‘Door Kickers 2: Task Force North’ is the sequel to RockPaperShotgun’s best tactics game of 2014, ‘Door Kickers’. Developed and produced by KillHouse Games, ‘Door Kickers 2’ brings you the best in tactical close-quarters gameplay against the Middle East-based terrorist network. Door Kickers 2 had me on the edge of my seat, using all my available brain power to navigate and neutralise the targets while not losing my entire team.

Set in Nowheraki, in the Middle East, you must command military Spec Ops teams in somewhat interesting, top-down tactical combat against a terrorist network. Real-time and pausable gameplay allows players to stop, think and adjust their strategies as the action happens. When I first saw the trailer, I thought it was a turn-based game, but I was wrong. Any approach is viable in Task Force North; with destructible environments, nothing stands in your way of defeating the bad guys.

The controls take a bit to get used to. Simply dragging from your trooper draws a path your character will follow and fire at enemies automatically without pressing additional buttons or keys. Left-click and shift allow your character to aim at a specified point and pivot around it or left-click and right-click to cycle aim modes.

There are heaps of other combinations and abilities to help you complete your mission, but again, it takes time to get the hang of things, which frustrated me. This doesn’t take away from the game, as Task Force North still provides a fun time for those obsessed with tactical and strategic shooters.

Door Kickers 2: Task Force North has many campaigns, maps, random map generation and even workshop support, so you can add anything your heart desires to amplify your experience further. Scrolling through the menus, you will find something called the ‘Doctrine’. Doctrine is a skill tree for your team, including upgrades for your handguns, rifles, and support, to name a few.

Task Force North was quite enjoyable despite my lacklustre skill and commanding abilities. This game presents a slight challenge to newcomers to this gameplay style, but as evident in the community, it has a certain endearment and charm. With an online co-op of up to four people, you can also plan the perfect strats with friends or die in a miserable rain of bullets.

The graphics in Door Kickers 2 deserve an honourable mention. Once again, the game’s graphics exceeded my expectations compared to the trailer. Vivid pastels throughout the game provide intense emotion when in the heat of battle. Even the blood splatter and explosions were done in great detail, which was unexpected from a top-down shooter.

Crisp, clean gunshots, explosions and even shattered glass were superb. Task Force North excelled in the sound department, which is vital for a tactical shooter. Even the soundtrack is intense and action-filled for those high-impact moments as you storm through a building, clearing each room.

Door Kickers 2: Task Force North is a good little title for those avid tactical and strategic gamers. Thanks to action-packed missions, many upgrades, crisp sounds, workshop support and clean graphics, this game exceeded my expectations of what I was signing up for. Commanding your squad is easy, but executing a well-thought-out plan is another challenge to test your skills.

Written by: Larry