Five days of free Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45
by Christopher Grant 
{ Aug 2nd 2006 at 4:25PM }
We figured we'd hold onto this until you could actually get your hands on it ... so now, after 1:00PM PST on Wednesday, August 2nd, you can open up your Steam client, download Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45, and play the entire dubya-dubya-aye-aye squad-based multiplayer shooter for five whole days and spend exactly nothing! Idea being, once those five days are up, you're going to have a serious hankering to leave the files on your system and pony up the $24.95 asking price to unlock the thing and keep on playing. Anyone whose been playing this want to offer their feedback to the class?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
KR @ Aug 2nd 2006 4:55PM
I like this game a lot, but it's definitely not for everyone. Counter-Strike types will likely go running off into the hills after 5 minutes with this. Realism is the order of the day here...no crosshairs, easy death. Teamwork can help you here a lot, although I wouldn't expect to see much of that this week since it's going to have a ton of newbies playing.
If you can get the hang of it though, it's rewarding as hell to actually accomplish something. Since you have nothing to lose you may as well at least give it a shot.
JD @ Aug 2nd 2006 4:56PM
You can tell how closely I've been watching this one...When did Red Orchestra turn from a UT mod into a standalone game? Do you end up getting a copy of UT2004 with it?
I played the mod when it won the UT award. I wasn't all that impressed. They did an amazing job with the total conversion, but after playing BF1942 for a couple of years, I kinda felt like why bother.
I guess if I was a WWII buff, I'd probably be impressed. But I didn't have much fun sitting in a tank looking out a tiny slot with nothing much to do but press the forward button.
Cyport @ Aug 2nd 2006 5:10PM
Whoops, seems there's a small typo in the heading,
"osfront" is meant to be Ostfront :).
DeezNuts420 @ Aug 2nd 2006 5:31PM
Two words "Fresh Meat". With all the n00bs playing this week, the Veterans are enjoying Christmas early.
Hiro Protagonist @ Aug 2nd 2006 5:44PM
Whooo! Cannon fodder!
I love DoD, I get my WWII fix with style.
Boom! Headshot!
deathneo @ Aug 2nd 2006 6:07PM
" Two words "Fresh Meat". With all the n00bs playing this week, the Veterans are enjoying Christmas early."
I highly doubt that you'll encounter all "n00bs" for you to kill. You're probably gonna encounter the skilled "n00bs" who knows how to shoot but doesn't get the mechanics of the game I.E. taking objectives.
I don't see how this game is extremely hard to play. I'm used to the few shots you're dead and the no crosshairs iron sights situation taking objectives is like the Battlefield series just stay in the area for a bit till the area is capped..
Since I just tried it out, for a game claiming total realism the walking speed and running speed seems way to damn slow. And the Russian Anti-Tank rifle = the most useless anti-tank rifle there is(It's only good for taking down people not tanks). The Germans at least have the Panzefaust to kill armor if your far away from it enough for it to denonate. Artillery is basically useless. It doesn't spread out far enough, and it keeps hitting the same place for like 2 minutes(wishes it could change direction during the firing time). My only other gripe is the MG-34 with the 30-40 round magazines, making MG-34 useless to provide suppression fire because your gonna have to reload every damn time you decide to fire at someone at some distance. Oh and the control schemes is a little bit weird had to adjust it to my America's Army control settings so picking up and throwing weapons is alot easier.
I like the whole the gun is supported on the sandbag or the side of the wall thing. Shooting down someone is pretty satisfying. Melee'ing them down is pretty funny, bayonetting someone is even funnier. People that play DOD:S is can easily adjust to this game cept the pacing of course. Tank battles, hmm, not as fun as infantry battles rather just go Anti-tank and just blow them away since they have a hard time seeing.
In a nutshell Infantry battles fun,Tank battles not as fun(not unless you go anti-tank :p)
Rocky @ Aug 2nd 2006 7:06PM
Does the game feature roles? I.E. Medic, Covert Ops, etc.?
