RUNNING WITH RIFLES: PACIFIC DLC

Like the Edelweiss DLC, I enjoyed this one immensely, my first play through of it was on the usmc side, with a custom difficulty that would be a mix of medium/hard and it took around 12/14 ish hours to complete the campaign. The maps are all well done and varied for the environments, the new weapons were all enjoyable to play around with. I look forward to running through this again as the IJA. If you're on the fence about buying this dlc and/or edelweiss, I would say just buy em and jump in as I did if you enjoy ww2 themed content and realize that you can make the difficulty in the game an utter cakewalk, or cranked up to a ptsd simulator.

All the fun of the base game, but in a WW2 context. Enjoy playing as 1 of 2 factions, with a whole variety of WW2 era specific weapons and vehicles to choose from. The sounds have all been tweaked to give an authentic historical feel. Once you get to experience a banzai charge, you will know the reasonable price of this DLC was money well spent.

I finally decided on buying this DLC after having doubt about purchasing it for a while. Its really fun! It expands on what was already good about the base game and adds some new elements. For example, in the first mission as the USMC, you have to defend your outposts against waves of Japanese soldiers. This defending felt like some much needed change of pace. If you liked the base game, I would definitely recommend getting this expansion, even only just to support the devs (I feel almost guilty for buying it for less then 5 bucks). But besides that, I think you will have a lot of fun with it too :)

Had its issues at launch but has now in my opinion become a requirement to play RWR adds a ton more to do with great maps and weapons. more people need to come back and redo their reviews to get this great DLC into the positive.

Hey, devs? So when you give one side tanks, you kinda need to give the other side tanks, too. Or Anti tank weapons that do more than 10%hp per hit

Disclaimer: Base game is amazing don't pass on the game because of the dlc I like a lot about the dlc, but the map balance and ai are so terrible that it takes away all the fun parts of the game. you will be fully focused on going behind enemy lines to capture bases because your ai companions are too busy defending what you have taken. I am currently stuck in a back and forth that has been going on for about 6 hours. There is blood everywhere.... so much blood.... but yeah i'm not a huge fan of these drawn out battles and that is all this dlc has to offer for gameplay unfortunately. Edit: Although the above statements are all true, I will say that I changed my tactic and have been able to press through two more maps since i originally posted this review. This dlc is EXTREMELY objective based. Reducing the enemy force capacity is really important and as soon as I started destroying enemy coastal batteries, jammers, and water tanks the battles became much easier.

I've beaten the vanilla RWR game with difficulties turned up past their values on "Hard", so when I say the Pacific Expansion is unbeatable solo, know that it isn't for lack of skill or familiarity with the game. The devs themselves admitted that they built the Pacific game for co-op, though that fact isn't shared anywhere on the store page for it. Apparently everyone who wants to play it on their own can go fuck themselves. If you only play co-op, then it might be good. If you prefer to play your single-player game as a single-player though, then you aren't going to enjoy it. Even more grating than that though is the sheer bullshit that some of the AI pulls off. Apparently swinging a sword is not only a viable tactic on a modern battlefield, but it also somehow makes you magically immune to 99% of all bullets fired at you. The developers seem to think that the katana is some magical lightsaber+force field sort of item. So even if you get it for the co-op game, you'll still be calling bullshit on ridiculous shit like that. In short, they took a neat idea for a generally pretty good game, and then did everything they could to make it as unfun as possible. Vanilla RWR is fine still, but Pacific is a piece of garbage.

