Enlisted (USSR Founder’s Bundle)

Enlisted (USSR Founder’s Bundle) is a premium launch edition of the squad-based massively multiplayer online shooter Enlisted, recreating intense World War II battles. It provides immediate game access and a max-level premium squad from the Soviet Red Army’s 75th Infantry Regiment in the 5th Infantry Division for the Moscow campaign, consisting of four Assaulter-class soldiers equipped with the unique PPK-41 submachine guns, along with +100% experience gain for faster progression.

Enlisted (USSR Founder’s Bundle): Review

Introduction

Imagine storming the snow-swept defenses of Moscow in 1941, leading a squad of hardened Red Army assaulters armed with rare PPSh-41 submachine guns, their boots crunching through the frozen earth as German Panzers rumble in the distance—this is the visceral thrill Enlisted (USSR Founder’s Bundle) delivers right from launch. Released on November 10, 2020, as one of the inaugural bundles for Darkflow Software’s ambitious WWII MMO shooter, this edition catapults players into the heart of the Battle of Moscow with a premium squad from the 75th Infantry Regiment of the 5th Infantry Division: four max-level Assaulter-class soldiers wielding the exclusive PPK-41 SMG and boosted by +100% XP gains. In an era dominated by polished but often ahistorical blockbusters like Battlefield V, Enlisted carves a niche as a free-to-play squad-based tactical shooter that prioritizes massive, authentic WWII clashes. My thesis: While the USSR Founder’s Bundle provides an exhilarating entry point with its instant-access premium firepower, the game’s core strengths in historical immersion and squad dynamics are undermined by grindy progression, uneven AI, and F2P monetization, securing its place as a cult favorite rather than a genre-defining masterpiece.

Development History & Context

Darkflow Software, a Latvian studio spun off from Gaijin Entertainment’s ecosystem, spearheaded Enlisted‘s creation under publisher Gaijin Network Ltd., leveraging the proven Dagor Engine—familiar from Gaijin’s hit War Thunder. Announced in 2016 via a successful crowdfunding campaign, the project was pitched as a “first-person shooter decided by the fans, for the fans,” with backers influencing campaigns like Moscow and Normandy. Funding tiers even let high rollers vote on future content, embodying a community-driven ethos amid the rising tide of live-service shooters.

Launched during the next-gen console rush, the USSR Founder’s Bundle hit Windows and Xbox Series X|S on day one (November 10, 2020), as an Xbox-optimized Game Preview title and timed console exclusive. Technological constraints of the early 2020s—cross-play demands across PC, PS4/5, Xbox One/Series—were met with middleware like Easy Anti-Cheat and innovations like ray-traced global illumination and NVIDIA DLSS added in late 2020. Gaijin’s War Thunder pedigree shone through in vehicular combat, blending arcade accessibility with simulation depth.

The 2020 gaming landscape was flooded with WWII revivals (Call of Duty: WWII, Battlefield V), but Enlisted differentiated via MMO-scale battles (up to 100+ players) and squad leadership. Post-launch, it evolved through open betas (PC April 2021), PS5 closed beta (March 2021), and expansions like Berlin and Tunisia campaigns. A 2023 “merge” consolidated nations into four main trees (USSR, USA, Germany, Japan with minors), while 2024’s Steam relaunch and fourth anniversary event underscored its longevity despite backend hiccups. Constraints like F2P grind were era-typical, but Darkflow’s iterative updates—from bot-heavy early matches to refined BR matchmaking—reflect adaptive development in a post-Fortnite live-ops world.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

Enlisted eschews a linear single-player campaign for episodic “fronts” reconstructing WWII’s pivotal clashes—Moscow’s desperate defense, Normandy’s D-Day fury, Berlin’s rubble-strewn endgame—framing players as squad leaders in a persistent multiplayer saga. No scripted plot or voiced protagonists exist; instead, narrative emerges organically through historical authenticity. The USSR Founder’s Bundle immerses you in the Red Army’s 1941 Moscow campaign, embodying themes of resilience against invasion: your premium 75th Regiment squad symbolizes the Soviet soldier’s grim determination, their PPK-41s (a rare PPSh variant) evoking the industrial grind of wartime production.

Characters are archetypal yet customizable—AI squadmates as faceless comrades, upgradeable via progression trees representing promotions and resupplies. Dialogue is sparse (basic orders like “Attack!” or “Cover!”), prioritizing immersion over exposition, but radio chatter and announcer barks (“Forward, comrades!”) infuse Soviet fervor. Underlying themes probe WWII’s brutality: squad permadeath in Lone Fighters mode mirrors irreplaceable losses; ticket-based modes evoke finite manpower; BR tiers (I-V) progress from bolt-actions to late-war wonders, thematizing technological evolution amid horror.

