Me and my team enter a two story building overlooking a village. Upon exiting the balcony, we come under heavy fire from enemies in a building further down. We have a decent vantage point, but can't see the enemies hiding behind walls. I take position on the balcony, and send my team down to secure the building. It's dangerous, but under the cover of the crowded village they make it safely. With the enemies now focused on my team, I am free to cover them. As the team reaches the entrance to the building, an enemy pops his head out of the window to fire at them. Splat. I land a direct hit, right in the face, enemy down. My team breaches the building. But wait, as they enter the building another enemy flanks them and attempts to enter behind them. Splat 2. Another direct hit, this time to the torso, takes the enemy down. My team secure the building safely, no casualties on our side. It's moments like this that really show off the how much fun Red River can be. It's not always this good, long periods sat in transport vehicles being shouted at are a lowlight, but when it is good, it's really good. This is a tactical shooter, few of which exist on the console, so it's a little different from the standard COD, battlefield fare. You are in charge of a team of 3 soldiers, and must use tactics and commands to achieve your goals. What's nice is how useful your AI team mates are. Its so common in games nowadays to have AI teammates that do absolutely nothing. You are shooting a group of enemies with your team mates and take cover after getting shot, when you pop back up 15 seconds later, your AI team mates have killed 0 enemies. Having such helpful teammates makes you want to utilise them, and working out strategies to take down heaving fortified enemy positions is an absolute joy. There are quite a lot of people who do not enjoy this game, and would be surprised at my praise. I think its safe to say that I regard this game as underrated. I do totally understand the detractors. Firstly, tactical shooters are not for everyone. They can be a bit slow, difficult and require patience. Additionally, in Red River we have a much dumbed down version of the operation flashpoint series, and I am sure long term fans may find it a bit lightweight. For me though, it really strikes a nice balance between accessibility and authenticity, and I think it's definitely one of the more interesting shooters on the system. Worth a try for sure.

Reviewed on Dec 14, 2023


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