This is a just a disappointment. As a disclaimer, of the time of writing this review, I have only completed the IJA campaign but have made only slight progress with the USMC (more on that later). I think the dlc definitely has potential; they added in new vehicles, weapons, and maps which are able to run perfectly on my potato computer. I never experienced a drop in frames during the campaign / quick matches, and the game saves quite frequently. The dlc makes you work with your squad, which can be difficult in the beginning when you have none, but quite interesting later on. It also fixes trenches (a bane to most maps in the base game) allowing for you to shoot over them instead of into the walls themselves. But there are reasons why the thumb mark above this text is red and pointing down: [h1] 1. The Capture Points: [/h1] RwR has always been difficult and, as a potential masochist, that brings a certain amount of appeal. But something seems to be different about the capture points in Pacific. In order to capture bases, your team needs to have around a 2/3 numbers advantage over your enemy. A countdown timer counts down for 10 seconds (or 25 seconds for the last enemy base on the map) and if your team can maintain that majority for long enough, you capture the base. One of the qualities I like about the game is the amount of bots per match. But it seems like even a small enemy squad can completely reset the countdown timer by pushing the margin by the smallest of margins. There have been times where the timer actually reached zero, only to be reset by three IJA bois who managed to wipe out a flank with four times their numbers; buying enough time for a wave of enemy reinforcements to arrive and push us out. This issue will also be covered later. All of that is frustrating, but bearable. What isn`t bearable is what happens next. You see, in the base game, you win when you capture all of the enemy bases on the map. Not so! In Pacific, you then have to [u] hold [/u] the bases for five minutes against infinitely spawning enemies FOR FIVE MINUTES. Since this is a dlc for a game, I assume most of you know how painfully obtuse the friendly AI can be. They scatter in the face of the enemy, managing not only to forever dishonor themselves and their families, but lose some base on the other side of the map. The loss of a base, even for a hot second, completely resets the FIVE MINUTE timer. The developers should either allow for a grace period (like overtime) for you to recapture the base, or get rid of the holding phase entirely. [h1] 2. Maps & Map Design [/h1] All of the maps are near carbon copies of real life islands where battles were fought. I won`t spoil them, but I will say this: [u] THERE IS NO MAP FOR THE BATTLE OF OKINAWA [/u] I don`t know why they left out one of the most famous and bloody battles in the entire pacific theater, but I am not impressed. However, they did replace in with probably the second greatest map in the dlc, so I will let it slide this time. For both sides (but mainly the USMC) there is a big jump in difficulty from the first map: [spoiler] Guadalcanal [/spoiler] and the second: [spoiler] Russell Islands [/spoiler]. The first being a genuinely fun map, possibly the best in the dlc, and the second being a catastrophe. Your bois will be picked off and destroyed before they can even secure a point, with enemies even making it to your spawn point and killing you there. The problem is the design on the maps themselves. All of the maps, with the exception of [spoiler] Guadalcanal [/spoiler] and [spoiler] Operation Downfall [/spoiler] are island maps, where you launch off of amphibious vehicles (which don`t work) and capture a beach-head (which is dictated only by the will of the AI), then progress onwards. Some of the maps are long and snaky, exactly like their real-life counterparts, which unfortunately allows for enemies to easily reinforce their positions and camp you from trenches (which they can now fire over). In other maps, the maps are so wide, enemy pockets can sneak by your lines and capture your bases; bases which your bots never actually garrison with more than five men. I have mixed feelings about the trenches and forts on the maps. Sometimes the AI possessed inhuman reaction times, shooting at bots they should not be able to see. However, since the player can also see all enemies at once, this can be excused. Some of the main features added in Pacific, and advertised in the trailers shown above, are Pillboxes and Artillery. While these are both nice, you almost never use the latter. Rather, you can get one shot off before someone with a rifle sees your character sitting still in a chair waiting for his cannon to decide that it is ready to fire again, and takes the easiest shot of his imperialist life. As for pillboxes, [I] using [/I] them is nicer than a cool breeze on an autumn day, but facing them is a more daunting task. This is understandable, because it is literally a slab of concrete with a hole in the middle, but perhaps they are a bit too powerful. The only effective way to take them down is with Pacific`s version of the Rocket launcher, which varies with each faction but essentially behaves the same as in the base game. For some reason, your bots never carry this weapon (or don`t use it at the very least). Even when you manage to get a shot off under a hail of fire, it only does 25 percent damage. Sometimes it does less. Dying four times in order to take out one pillbox is not fun, I assure you. Speaking of things that take far too many shots to kill... [h1] 3. Vehicles [/h1] Vehicles in this game are like your uncles: You never notice them when their gone, but you will [I] feel [/I] them where they`re there. What I am trying to say is that they need a drastic overhaul. Earlier, I mentioned that the game`s version of a rocket launcher (for the USMC it`s basically a grenade tried to the barrel for rifle some reason) is too scarce and too weak. I also mentioned how it takes four or possibly more shots to down a pillbox. But imagine if a pillbox could move, crush people, and also had a small artillery piece tied to the front. That`s essentially what tanks are like in the game. If you want the full experience of what it`s like to fight them, read the block of text about pillboxes in the earlier section, but replace pillbox with vehicle. The game also adds in a variety of usable boats, although these are just re-skinned models from the base game. There`s a Higgins boat, which theoretically acts as a mobile spawn point, as well as an armory boat, however the AI likes to sit in the drivers seat and take a prolonged nap. I`ve never actually seen a group of bots get into a Higgins boat, and land on the beach, which would be quite an awesome and immersive sight. Instead, for the island maps, you have to swim while under small arms and pillbox fire (but rarely artillery for some reason). I know this doesn`t really relate to vehicles, but the IJA seems to have more favorable landing spots than the USMC. Unfortunately I cannot prove this, because my USMC campaign has been stuck on the second map for ages. Other than that, there`s the standard U.S. jeep and a classy civilian sedan for the IJA. [h1] Overall [/h1] I think what disappoints me most is that there are loads of WWII mods in the workshop that provide an equal amount of entertainment. I think OVERLORD and WELTKREIG even have new maps, but it has been a while since I played with mods so a citation is needed. It`s just a shame to see interesting features be used in such small portions; overshadowed by minor annoying grievances. In my opinion, the only way to have fun is the play as the IJA. I think, throughout my entire playthrough, I only saw ONE USMC vehicle, and it was hijacked by other men of the Emperor`s finest. I can remember taking part in huge banzai charges, and having fun. Coming from an American, that means a lot.