Deeper analysis reveals Gaijin’s vision of “massive clashes” as allegory for total war—artillery barrages, tank swarms, air dogfights underscoring mechanized slaughter. Criticisms like 4Players.de’s note on “authentic yet realistic” feel position it between Battlefield‘s spectacle and Red Orchestra‘s simulation, but AI fragility undermines squad brotherhood, turning themes of unity into frustration. Anniversary lore (e.g., engineer Ilya Likhanov’s quest) adds faint personalization, yet the bundle’s max-level squad fast-tracks this, letting players embody heroic myth without the grind’s humility.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

At its core, Enlisted loops around squad command in 20v20+ lobbies: control one soldier (3-9 per squad), issue orders to AI allies, switch bodies on death for relentless aggression. The USSR Bundle’s premium Assaulters excel in CQB, their PPK-41s (high RoF, exclusive) shredding foes with +100% XP accelerating unlocks.

Core Loops & Combat: Matches span modes like Conquest (control points deplete enemy bars), Invasion (attackers seize sequential points with 1000 tickets), Assault/Destruction (dual-point sectors, explosives), Confrontation (shifting frontlines), and custom Armored Train Escort. BR matchmaking (±1 tier) balances eras, pitting Mosin-Nagants against STG-44s. Gunplay is “brachial” (thudding, per 4Players)—weighty recoil, realistic ballistics—but loose for some (Reddit gripes on “unwieldy” feel). 16 classes shine: Assaulters/Snipers for infantry, Mortarmen/Radio Operators for support, Tankers/Pilots for vehicles (Dagor Engine’s sim roots yield nuanced handling, e.g., repair mechanics).

Progression & UI: Infamous grind—individual soldier upgrades via Silver/research tokens—feels “pay-to-win” (XboxEra), though daily logins mitigate. UI is cluttered (skill trees galore), but intuitive menus let squads equip weapons/vehicles. Flaws: AI “pappaufsteller” (cardboard cutouts) die easily, doors/ladders buggy; ammo scarcity forces melee risks.

Innovations/Flaws: Squad-switching is genius (“Matrix-style,” Penny Arcade), Lone Fighters adds tension (no HUD, permadeath). Vehicles integrate seamlessly—tanks vulnerable to AT rifles/Panzerfausts—but controls frustrate newcomers. Practice modes (trenches, ranges) aid mastery. Overall, loops reward tactics over aim-duels, but grind and bots (early filler) dilute purity.

World-Building, Art & Sound

Enlisted‘s WWII theaters—Eastern/Western Fronts, Tunisia, Pacific—boast meticulous recreation: Moscow’s blizzards bury barricades; Berlin’s Reichstag ruins host house-to-house fury, Brandenburg Gate as sniper perch. Maps draw from photos (e.g., Hitler’s palace interiors), fostering exploration amid chaos. Atmosphere builds via dynamic weather (snow hampers visibility), destructible environments, and scale—100+ entities clashing with artillery/naval fire.

Visuals leverage Dagor: detailed models (PPK-41 engravings, tank treads), RTGI/DLSS for moody lighting, but optimization varies (20 FPS complaints). Art direction prioritizes grit—ruined urbania over polish—evoking Hell Let Loose.

Sound excels: “Brachial” gunfire (PPSh chatter visceral), tank rumbles, squad shouts immerse; orchestral scores swell epically, though generic (XboxEra). Barrage balloons popping, plane dives amplify tension, contributing to “somewhere between Battlefield and Red Orchestra” authenticity.

Reception & Legacy

Launch reception was solid but polarized: MobyGames 71% (4Players.de: entertaining Battlefield alternative, AI/grind caveats); Metacritic user 5.9/10 (praise for realism, flak for bots/paywalls). XboxEra (5/10) slammed progression as “dreadful”; Penny Arcade hailed “absolute blast,” GLN 7.8/10 for visuals/modes. Reddit echoes: fun peaks in vehicles, but “rushed” maps/UI.

Commercially, free-to-play success—4M+ players by 2024 anniversary, cross-play thriving—spawned bundles/starter packs. Legacy: Influenced squad shooters (Post Scriptum, Hell Let Loose), popularizing BRs in FPS; Gaijin’s model refined F2P WWII. Evolved via updates (Steam 2024), it endures as accessible history sim, though grind tempers acclaim.

Conclusion

Enlisted (USSR Founder’s Bundle) masterfully revives WWII’s scale and grit, its premium Red Army squad granting instant Moscow heroism amid squad tactics, historical maps, and vehicular symphony that outshine Battlefield V‘s flash. Yet, AI brittleness, laborious progression, and monetization grind prevent transcendence, echoing F2P pitfalls. As a free Xbox launch staple now in its fifth year, it claims a vital spot in WWII gaming history: not flawless, but enduringly epic for tacticians craving authentic fronts. Verdict: 8/10—Recommended for history buffs; grinders beware. Download the base game free, snag the bundle for Soviet supremacy.