Top start off with, this game is a masterpiece. Depicting the battle of Stalingrad, it conveys the fear and emotion of one of history's greatest battles perfectly. The two teams, like pawns in a great chess game, are two of the greatest armies known to date. The Soviets and Nazis, pitted against each other in a battle to the death, answering once and for all who was the rightful ruler of the land.

To understand the weight of the battle fought, we need to understand what actions led to this historic battle. While WW II raged on, and at that time having captured much of what is currently Ukraine and Belarus in the spring of 1942, Germany’s Wehrmacht forces decided to mount an offensive on southern Russia in the summer of that year. Soviet Unions greatest leader, Joseph Stalin and his future Soviet Union Leader Nikita Khrushchev at that time weren't prepared for an attack from Stalingrad, they were prepared for an attack at Moscow. Stalingrad held a special place in both leaders heart, bearing great value in name and in its propaganda possibilities. Once Hitler set his sights on Stalingrad and proclaimed his future siege upon the city, Stalin, being the caring and protective man he was, ordered all Russians to stand their ground and take up arms to protect the glorious city. Germany had the upper hand, using their Luftwaffe, or German air force, to bombard the city around Stalingrad to win control.

Fast forward a few months later, the infamous Russian winter set in. The soviets, being acclimated to the harsh winters, were prepared, knowing that the Germans would be at a disadvantage. Thanks to the Russian gains in nearby fighting, including in Rostov-on-Don, 250 miles from Stalingrad, the Axis forces – mostly Germans and Italians – were stretched thin. It was seen by German generals as a lost cause, causing them to give up any effort towards controlling Stalingrad. They had given up any hope and stopped shipping supplies to the then starving and freezing German soldiers. By February 1943, Russian troops had retaken Stalingrad and captured nearly 100,000 German soldiers.

How does this brutal and iconic battle translate into this game? You play as a bear, symbolically harboring all of the fear, hatred
and hope expressed by all the Russian soldiers that died giving their life for a greater cause. The game has various campfires lit at assorted points on the map. Each fire represents the hope, warmth, or the possible shelter that similar fires gave the Russian soldiers as they fought for their life. As the cold sets in, and as you stray further away from the fire's warmth, the bears vision starts to blur. The blurring a metaphor as to how the line between good and evil was blurred for the men that gave their life trying to fight for what they believed in, having to witness horrific acts that fellow humans were capable of during those trying times. The setting is bleak, acutely portraying the depressing and austere environment of a bombarded city. The lack of protection that the buildings offer suggests that they are a metaphor for the lack of optimism that the troops probably felt as they had to watch their brothers in arms fall beside them fighting like the patriots that they were. To delve deeper into this depiction of war that is exquisitely crafted, we must look into the deeper meaning of the vodka that the bear downs to regenerate his health. The vodka represents the alcoholism that a majority of the Russian population suffered due to depression and the aftermath of war. The vodka warms their heart, as the mind of the individual drinking it spirals out of control into a dark and cold place. That cold place, though more mental than physical, makes the need of a warm fire glaringly obvious.

All of these symbolic and subtle references may fly over the average player's head, but that just adds more depth and beauty to a game that brings so much to the table. Full of references and brutal imagery, this game is sure to please any history buff or just anyone wanting to take a glimpse into the life of a Russian soldier during that fateful battle.