Though the original Red Orchestra was available online as a freebie, an Unreal-based mod that proved to be a popular download, Tripwire Interactive's new Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45, is a full blown, ready-for-prime-time retail follow up that, nevertheless, has the decency to come market with 'value' pricing, boxed or downloaded via Steam.

But don't let the cheap price tag fool you; the game is so not cheap. It's absolutely fantastic, one of the best team-based multiplayer WW II shooters ever made. Sure, it lacks some of the user-friendliness of a more commercial game like Battlefield 1942, but it is so grimly faithful to the real conflict that it feels like you've signed up with the Wehrmacht or the Red Army.

The brutality of the fighting between the Germans and Soviets is captured on more than a dozen maps, covering everything from the siege of Stalingrad to the capture of the Reichstag in Berlin. Historically authentic, each scenario comes with a description of the actual battle on which it is based, and every farmhouse, wheat field, and bombed-out street is right where it was 60-some years ago (or it certainly seems that way).

To enhance this rigorous attention to detail, Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45 does away with most multiplayer shooter conventions. There are no crosshairs, no health and ammo packs, no graphics to separate friend from foe, and no super-powered tanks to egg on campers or griefers. This is not the third coming of Soldier of Fortune.

Here, the focus is squarely on pure squad-combat realism. Single shots can kill or cripple, thanks to location-specific damage. Soldiers can't run like sprinters, making cover crucial--tear around like you're deathmatching and you're toast. Too, vehicles move slowly, get stuck in muddy battlefields frequently, and even the mightiest Panzers are vulnerable to well-placed grenades.

It sounds more grueling than fun and may turn off many players just for that. However, even though Red Orchestra Ostfront 41-45 looks and feels like real war, the stripped-down style forces you to work with teammates, which is where you'll find its real appeal. Seizing a Russian village in concert with buddies (or strangers, as there are a lot of skilled people playing the game online at all hours), fighting like an organized squad of real soldiers is a lot more enjoyable than playing Sgt. Rocket Launcher and blasting everything that moves, arcade-style.

Also, it's not as if Tripwire just dumps you into the fray. An offline mode of play featuring computer-controlled allies and enemies lets you learn the controls, the style of play, and the maps (good thing too, as they're positively huge) before venturing online for real opposition.

Don't let Red Orchestra Ostfront 41-45's hardcore personality turn you off. It's certainly a challenging game with a measured pace that takes a while to ease into if you're more accustomed to run-and-gun shooters, but it's also a worthwhile one with that brings WW II alive with outstanding realism and battlefield teamwork.

• TIP: When in doubt, slow down, check the map, and think. Rushing headlong at enemy positions just gets you sent back to mom in a pine box. Take your time and try flanking foes or setting up plans with teammates.



• TIP: Even though you don't have videogame crosshairs, you do have iron sights on rifles. Play sniper and make use of these whenever possible.