The Men of War community is, however, very passionate and knowledgeable, so you can get up to speed fairly quickly by browsing the forums or watching YouTube videos. This means you%26rsquo ll have to get some friends together or simply cross your fingers if you want to find matches against similarly skilled opponents. The lobbies aren%26rsquo t as populated as we hoped, and a lot of those inside are seasoned Men of War players. Unfortunately, online play can be prohibitively difficult for newcomers. There%26rsquo s also a ton (30-40 at the moment) of maps available, depending on the mode you choose. There%26rsquo s been an open beta since November, and as a result, the four modes are extremely balanced and refined. Multiplayer is the true focus of this title, and it%26rsquo s obvious. Even playing cooperatively with up to three friends will get boring after a short while, and you%26rsquo ll inevitably end up where Assault Squad really wants you to be %26ndash the multiplayer lobbies. The Frontlines mode is a duel divided into rounds one team attacks, and the other tries to defend then the attackers have to defend themselves in the next round. The game features four multiplayer modes in total.

You%26rsquo ll begin with a laughably small force and work your way up the map by capturing and holding objective points. Obviously, Men of War: Assault Squad for PC offers an opportunity to compete against other player as well.

Though the setting and units change for each mission, the objectives and general layout of the maps are virtually identical. Unfortunately the lone single-player mode (skirmish) feels almost like an afterthought. This unit versatility allows you to change strategies on the fly, meaning even the direst of combat situations can be spectacularly salvaged with some quick thinking and creativity. Your men can pick up weapons from fallen enemies, siphon fuel from crippled vehicles, and become ammo-toting mules no matter what class they%26rsquo re originally branded with. With a loot system rivaling Dragon Age or Diablo and character animations that more closely resemble Gears of War than StarCraft, each solider becomes a self-contained powerhouse. You%26rsquo ll need to meticulously micromanage almost every unit you control, and if you want to stay alive longer than five minutes, you%26rsquo ll need to seriously ramp up your average actions per minute (APM). The environments are destructible, the cover system is surprisingly varied, and the sheer number of ways you can go about some missions is frankly alarming.

What sets this game apart though - for better or worse - is the startling depth. As is the norm for any RTS game, you%26rsquo ll control the standard infantrymen, trucks, tanks, air strikes, etc. Assault Squad takes what was (and still is at less than two years old) the beautifully intricate WWII era RTS experience of the first Men of War and adds layers of graphical and technical polish.

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