Rising Storm 2: Vietnam has been creeping through the jungle all year long, sneaking up on us to become one of our favorite multiplayer shooters of the year—part of what we called the “FPS golden age,” no less. RS2 is one of few options for folks who want a game that handles between authenticity and fun, and the new update is bringing a lot more boom to the jungle party.
The Bushranger update goes live on Steam today, and to celebrate we’ve got 1,000 copies of Rising Storm 2 to give away. Since the update is free to anyone who owns the game, the keys are just for Rising Storm 2 itself, and you’ll get the Bushranger update automatically (starting November 28, 2017) once you activate your code on Steam. Enter your email below to receive a key. The first 1,000 entries will receive the game.
On to the update! Bushranger adds new units and weapons from Australia and New Zealand Army Corps (or ANZAC), three new maps, and the new titular helicopter, the Bushranger, Australia’s variant of the classic Huey gunship. All of it is designed to bring more of the Vietnam War to life—and, I suspect, to give the game’s player population a nice little boost without fracturing it.
Most Americans probably aren’t terribly aware that our southern-hemisphere friends were even involved in Vietnam, let alone the intricacies of their weapons load-outs. Without turning to Wikipedia for reference, here’s what you’ll get to play with: the L1A1 SLR and the L2A1 AR (variants on the FN FAL); the Owen and F1 SMGs; and the Browning Hi-Power.
One of the new maps, Long Tan, is a nighttime battle in pouring rain—and just typing that phrase totally stressed me out. A second map, Rung Sac, is set in Cần Giờ Mangrove Forest, an area that I know nothing about except that it’s a popular destination for speed boat tours these days. The third map, named Operation Forrest, is based on missions carried out by the 7th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment in 1967.
To help push the Bushranger update, Rising Storm 2: Vietnam is on sale for half-off on Steam today through December 1. I’m told there’s an official Discord server to check out if you’re short on friends to play with and a community modding contest if you’re short on $40,000 in cash prizes.
Like the World War 2–focused Red Orchestra series before it, Rising Storm 2 has benefitted a lot from Tripwire’s habit of releasing small, frequent updates to fix bugs, tweak balance issues, and add new content. It’s especially nice that the Australian/New Zealand contingent isn’t a separate DLC for purchase. If it was, fewer people would get to enjoy the Australian character model’s new tattoo options, which include a pissed-off looking kangaroo scowling with a knife in each paw. If the new weapons and maps don’t convince you to check this thing out, then please: do it for Knife Kangaroo, the world’s most dangerous marsupial.
If you want to check out Knife Kangaroo for free, don’t forget about that key giveaway. We’ve got 1,000 free copies to give away here, and it’s first-come, first-served. If you don’t win a key, the game will be on Steam for 50% off from now until December 1. Good luck out there.
Sponsored by Tripwire