**Note: We were given a free copy for review purposes and may earn revenue from links!
The original Door Kickers was a unique tactical strategy game where you controlled a SWAT team from a top-down bird’s-eye view, kicking in doors and taking names while clearing out bad guy hideouts and hostage situations. Door Kickers 2 swaps out the SWAT gear for military boots and big boy toys, opening up the map variety and mission possibilities big time.
And while I haven’t spent much time with the 2014 original lately, DK2 is such a step up in content, tools, and tactics that I’m going to review it as a standalone gem—because it absolutely holds up on its own.
I’ll get out of the way right now: the tutorial is trash. Some basic mechanics (like Go Codes, which are crucial) are only briefly explained, and I had to look outside the game for answers. And here’s your PSA: don’t ask Reddit unless you want to be verbally waterboarded by people who name their houseplants “Soap” and “Ghost.”
I love tactical games—but we don’t all have walls covered in camo netting and every episode of SEAL Team memorized, alright? Once you do figure out how it all works, though, it’s clear that the underlying systems are incredibly well-designed. You just gotta dig a bit.
At a glance, Door Kickers 2’s top-down format might remind you of X-Com, but it plays nothing like it. A more accurate description?
If X-Com and classic Rainbow Six had a baby… and then taught it how to throw flashbangs.
You can play in a hybrid real-time/turn-based style, pausing the action at will and setting your moves checkpoint by checkpoint. Or you can go full old-school Rainbow Six and plan the entire mission ahead of time—breaches, Go Codes, sync-ups, wait-until-clear orders—and then hit play to watch your genius unfold… or watch everything go sideways in 1.3 seconds.
And if you think you can brute-force a replay? Good luck. The enemies randomize their positions each run, so covering your six actually matters. That sniper through the window who wrecked you last time? Might not be there next time. But now the empty corner you ignored? Full of murder.
Moral of the story? Cover. Every. Damn. Angle. And throw a flashbang while you’re at it.
The gear in Door Kickers 2 is chef’s kiss. Over 50 weapons, from pistols and shotguns to sniper rifles and suppressed SMGs. And that’s before you start layering on:
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Explosives (boom goes the bad guy)
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Armor (for when you inevitably mess up)
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Breach tools (boom goes the door)
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Night vision, flashbangs, and other blinding aids (if they can’t see, you they can’t shoot you)
Each operator’s role and faction affects their loadout, so planning isn’t just about your strategy—it’s about bringing the right toys for the job.
No mission has one “correct” solution. It’s all about matching your plan, gear, and squad to the situation. Do it right, and it feels brilliant. Do it wrong, and it’s a bloodbath. But hey, at least you’ll learn something… probably.
Though we received a free copy for review (KillHouse), Door Kickers 2 officially launched out of Early Access in February 2025 and has been available in Early Access since 2020. And that shows—because there are now 7,000+ maps on the Steam Workshop, with an active modding scene to keep things spicy.
For just $32.50 CAD, it offers ridiculous replay value, and it’s earned a 95% “Overwhelmingly Positive” rating from nearly 10,000 reviews.
If you’re a fan of top-down tactical planning, explosive door entries, and meticulously clearing every room like your digital life depends on it—Door Kickers 2 is a must-play.
Just maybe don’t ask how Go Codes work on Reddit.
You’ve been warned.
