Battlestations Pacific is an avatar of an era when naval combat was all about heavily armored vessels going head to head, trying to outmaneuver and eventually sink the opponent. Eidos's latest release presents us with a rare opportunity of witnessing the intensity and ruthlessness of warfare, in some of the deadliest theatres of conflict in modern history. The result is an intricate PC game that brilliantly succeeds in combining strategy and action elements, that even those "lucky few" who were aboard those ships that fought for supremacy in the Pacific ocean might enjoy.

The action revolves around decisive maritime battles between US and Japanese forces that, to some extent, decided the fate of World War 2. While focusing on those key moments, always concerned with preserving the realism of every clash, Battlestations Pacific permits alternate history enthusiasts to change the past by winning battles that were lost over 60 years ago. The single player is comprised of two distinct campaign sets, allowing the gamer to choose either side and fight real battles, but shape the course of history after each accomplished mission.

Although this title is a sequel of Battlestations Midway, it still has a comprehensive tutorial and a batch of slides about each ship and aircraft that were involved in those fierce naval fights in the Pacific. I doubt that most people will ever find the time to read all those logs, but those few who decide to check them up will have plenty of reasons to rejoice, because they can find a bunch of interesting details. Beside the accurate information, those interested have the opportunity to observe how these war machines look like in a 3D model, before plunging in the competitive campaign.

The newcomers should be aware that this game can prove to be a very challenging one if you choose a high difficulty, and until you get fully accustomed with the controls, the sheer complexity might appear to be overwhelming. Very much like the original title, this game is a hybrid that combines different types of gameplay, aiming to get the player fully immersed in every fight, by assuming various roles in a matter of seconds. The tactical map presents you with the chance of coordinating the entire fleet, ordering each ship as you see fit and then you can get in charge of any particular vessel, by just pressing one key.

Battlestations Pacific kicks off with the infamous Pearl Harbor attack that crippled the US Navy, but failed to strike a deadly blow to the American war effort by wiping out the carriers. It's probably the best way to sink you teeth into this game, teaching you how to handle the fast moving Zero fighters and heavy bombers alike, aiming to hit motionless or slow targets. The game grows more and more complex with each type of unit you'll get to control, but for most players nothing will surpass the excitement of hunting down enemy planes or bombing heavily reinforced enemy positions.

| Page 1 of 3 |  · 2  · 3  | Next Page »

Please log in to access this section.