I loved the original Red Orchestra for its slow paced pro-realism World War II multiplayer combat that featured infantry, vehicles and tanks. When I saw that Red Orchestra 2: Heroes of Stalingrad was on the horizon I was incredibly excited and pre-ordered the game so I could get into the beta. After some time of playing that I realized that it was not a whole like the original Red Orchestra and had a very different feel, one that didn't make me want to play for hours on end. I reviewed Red Orchestra 2 back in March and lengthily talked about everything that did and didn't work in the game. At that point it had been out for quite some time and I didn't think Tripwire Interactive was going to address any of the issues I had with the game or the valid problems many other people also brought up, but I was wrong.

Yesterday Tripwire announced that they are releasing a Red Orchestra 2 Game of the Year Edition and that it will include a massive amount of changes. Most importantly for people who haven't played Red Orchestra 2 is the free weekend that just started on Steam for RO2, which lasts until Sunday May 27th. Plus if you would like to purchase the game it is 75% off until Sunday as well. Check out a trailer for the Game of the Year Edition, but for anyone who used to play Red Orchestra 2 keep reading and see what major changes they have made to gameplay.

Tripwire has been hard at work all this time and are releasing quite a lot with the GOTY edition. The big important changes for previous players, especially those who no longer play the game and had many problems with it, have to do with three new modes. They wanted to accommodate all kinds of players, especially those who wanted something more like the original Red Orchestra, so they made these modes:

Action Mode: "Featuring a crosshair, easier aiming and toned down recoil, reduced damage and open access to a wide range of weaponry Action mode is the perfect first step for players into the world of Red Orchestra."

Classic Mode: This is the mode for those of who wished for a more realistic Red Orchestra 2. "“Classic” mode blends the gameplay innovations of the new game with the tactical and edgy gameplay of the original giving the fans of the first game exactly what they want."

Realism Mode: This is the game's original mode, but with some changes. For instance: bandaging takes longer, you cannot use controlled breathing anymore if you are under fire or suppressed, being suppressed now affects the player more, stamina affects weapon sway and your breath and tank functionality has been designed to make tank battles last longer. There is more than that, but that's just a few of the changes.

Oddly enough most of the changes to Realism Mode are many of the things I disliked about the game, so I for one am definitely going to be giving Red Orchestra 2 another try. On top of these two new modes and the revamped Realism Mode there is one new map, the one seen in the GOTY edition trailer above. Just about everything in the game has had some kind of change or tweak, including levels. Check out the 6,100 word change log in full here. They also released a developer diary that talks about many of the changes to the game, so check that out and check out this game this weekend while it is free. Thanks for checking this all out. For more take a look at the links after the video.