Door Kickers 2: Task Force North Review Summary

A top-tier tactical CQB sequel with great mod support, but limited enemy, faction, and weapon variety makes it grow stale over time.

Highly praised tactical strategy game: Reviewers consistently describe the game as great, fun, and unique, with many highlighting its tactical and strategic depth. It is considered one of the best in its class and a standout title for tactics enthusiasts.

Top-tier CQB gameplay experience: The game is celebrated as a unique and authentic CQB (close-quarters battle) experience, offering intricate control and a hardcore, sandbox-style approach. It stands out among tactical shooters for its realistic portrayal of CQB.

Great value for the price: Reviewers feel the game offers good value for its price, with some even saying it is underpriced for the content provided. It is considered well worth purchasing.

Superior sequel to predecessor: The game is widely seen as a major improvement over DoorKickers 1, with richer content, more features, better graphics, and quality-of-life upgrades. Reviewers note it builds on everything good about the first game and surpasses it in every way.

Excellent mod support and workshop: Players praise the extensive mod support, especially through the Steam Workshop, which adds fun content, custom maps, and quality-of-life fixes. The workshop is expansive and significantly enhances replayability and immersion.

Lack of enemy and faction variety: Enemies and factions lack variety, which contributes to repetitive gameplay and reduces long-term interest. Players cited a narrow set of opponents and only three factions.

Insufficient weapon variety: Players report that weapons within classes are mostly reskins or minor subtypes, especially for ranger weapons, which lack uniqueness. This leads to sticking with the first good weapon and reduces build diversity.

Game becomes boring: The gameplay is monotonous and fails to hook players for long, with reports of boredom setting in after about 30 hours. This is a common complaint that suggests content repetition and lack of engagement.

Enemy AI not improved: Enemy AI is considered no smarter than the first game, with instances of dumb behavior. This diminishes tactical depth and challenge.

Slow update pace: Developers are slow to release updates, with long waits between patches and a perceived lack of responsiveness. This frustration is amplified by minimal community communication.

Tactical strategy game genre: The game is consistently described as a tactical military strategy game with top-down, real-time tactics and pause functionality. It emphasizes strategic planning and tactical depth across its core gameplay.

Close quarters battle focus: The gameplay emphasizes CQB mechanics, including clearing corners, spacing, and breaching. Authentic close-quarters tactics are central to the experience, similar to Rainbow Six Siege with wall breaching charges.

Squad-based tactical operations: Players control squads of soldiers through missions and campaigns, with distinct classes and faction roles. The game requires detailed squad coordination and offers tactical progression with doctrine points.

Workshop and mod support: The game supports Steam Workshop and modding, with community-made maps, units, and other content. Full modding tools allow customization of units, sounds, and maps, significantly extending game life.

In-game mission editor: An in-game mission editor or mission maker allows players to create custom missions. This feature enhances replayability and supports user-generated content.

Overall performance and optimization praised: Reviewers note the game is well optimized, runs flawlessly, and performs comfortably on average setups. This is supported by multiple clusters emphasizing smooth performance on various systems.

AMD crashes during missions: One review reports frequent crashes under AMD hardware during missions. This could be a hardware-specific issue affecting stability on AMD GPUs or CPUs.

Steam Deck optimization lacking: One review notes that Steam Deck optimization is lacking, suggesting the game may not run as well on the handheld device. This could affect performance or usability on Steam Deck.

Runs on laptops and Mac: Feedback indicates the game runs well on laptops, including Mac systems. This broadens accessibility for users with non-desktop setups.

GRU mod causes instant crashes: A review states that using the GRU mod crashes the game instantly. This likely points to a compatibility or bug issue with that specific mod.

Perfect for CQB fans: Players who enjoy close-quarters battle tactics will find this game highly appealing. Reviewers specifically highlight its tactical depth and military realism, making it a must-play for CQB enthusiasts.

Great for strategy lovers: The game is strongly recommended for fans of strategy, tactical, and military genres. Its combination of strategic planning and tactical execution appeals to a broad audience of strategy gamers.

Must-have for tactical fans: The game is described as a must-have for anyone who enjoys tactical combat and squad-based gameplay. Its tactical elements are praised as a core strength.

Highly recommended overall: Many reviewers give the game an unqualified recommendation, stating they strongly recommend it without hesitation. This reflects a generally positive reception among players.

Perfect score from reviewers: Some reviewers award the game a perfect 10/10 score, recommending it to everyone. This indicates exceptional quality and broad appeal.

Community fair range: $10.00 - $15.00.

Game completion: 100.0h.

Door Kickers 2 has a steep learning curve and can be overwhelming in the first few hours, but once players master the controls and tactics, it becomes highly addictive and rewarding.

Reported time to anchor: 3h.

Friction: steep learning curve; complex command system; clunky controls; frustrating trial-and-error replay; overwhelming first hours; brutal punishment for mistakes.

Unlock drivers: persistence through early failures; experience from repeated play; mastering the basic controls; understanding tactical principles; completing the training missions.

Tactical Strategist: Methodical, uses pause and slow-motion, coordinates multiple units. Motivation: To create and execute perfect tactical plans. Stance: buy.

Co-op Enthusiast: Collaborative, often improvised, uses real-time markers and communication. Motivation: To share tactical challenges and laughs with friends. Stance: buy.

Ironman Veteran: Cautious, risk-aware, uses ironman mode exclusively. Motivation: To test tactical skills under permanent consequences. Stance: buy.

Lower and mid-range VRAM hardware generally runs the game well, while high-end 16GB+ VRAM systems suffer from severe stability issues including crashes and freezes.

Windows <8GB VRAM / <16GB RAM: positive. Most users report the game runs well, with one mention of slight lag.

Windows <8GB VRAM / 16-31GB RAM: positive. Only positive feedback received, no performance issues reported.

Windows 8-11GB VRAM: positive. User reports no performance issues at all.

Steam Deck: The game runs well technically on Steam Deck, but its control scheme is not optimized for the device, leading to a frustrating experience that may require manual configuration or community layouts. Performance is praised, but the lack of controller support creates friction.

Linux and Proton: User feedback consistently reports excellent performance on Steam Deck (SteamOS/Linux), with no complaints about crashes, glitches, or required workarounds. The game runs out of the box through Proton.

Monetization: User reviews indicate that the game is a one-time purchase with no microtransactions, no DLC, and a continuous free update model. The sole financial complaint is about the base price being overpriced, which does not constitute predatory monetization. Some players even request paid DLC, highlighting the absence of such content.

Sequel surpasses original game: Reviewers consistently note that the game improves upon its predecessor in nearly every aspect, including graphics, controls, and gameplay depth. This sentiment appears across multiple clusters, indicating strong approval of the sequel's evolution.

Strong modding community support: The game's modding ecosystem is highly praised, with active community contributions, extensive mod support, and the ability to significantly alter gameplay. This significantly enhances replayability and is a major draw for players.

Positive comparison to Door Kickers 1: Most reviewers agree that this sequel is better than the original Door Kickers, citing improved mechanics, graphics, and additional features like new weapons. The upgrade is seen as a natural and welcome evolution.

Steam Workshop integration praised: The game's Steam Workshop support is highlighted as a key feature, providing players with easy access to custom maps, missions, and mods. The workshop community is described as very active and adds substantial content.

Map editor and creation tools: The inclusion of a fully functional map editor is appreciated, allowing players to create and share their own maps. This community-driven content creation further extends the game's longevity.