Core_12 @ Aug 2nd 2006 7:51PM
It looks like a decent game, if only I could actually download and try. Thanks to Steam, "the servers are currently too busy to handle any more preloads of Red Orchestra."
TeddyN @ Aug 2nd 2006 8:16PM
Go for it everyone! This game is great fun; keep at it and you will very quickly come to appreciate the inspired maps and absorbing gameplay, which never lets up in its feeling of authenticity. You may have heard complaints of the 'hardcore' requirement to enjoy this game, but I disagree entirely. I'm far from being the stereotypical 1337 FPS addict (my intense lack Counter Strike 'skillz' regularly causes more experienced players to combust on sight) but I have managed to loose myself entirely in the intensity of RO's large scale outdoor infantry battles. Probably one of the nicest things about RO, in my experience at least, has been the friendliness and cooperative atmosphere of most of the servers. Because it is a game which pitches itself at a more adult audience, I have found that those on the server have had a much more mature atmosphere. Razor-reflexes and mastery of the jump key alone will not get you to the top of this game, much to the chagrin of that obnoxious 12 year old that hijacked your CS/CoD2/UT2004/etc. experience last night.
I hope I have interested more people in the game by posting this then I have put off, but since this thing is free you don't have to take my word for it: just try it yourself!
See you out there, comrade товарищ ;)
TeddyN @ Aug 2nd 2006 8:23PM
@ number 8... roles are done differently from games like Battlefield 2; you do get to choose character classes though: for example you can be a tank driver which allows you to drive the tanks in the game. You can choose classes such as infantry, officer etc. which gives you access to different weapons, including ones less common to FPS games. There isn't the same arcadey feeling as BF2 though, since you don't have medics that can defribulate people or dish out magical lumps of healing goodness. The main difference is in the weapons you get. You still get a feeling of variety from changing classes though.
Eric @ Aug 2nd 2006 8:58PM
Cant download... servers are always too busy!! ARGGGG STEAM....I HATE YOU...
Ghost @ Aug 2nd 2006 9:24PM
I have my DoD source thank you very much.
KR @ Aug 3rd 2006 8:51AM
^^^This is nothing like DoD Source. Thankfully.
Zac @ Aug 3rd 2006 9:02AM
did anyone find that the constant blurred screen-shaking causes massive vertigo? or am i just too hung-over.
Huzzah!! @ Aug 3rd 2006 6:41PM
If anyone reads this... DO NOT DOWNLOAD THIS GAME!! It is AWFUL! The first mission had me going against armed tanks with either just ONE LONE person(No squad, it was JUST ME!). I could choose either a gun or an tank with NO WEAPONS. That is nothing like WWII.
Ahh I'd rather play Barbie's horse adventure than this! Or... SUPERMAN 64!
Chucker1 @ Aug 4th 2006 5:55PM
I have been playing this since the beginning. One of the best games ever created. Some people like reflex shoot em ups, some like games like WOW, or Donkey Kong or whatever suits them. This is meant to be a war simulation on the eastern front where you get exhausted from running, you jumps are very limited and all weapon projectiles (tank or rifle) act as ACTUAL projectiles in game. Not like Call of duty or BF2 (good games in their own right) where the server detects the hits. There is something physical (the bullet) that leaves the barrel and travels to its target! That means you have to lead your targets if they are moving etc. This is one of the most immersive games I have ever played. ON top of that, they chose to cast the game in a theatre that isnt touched upon very much. If you would have told me at age 15 (I am 36) that I would be playing a game like this, I would not have believed you.
Not to mention the support. This was created from scratch, has been constantly updated with new weapons and maps, and you will get constant support and free content after you buy. You really get the sense that this was created by people that really wanted this type of game.
Also, why bash a game? I dont get it. If its not your cup of tea, dont ridicule it. I admit, CS and DOD (The new ones anyway) and WOW are not my type of games, but I appreciate them, and know they are great for what they do. Also if its for FREE for almost a week, why not give it a week? I know of plenty of converts that say "hated the first time I played it. Loved it the second time". I know all these FPS games arent real to the real thing, but this is as close as I would like to get.