landing Craft are unarmed and while unable to carry tanks can carry up to 25 men.
-Cruisers, Battleships, Destroyers and Scout ships all have a mixture of long ranged artillery and close in cannons or AA. However these cannot move over shallow water and can only be moved along a straight line axis that they start on, and with a huge intial ammo supply can pound targets for at least an hour of battle before running out of ammo, which i assume they cannot be replenished by ammo trucks.