Red Orchestra 2 - Mexican Standoff with the Involuntary TeamKiller

No matter how big the claim of being realistic, tactical or [put your favorite euphemism here], for the most part the multiplayer experience in mainstream first person shooters (FPS) is just a bar brawl with guns. Which is a pity in the case of Red Orchestra 2, because there is very solid stuff in it.

Prompted by a very positive review by Michael Peck at the Training and Simulation Journal, I installed my copy of Red Orchestra 2 and went right into the hell of urban combat.

Stalingrad, 1942 ... Here I come.


I joined one of these multiplayer servers that looked like for grown ups. There are few, it looks. If you have recommendations, let me know.

The visuals in Red Orchestra 2 are good but not as impressive as other mainstream FPSs. Right now all I care for is good environment for urban warfare and as seen here, the game delivers the goods.

I was playing as the Russians in one server (I can't remember if it was the 82th airborne) and I got team killed twice (head shot) by a guy who was either a moron or a very good shot with an easy trigger. Seconds later my second death I re-spawned just behind him. He sees me but moves on nonetheless. He didn't shoot, so it looked like his previous marksmanship towards my head was accidental but I can't be sure (I've seen my share of weirdos online). I stick to him like one of those latrine flies. He carries on through a dilapidated building. Then we reach a room which external wall has been ripped open by a huge shell. The guy positions himself towards the open terrain ahead, a meter behind a fraction of wall that was left untouched. He is tactically proficient, I see. I'm some 6 meters behind him, standing with my submachine pistol aimed just a feet above his head, but at the open terrain in the distance. I'm messing with the guy. He turns and sees my gun aimed in his direction and he raises his at me. I shoot at some German troopers coming towards us through the open terrain. The fellow team killer must have not believed how I could miss him from such a short range but after a fraction of a second it sinks on him that I was not shooting at him. The enemy fire pinging in the wall behind me must have helped too. We both take cover and take out three Germans.

It was a great gaming moment, with an obscure fratricide theme that pairs so well the brutality of the Stalingrad urban combat scenario. I owe the screenshots of this occurrence, because I obviously didn't have the spare time to hit the right key. To make it up, a few screenshots of the same game session.

Getting ready to move into the open. There are troops out there, I see movement all over the place. But I can't ID them as friendly or foe.

Too vulnerable: a square surrounded by tall buildings from where snipers would have a heyday.

A wonderful keyhole that ended up being useless. Move on, comrade!

Cheers,