World in Conflict: Soviet Assault

World in Conflict: Soviet Assault is an expansion pack developed by Massive Entertainment and Swordfish Studios for the real-time tactics video game World in Conflict. It features the ability to play as the Soviet Union, against which the player fought in the original World in Conflict.

The World In Conflict Complete Edition and Soviet Assault Expansion Pack were released in the United States on March 10, 2009 and later on in Europe and Australia on March 12, 2009.

Gameplay
The new expansion features 6 new single player missions and 2 new multiplayer maps. It features new missions in the single player campaign and will integrate these new missions with the current US campaign, meaning the two will be interwoven with one another. The Console versions were to feature voice commands that would allow units to be ordered and deployed onto to the battlefield through a headset. However this feature was never implemented for the PC version. The 2 multiplayer maps are available free of charge for owners of the original World in Conflict.

Plot
World in Conflict: Soviet Assault features the addition of a separate Soviet campaign, combined with the existing US campaign. The player assumes the role of Romanov, a Lieutenant in the Soviet Army under the command of Colonel Vladimir Orlovsky, who also commands two other subordinates in his battalion, Captain Nikolai Malashenko who is also his nephew and Major Valeriy Lebedjev, a KGB officer attached to the battalion. Because both campaigns are twined together, the player can start a new campaign with both the US and Soviet campaign in play together, though the Soviet campaign has fewer missions than the US campaign.

The first Soviet mission takes place four months before the planned Soviet invasion of Seattle. The Soviet Army is preparing for its surprise attack on West Berlin in the early hours of the morning. An elite Spetsnaz team commanded by Romanov has been tasked with "Operation Odessa", which involves the Spetsnaz soldiers infiltrating a US Outpost in West Berlin and planting explosives on anti air positions in the camp. The team then exfiltrates the area and the next part of the mission commences one hour later. This time, the Soviets are fully engaged in securing West Berlin, starting with completing three separate objectives: Destroying the US 6th Armored Battalion, securing the Moltke Bridge over the Spree and securing 17th June Street. After ferocious fighting between the Soviet and US/NATO Forces, the Soviets emerge victorious and continue their invasion of Western Germany, which marks the beginning of the Third World War.

The campaign then steps up toward the Soviet attack on Seattle and its surrounding countryside. The next few missions take place in the US countryside, where guerrilla resistance members have made successful attacks on Soviet units, fueling Malashenko's hatred and planned vengeance against the Americans. In the first mission, Romanov is requested to perform reconnaissance for the main force, but before he can advance with Malashenko, a bridge is mistakenly bombed out by a Russian aircraft, thus cutting Romanov off from Malashenko. Romanov must now circle round, but his path is blocked by guerrilla forces. To meet this new challenge, he is reinforced by light armor support from Orlovsky. He breaks through the guerrilla forces and regroups with Malashenko in preparation for the final push on the guerrilla command post. During the end of this mission, Orlovsky spots Malashenko attempting to massacre several civilians via firing squad to demoralize the guerrillas and US troops, encouraging their surrender. However, he is warned that if he steps out of line once more, he will be sent back to Russia in shame.

A flashback depicts some time before the invasion of Seattle, when the Russians were still fighting in Europe. Orlovsky and his officers are tasked into conducting a raid on the Norwegian coast. Romanov is tasked with destroying a Radar station to open up a corridor for Soviet bombers to fly direct bombing routes over Europe and Northern Britain. He must then help save a strayed Ekranoplan which had to divert course due to rudder damage. After successfully defending the craft, Romanov is ordered to make a quick advance onto a hill before NATO bombers can arrive. He manages to secure the hill and is then given permission to test a new Soviet ordinance: an incendiary bomb. Using this bomb to great effect against NATO forces, he halts the counterattack, only to learn that during the battle, a NATO task force made an incursion into the Soviet Union.

After a successful campaign in Norway, Orlovsky and his officers are ordered to return to Russia, where he is needed to defend a POW camp from a NATO attack force. Malashenko receives news that his wife and daughter were killed in a raid by NATO forces, and is motivated to take command. Malashenko makes it clear that he cannot work with people he cannot trust, as he believes the GRU lies to not only the Russian civilians, but also to the army. Orlovsky believes he may only be frustrated due to the death of his family earlier in the US campaign.

The final mission for the Soviet campaign takes place after the flashback and after the events of Cascade Falls. The Soviet forces retreating from Cascade Falls are all now heading back to Seattle to prepare for the inevitable US counterattack, Romanov is given command of Frontal Aviation assets and is commanded with defending the trucks loaded with injured Soviet troops from the US forces. During the mission, Malashenko shoots and kills Orlovsky for ordering him to go back to Russia instead of attempting an impossible defense of Seattle. Lebedjev is given command of the remaining Soviet forces and soon realizes, like Orlovsky, Seattle cannot be held and makes plans for Orlovsky's units to go home. Malashenko, however, proceeds to head for Seattle where he is sure to meet certain death.

Distribution
The expansion is being delivered through two methods, online download and retail. There are two retail versions, with one including just the expansion while another called World in Conflict: Complete Edition, contains the original game and the Soviet Assault expansion. The online download only contains the Soviet Assault expansion and is designed for players who already have the original game.

It has been confirmed that all the multiplayer content that will be released for Soviet Assault (new maps) will be available free of charge to the World in Conflict community via Massgate. However the new single-player missions must be purchased for the user to access the content.

Development
Soviet Assault was going to be released in Q4 2008 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 as a stand-alone game, and for Windows-based PCs as an expansion pack. However, the console versions have been cancelled.

On July 29, 2008, Sierra dropped World in Conflict: Soviet Assault, among other games from their productions, putting the future of World in Conflict: Soviet Assault in question.

On August 6, 2008, Sierra put up Massive Entertainment for sale. On November 11, Massive was acquired by Ubisoft.