Red river just like dragon rising is a tactical first person shooter and just like its predecessor infuses action and planning to immerse the player into the most realistic war experience available. just like dragon rising the combat is in your face and unforgiving, only this time there seems to be a little bit more leg room when it comes to fire fights. if you can’t take a world where war is real and every bullet counts with deadly accuracy then its best you think twice before heading into the battlefield of red river – it is no doubt a brutal and tough game but it is also one of the most engrossing war experiences you will ever get on any console or system.
Set in the year 2013 the current conflict concerns the breakout of a civil war in tajikistan. just like before the marines are sent in to clean up the mess only this time neighbouring china orders the troops out and when they refuse all hell breaks loose. what results is not just a fight with the locally inexperienced tajik militia but with the far superiorly armed forces of the chinese army. unlike before this game allows the player to pick between classes, you can chose between the likes of a rifleman/grenadier/support gunner and my personal favourite the scout sniper. each class can be finally tuned to give you the perfect loadout for every situation, their skills vary as does their gear.
The great thing is by doing missions you build up a line of combat points that can be used to open additional perks and build up your weapons and guns. all of your guns are fully customizable, sniper rifles can be given better scopes that help you take out that evasive distant target, regular rifles too can be given scopes and suppressers but you won’t be loaded down with weapon selections – whatever is needed is there while the weapons you don’t need are no where to be found. just remember to take bullet drop into account or you will miss and by missing you allow the enemy to take one more critical shot at you and your team.
Again you are in charge of your very own fire team and like before they require your directions and tactics to get the best out of them, if you treat them right they in return will treat you right. in the previous game there was the constant threat of a stray bullet taking you out, the threat is still there but there are so many allies on screen in most battles that the stray bullet won’t have your name on it. that’s not to say the shootouts are not fierce because they are and then some, unlike their FPS counterparts red river is no corridor shooter its all in the field and the landscapes look the part. the tajikistan country side is beautifully rendered, one of the most striking visual effects of the game is the sky its unlike anything i have seen in a game of its calibre.
The sounds in the game are very authentic from the noise of a whizzing bullet passing by your head to the intrusive crackle of the radio as it sparks to life delivering a barrage of radio chatter. i was really surprised to see some of my favourite bands providing a pre-battle soundtrack for the game, which of course added to the realism. this time around the extra presence of a tough talking staff sergeant delivers the what to and what not to do’s, he surely isn’t subtle but he feels completely authentic as he spurs you and your team into action. one of the first missions in the game that really impressed me was one very similar to the hurt locker a movie which features the daily routines of an EOD member disposing of bombs and improvised explosive devices. you are sent into a village to provide support for an EOD team who are there to deal with a car bomb, soon after your arrival a fire fight erupts and you and your team have to fight off the attackers before they remote detonate the device. its really only a small example of how in depth and engrossing the missions are, many of the missions and fire fights verge on epic – you might not live through it but its always one hell of a way to go out.
Realism is something i keep mentioning when referring to red river because red river really is the most realistic combat experience on the market. there are very few bad points in fact i find it hard to say anything bad about the game, probably the only thing i didn’t like was how a lot of dialogue being shouted back and forth from fellow combatants seems to be repeated to frustrating results. though you yourself play the most important roll in turning the tide of war commanding and directing your fire team is integral and you will find yourself issuing orders to not only save your skin but theirs too – you need to keep them alive and that might be a little tough for most people.
Given the games ability to deliver a brilliantly crafted combat simulator it can easily be forgiven of any shortfalls that might pop up but after three or more play trough's i have noticed very little that could possibly drag it down. from playing the previous operation flashpoint game i expected a lot from red river and i wondered if it would abandon everything that made the original so good, thankfully it stuck to the same formula and the only minor changes were those of improvement. i enjoyed every moment of red river it was so well done in every way possible, i’m giving it a rarely awarded 10 out of 10. if you are looking for the usual run and gun corridor shooting call of duty type clone then you will feel far from home here but if you are looking for the perfect ultra realistic combat experience that doesn’t hold the punches instead pummels you whenever it gets a chance then red river is the way to go.
