Even on easy difficulty, this game is punishing on just about every level imaginable. The game throws you into the first mission without anything even resembling a tutorial. For some games, that wouldn’t be a big deal. Not so for MoW:RT; the game not only dispenses with a traditional RTS control scheme, but nearly every gameplay mechanic is so ridiculously detailed and nuanced it takes hours just to get comfortable.

The story is based on true events. The emphasis the game places on historical realism is evident throughout – the opening cut scene is almost fifteen minutes of historical World War II footage, and a lot of the dialogue appears to have been lifted from authentic sources.

You are given control of the Black Coats, otherwise known as the Soviet Marines. You’ll battle through several of the key battles in the Black Sea campaigns during WWII. The setting is different enough from the typical WWII game that it doesn’t feel like a recycled Company of Heroes, and there’s just something charming about controlling a bunch of little guys who respond to your commands in Russian.

Red Tide lands squarely in the “Polish is for n00bs” category. This is no Company of Heroes, with every graphical and interface detail lovingly polished to perfection. This is a game where even deciphering the heads-up display (HUD) takes dedication and a read-through of the manual. The graphics are adequate, but nothing to write home about. Same story with animations and writing. What voice acting the game contains is generally awful.

But don’t get me wrong – the rough edges do not ruin this game. The lack of polish almost feels deliberate, as if the game is saying “if you’re looking for an easy game, go boil your head.” For those with enough patience to stick with it past the baptism-of-fire opening mission will discover layers of realism and nuance built into just about everything.

Not only do you have direct control over your soldiers’ posture (upright, crouching, or prone) and stance (weapons free, return fire, hold fire), but also each individual man’s inventory, health status and equipped weapon. You can even tell them when to reload their gun; control exactly where they move and fire using a pseudo third person action control system; tell them to walk or sprint; and the list goes on.

That’s not even getting into the huge variety of different weapons, ammo types, vehicles, artillery and armor you can mess around with. The game is astoundingly deep; each play session brings some new facet to the surface. It’s the kind of experience that stays in your mind even when you’re not playing, an attribute of the best games.

However, it’s not without its issues. The AI appears to be a casualty of the detailed control system, making it a very bad idea to leave your troops to their own devices for any length of time. Enemies are also given to odd behavior on occasion.

The punishing, ridiculous difficulty could also be considered a problem unless you’re really into trial-and-error gameplay. I played on the easiest difficulty setting thinking that it would be the fastest way to get through the game – it turned out to be the only way to get through the game, period. I strongly suspect the other difficulty settings are actually the seventh and eighth circles of hell. This is not a game for the faint of heart or the easily discouraged.

To wrap this up, I give this game a qualified recommendation. Anyone looking for a hardcore, realistic WWII simulation will find lots to love here, as long as they don’t mind getting over the quirks. The game is deep, layered and provides a very satisfying sense of accomplishment once your finally meet its demands.

On the other hand, if you’re looking for a pick-up-and-play game, or if you swear by Command & Conquer, you’re going to want to look elsewhere to get your itch scratched, because Men of War: Red Tide won’t scratch it as much as rip it open and watch it bleed out.

Jerod Jarvis is an independent gaming journalist and founder of Duality Games. He maintains gaming columns for The Washington Times Communities and for The Outpost. When not blogging madly about games, he freelances for the Spokesman-Review in his hometown of Spokane, Washington and attends school at Whitworth University. Check out his presence on Facebook and Twitter to stay up on Duality Games updates and the inside scoop on the gaming news you care about.