YMMV / Iron Storm

• Complete Monster:
  • Baron Nikolai Aleksandrovitch von Ugenberg is the leader of the Russo-Mongolian Empire, which he formed after he crushed Bolsheviks during the October Revolution. Desiring to conquer the world, the Baron started a devastating world war that claimed the lives of countless people. Allowing his army to torture and experiment on captured enemy soldiers, the Baron began developing weapons of mass destruction, planning to use them to wipe out the opposition and kill millions, solely because he wanted to leave a legacy of himself as "The Great Conqueror".
  • Colonel Mitchell is a seemingly friendly officer of the United States of Western Europe's army, who in reality is the chief enforcer of the Consortium, a corrupt corporation that profits from war and plays both sides. Assisting Baron Ugenberg in keeping the devastating world war going, Mitchell was displeased when he heard that the Baron planned to backstab him by creating his own Weapons of Mass Destruction to win the war. Using Lieutenant James Anderson to destroy the Baron's weapons of mass destruction and kill his best soldiers, Mitchell invaded the Baron's base, killing a defenseless reporter and gleefully mocking the Baron for failing in his scheme. Killing the Baron and framing the United States of Western Europe, Mitchell ensured that the war would never end and millions would die, solely so he could profit from it.
• Demonic Spiders: The Siberian brothers, those Gasmask Mooks wearing body armours. Not only can they take more damages than their regular counterparts, but they are usually equipped with the VIVDA KSK, a kind of automatic rifle firing explosive slugs which can One-Hit Kill Anderson even in Easy mode! Oh, and they are often met in corridors or closed areas, which make them even more lethal. Their dangerousity is actually a (tiny) bit reduced compared to what you expect: first, their gasmasks is only cosmetical and doesn't protect from mustard gas and LSD grenades; second, a VIVDA KSK magazine only holds five rounds so then must reload often.
• Genius Bonus : This game has plenty of interesting tidbits for the European history buff. The actual European front line of the war is the Iron Curtain made literal, and there are multiple allusions to the Russian Civil War. Even the town of Wolfenburg seems to be an alternate version of the German city of Wolfsburg, at least if the factory that looks suspiciously like the Volkswagen plant is anything to go by. Even some of the Russo-Mongol equipment obliquely references actual Soviet weaponry from the 1950s.
• Goddamn Bats: Well-hidden snipers and rabid dogs with suicide bombs attached are particularly annoying.
• Paranoia Fuel : The use of sound effects is often very atmospheric, especially in the levels taking place in a dilapidated abandoned town. There's also one specific Doom Doors sound that makes the Ghost Town scenery genuinely creepy.
• So Okay, It's Average: World War Zero ditches the original Iron Storm's more experimental and unique gameplay for a more mainstream shooter experience, and essentially looks and plays like a completely standard typical mid-range Playstation 2 FPS game, being remarkably similar in look and feel to games like Red Faction 2, Judge Dredd: Dredd vs. Death, or Warhammer 40k: Fire Warrior. About the only thing that makes it stand out is the dieselpunk alternate history setting. On the other hand, it's at least not as frustratingly Nintendo Hard as the original game and is a much more mainstream experience.
• Spiritual Licensee : Probably the closest you'll ever get to a game adaptation of the war mentioned in George Orwell's 1984 — general Just Before the End / Ruins of the Modern Age grimness, a Forever War between twentieth century superpowers fueled by fanatical propaganda, etc.

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