2016 is shaping up to be a great year for tactical strategy fans. XCOM 2 is on the way, with the Banner Saga 2 soon to follow, and now another tactical sequel will be dropping this year in the form of Door Kickers 2, a sequel to the 2014 tactics hit that put players in charge of SWAT teams tasked with taking down violent criminals. Announced earlier this year, Door Kickers 2: Task Force North, the game challenges players to take up a much more hefty threat - global terrorism.
Door Kickers 2 preserves the real time with pause gameplay of the original with a few additions for some extra tactical depth. Light and darkness now plays a role in the visibility of both your troopers and the enemy, and you can now command groups of soldiers and set the rules of engagement to make sure every action your men perform is just right. However, the players aren't the only ones getting buffs. Not only do you have to deal with deadly explosives such as RPGs and suicide bombers, but you're also going to have to distinguish the difference between a civilian and a tango before it's too late.
Naturally, with the new setting comes new gear. Along with the inevitable new slew of military-grade weapons like beltfed machine guns, you can expect the rangers in Task Force North to be able to deploy recon drones or search the dark with night vision goggles. In a surprising new addition, you won't have to do it alone either. Door Kickers 2 promises cooperative multiplayer, and the possibility of adversarial multiplayer will be explored later on in the year.
For those who enjoyed Door Kicker's surprisingly great modding scene, Door Kickers 2 is coming out with complete modding support, a better map editor, and even partial access to the Door Kickers 2 source code. With a Q4 2016 early access date on the horizon, there are plenty of reasons to be excited for another round in the kill house.
Quick Take
I really loved the original Door Kickers, so the fact that it's getting a sequel that seems this impressive already has me very excited. While Door Kickers was a bit shallow on the tactical options, Kill House Games seems committed to giving players a deeper tactical experience with the sequel. Now I just have to start counting the days...
