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All we waited for was one word: ... Attack!

World in Conflict: Soviet Assault is a real-time strategy game released by Massive Entertainment and Ubisoft that was released on March 2009. It is the expansion pack to the game World in Conflict, and features six missions for the Soviet side, whom the players were unable to control during the campaign of the first game. The game was also planned to be released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, but was later discarded due to not meeting standards of Massive.[2]

Soviet Assault features 6 new campaign missions and 2 new multiplayer maps. The missions are integrated within the original campaign. In the Soviet campaign, the players will be able to take control of a Soviet lieutenant named Romanov, who is under command of Colonel Vladimir Orlovsky. During Romanov's quest, Captain Nikolai Malashenko and Major Valerie Lebedjev will aid him to take over the world.

Plot

1988, driven to the brink of economic collapse from the Cold War, the Soviet Union demands aid from NATO, as the negotiations drag with no avail, the world begins to fear of another world war. In June 1989, the Soviet Union declares war when Spetznaz forces infiltrate and destroy US anti-air emplacements in West Berlin before the full-scale invasion (and World War III) commences. The GSFG units in East Berlin, led by Colonel Orlovsky and his subordinates Lieutenant Romanov and Captain Malashenko, blast through the Berlin Wall and destroy the US 6th Armored Battalion.[3] Months later, Soviet forces launch a surprise invasion of Seattle and Orlovsky and his forces are tasked with pacifying the countryside.[4] Guerrilla fighters begin harassing Soviet forces and they respond with an attack on the guerrilla commanders. The guerrilla leader is captured but Orlovsky reprimands a vengeful Malashenko, who is caught before he can massacre American civilians.[5]

Going back months earlier, a stalemate in the fighting between the USSR and NATO results in Orlovsky's battalion being given the task to raid a Norwegian early warning base, which would open up a corridor for the Soviet Air Forces to fly combat missions against Western Europe. After the attack, Orlovsky and his men learn that a NATO task force made an incursion into the Soviet Union near Murmansk.[6] Orlovsky's forces return to the Soviet Union and defend a POW camp from a NATO attack force. Here, Malashenko receives grave news that his wife and daughter were killed in a NATO raid. He also states his disdain over the Soviet government and its agencies' lies to the Army over enemy statistics, becoming increasingly infuriated at the lack of progress and desires to take matters into his own hands.[7]

The events return to the aftermath of the US nuclear strike on Cascade Falls, which stopped a Soviet force advancing on Fort Teller. The Red Army retreat from Cascade Falls back towards Seattle to prepare for the inevitable US counterattack. Romanov is given command of Frontal Aviation assets to protect a convoy of wounded Soviet troops. Malashenko kills Orlovsky for ordering all Soviet troops in the area to return to the USSR instead of holding the line at Seattle. Major Lebedjev assumes command of the remaining Soviet forces, as they hold off a massive American attack. He realizes, like Orlovsky before him, that Seattle cannot be held and evacuates all forces under his command. A deluded Malashenko, however, proceeds for Seattle where he is sure to meet certain death.[8]

Development

Soviet Assault was going to be released in Q4 2008 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 as a stand-alone game, and for Windows-based PCs as an expansion pack. However, the console versions developed by Swordfish Studios were cancelled.[2]

On July 29, 2008, Sierra dropped World in Conflict: Soviet Assault, among other games from their productions, putting the game's future in question.[9]

On August 6, 2008, Sierra Massive Entertainment was put up for sale.[10] On November 11 of the same year, Massive was acquired by Ubisoft.[11]

Distribution

The expansion was delivered through two methods: online download and retail. There are two retail versions, with one consisting of the expansion only, with another, called World in Conflict: Complete Edition, containing the original game and the Soviet Assault expansion. The online download only contains the Soviet Assault expansion and is designed for players who already have the original game.

All the multiplayer content released for Soviet Assault (new maps) is available free of charge to the World in Conflict community via Massgate.

Reception

Reviews for Soviet Assault were mixed: IGN gave the game a 7.8/10 saying: "If you liked World in Conflict, then this game won't disappoint. But if you've had enough of the original, you're not missing out on that much if you pass on Soviet Assault."[12] GameSpot was harsher with a 4.5/10: "The new content in this World in Conflict expansion is short and not so sweet."[13]

Media

Screenshots (Xbox 360)

Videos

Cinematic trailers

In-game trailers

Miscellaneous

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 [MSV]Gearhead (27 February 2009). "WiC: Complete and Soviet Assault Details" (archived). Massgate Forums. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Arnroth, Thomas (28 January 2009). "Svenska Massive skrotar konsolprojekt" (archived) (in Swedish). IDG. Retrieved 25 May 2011.
  3. Massive Entertainment, World in Conflict: Soviet Assault. Mission 1: "Liberation!".
  4. Massive Entertainment, World in Conflict: Soviet Assault. Mission 2: "Harvest".
  5. Massive Entertainment, World in Conflict: Soviet Assault. Mission 3: "Insurgents".
  6. Massive Entertainment, World in Conflict: Soviet Assault. Mission 4: "Lightning Strike".
  7. Massive Entertainment, World in Conflict: Soviet Assault. Mission 5: "For the Motherland".
  8. Massive Entertainment, World in Conflict: Soviet Assault. Mission 6: "Fratricide".
  9. Pattison, Narayan (29 July 2008). "Activision Drops Several Vivendi Games" (archived). IGN. Retrieved 24 March 2009.
  10. Thang, James (6 August 2008). "Massive Sell Off" (archived). IGN. Retrieved 13 August 2008.
  11. Lee, James (11 November 2008). "Ubisoft acquires Massive Entertainment". GameIndustry.biz. Retrieved 11 November 2008.
  12. Onyett, Charles (16 March 2009). "World in Conflict: Soviet Assault Review". IGN. Retrieved 15 April 2010.
  13. Todd, Brett (8 April 2009). "World in Conflict: Soviet Assault Review". GameSpot. Retrieved 15 April 2010.

External links

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