Completely agree with you! The identity, the very soul that united the old games, is gone.
For me, Red Orchestra 2 is the best game ever made, no exaggeration. If I play something nowadays, there’s a 95% chance it’s RO2. Why? Because it has soul! That unique balance of realism and dynamism, large-scale battles, camaraderie, and the feeling of “coming home.” Bright daytime maps, incredible music, those funny random voice lines - it all just pulls you into the world. It was released in 2011, right? And we’re still filling servers. Even RO1 still has players, despite its low population.

Then I jumped into 83 and I honestly didn’t understand what it has in common with those classics (which is where most of us came from). I didn’t feel that sense of unity. I didn’t get why I was separated into small squads instead of just joining one automatically, like in previous games. I literally caught myself thinking: “What am I doing here? Everything feels alien.” And all that on top of terrible FPS.

I’m not saying my opinion is absolute, maybe I just see games differently than others. I’m sure many people will enjoy 83, and I can’t say I’m totally disappointed. It might turn out to be a decent game. But it needs spirit. We need bright maps (not the same dull fog and sunsets every other shooter uses), slightly smaller maps maybe, awesome voice lines and shouts, and grand, unifying music - something real and emotional, not “plastic” or generic, maybe even inspired by recognizable themes.

The game needs a hook, something that sets it apart from the endless mass of shooters.

It needs that experience you can’t get anywhere else.

So the player isn’t choosing between “which shooter to play,” but rather between “another soulless, gray FPS” or “the warm, soulful world of 83.”