REVIEWER BACKGROUND: I have well over 200 hours in the base game and I consider it one of the best games I have played (and I have been playing Shooters since Goldeneye in 1997). So I'm starting from a positive predisposition to RWR:Pacific. PRESENTATION: The aesthetics are perfect for the game. They have a minimalist, no-frills, "army man" vibe that keeps you focused on the rampant, unceasing action. But I recommend you turn off the grass, especially if you have a potato computer like I do. GAMEPLAY: RWR:Pacific is a top-down tactical shooter. You pick your weapon loadouts and work with your squad to make progress against a tenacious enemy. Cover, flanking, and recoil management are the bread and butter of your gameplay. But aside from that, Pacific is different from RWR in ways that will be polarizing to many players. Many players (myself included) enjoyed the RPG-esque aspects of the base game. Combined with powerful modern guns and incredibly varied maps, they let you truly pick your path on the battlefield, and added gargantuan amounts of replay value. Most of that is gone in Pacific. The guns are not as powerful, the maps are all trench-heavy islands, and battles consist of colliding conscript masses. The trade-off is that you get a deep, well-done portrayal of the Pacific Theater (added scripting makes battles more sophisticated). And of course, it feels much more satisfying to kill a man with an M1 Garand rather than slaughtering masses with an AKS-74U. But I personally prefer the base game, hands down. REPLAY VALUE: High. But less than the base game, by almost an order of magnitude. The best way I can put it: imagine if every map in the base game was a variation of Frozen Canyon. That's essentially Pacific. Don't get me wrong, it's fun. And I think that ceteris paribus, a tactical experience in Pacific is better and more satisfying than a similar one in RWR. But RWR has just so many more experiences. GENERAL: Your reaction to this game will depend on what you personally value in shooter, and what you liked about RWR. I enjoyed the RPG aspects and the wide variety of experiences, so I did not enjoy Pacific as much as others. But many other players (most, judging from my experience in the chat) disagree with me, and prefer Pacific. Either way, this game is a steal at $10, and I recommend you buy it. At worst, you will get a fun, gameplay experience for a few dozen hours. At best, this expansion can eat up hundreds of hours of your life. RECOMMENDED.

Oh god where should I start... I've been playing RWR for over 600 hours and this DLC makes me feel like I'm reliving my first few hours of the game. Challenginig. Chaotic. Pure fun. First, the maps in the DLC are just simply amazing. They all have different objectives, ranging from destroying enemy artillery guns to defending waves upon waves of enemies until they push you back to your last base. The map selections are also diverse and very distinct, feature classics like Iwo Jima. You can also tell the detail that has been put to making the maps immersive, challenging, and balanced. The maps also have many emplacements that both players and AI alike can you. Mortars rain hell from the sky. Pillboxes, a pain in the ***, provide a challenge that often requires teamwork in order to lessen casualties. There's also the usual machine guns and etc. Did I forget to mention that there's coastal guns? FREAKING COASTAL GUNS. Each shot from it is earth shaking and definitely grabs the attention of anyone in a 100 meter radius of a shot. There no way you can talk about RWR without mentioning the AI. As always, the AI always puts up a challenge, and every time I kill them, I feel some sort of personal triumph even after playing rwr for so long. The AI in Pacific always keep you on edge, focused, and on your feet. Flamethrower wielding AI have way more health and charge headfirst into enemies, always managing to incinerate a couple of players in the process. Banzai charges lead by katana wielding officers tend to sow chaos and distruction in tight knit groups. AI's can also call in radio strikes against you, so those enticing trenches can often become a shallow grave. RWR Pacific also doesn't skimp out on weapons. Each side has their iconic weapons, such as the M1 Garand, Type 99, Thompson, MP34, flamethrowers, katanas, bayonets. Reminds me of Rising Storm's collection of weapons, which is a great thing. There's also many vehicles, ranging from tanks to patrol boats. Tanks are especially fun, you feel invincible in them, until it takes a couple of well placed rockets and grenades. Tanks are also fun because you can sit on the back of them and shoot from there. What makes RWR Pacific most fun, is definitely the online co-op. I played four hours straight in multiplayer today before I realized I should take a break XD. Online co-op is also really rewarding, since you're working with up to 23 other people to defeat countless enemies[spoiler](and you can blame your failures on them ;) )[/spoiler]. Well, I think I covered most of what I needed to... (I might update this review as I spend more time playing it or if there's some glaring mistakes). Time to play more Pacific! TL;DR: Great DLC, you won't regret it.