Windows

Return Fire 2

But hey, I had such a blast with Return Fire 2 that I just memorized the default controller configuration and dealt with it and only looked at the manual when absolutely necessary for a point of clarification. It's no mean feat to develop a game that packs this much firepower and still offers significant strategic challenges, but that's just what Silent Software has managed to do with Return Fire 2. It might not pull off a coup and earn Best Strategy Game of the Year, but don't be surprised if you see it in the running - or if a new category is created just to accommodate it.

If you never played the original, you owe it to yourself to jump on board now and experience a game which is at once different from anything else you've every played and yet strangely familiar and comfortable from the very start. If you're already a fan of the original then expect even bigger challenges with huge new maps, cool vehicles, and an extremely flattering face-lift.

All in all, return Fire II is a mixed bag. If you're heavily into multiplayer gaming and enjoy capture the flag games, then this game was designed with you in mind. If you are a single player game fan, then this will more than likely disappoint you. The AI isn't bad, but the lack of depth will get old quickly. Bottom Line: Very nice accelerated graphics, wonderful music. Single player gameplay has little depth, but in multiplayer mode the game shines. One of the worst menu interfaces I've ever seen - it looks as if it were designed specifically to be user-hostile.

Finally, I enjoyed playing Return Fire 2; it had all the qualities of a good real-time strategy game. They're plenty of features for you mess with, Single - double, multi-player online. Which will keep you busy a long time. You can tell this game was built for Multiplayer action. The single player campaigns are not that involved. But this game has the one factor that keeps it alive "fun".

Wer in 3D-Actionspielen fast nur »Flaggen fängt« und eine Alternative mit mehr taktischem Tiefgang sucht, kann zugreifen. Zumal nicht nur LAN und Internet, sondern auch Splitscreens-Modi unterstützt werden – heutzutage leider die Ausnahme. Solisten können sich die Investition in Return Fire 2 dagegen ersparen. Im Einzelspieler-Modus fesseln mich nur viele Tassen Kaffee nach der »ich probiere alle Fahrzeuge mal aus«-Phase länger an das Programm. Schuld daran sind, neben der lauen Grafik, vor allem die dämlich agierenden Computergegner. Und warum die Entwickler ihrem Werk keine ordentliche Kampagne spendieren wollten, bleibt wohl auf ewig ein Geheimnis.

Einzig und allein die Musik weiß zu gefallen, die stammt jedoch größtenteils von Wagner (etwa der Walkürenritt) und Komparsen und kann damit Return Fire 2 nur mittelbar zugute gehalten werden. Selbst der prinzipiell sehr erfreuliche Splittscreen-Modus schreckt durch die üblichen Problematiken (zu kleine Fenster, unübersichtlich) eher ab, als daß er begeistert.