I was among the lucky few who got the chance of playing the demo version of the highly anticipated title from Akella: "PT Boats: Knights of the Sea", and I must say this naval combat simulator has all the assets needed to become the next big thing in the genre industry. The dazzling graphics, complex yet accessible gameplay, real life inspired scenarios and the unique flavor of a maritime confrontation all in the background of the ever intriguing World War 2 concur in creating a game of huge potential.

As any title related to WW2, PT Boats presents the gamer with three options in choosing his allegiance: Germany, Allies (US and UK) and the Soviets, and the most exciting thing is that there is a close connection between these scenarios and history. Akella's effort in keeping things very similar to real life naval confrontation of WW2 makes each mission more attractive as it creates the opportunity to replay some crucial moments in history and change the outcome. With ships that are modeled according to authentic ones and famous naval battles recreated in a virtual environment, the lasting appeal of this game is insured and one will replay the same scenario a lot, even if victory was already achieved.

A very exciting feature that the full game benefits of are the mirrored battles, where you can actually experience the same fight from both sides of the offensive, which is an innovative concept to say the least. Some missions appear to be simply too difficult and on a shallow evaluation one would prefer to be on the opposite side, taking advantage of the supposedly overpowered ships; not only the myth is quickly demolished but this presents us with the unique opportunity of trying specific tactics and then counter strikes very useful for a better understanding of the game mechanics. The maps are also very easy to use and the ability of constantly seeing the speed of both your and enemy ships is of great use in choosing the right approach.

What makes this game so remarkable is the fact you have virtually unlimited freedom in choosing your tactics and once all your ships are within striking distance it's also possible to get a hands-on experience of the battle by assuming the position of one of the crew. Furthermore one can quickly shift from one ship to another to maximize the offensive effort and to deal more efficiently with incoming airplanes or hostile boats. This experience is both rewarding and demanding because if you stick too long with your vulnerable boat, trying to evade enemy fire, the entire fleet may be in jeopardy, spreading all over the torpedo infested waters.

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All these challenging scenarios and complexity comes with a price, there are plenty of commands and naturally a lot of shortcuts that you can't afford to forget. Luckily the game modes are very intuitive and user friendly so you'll quickly get used to the basic controls, which will gradually evolve into reflexes. While it is very exciting, and to some extent useful to control each ship and fire all guns with high accuracy, the cornerstone of success here are strategy and tactics. PT Boats remains essentially a real-time strategy game so seeing the bigger picture and operating with precision on a high scale is far more important than outmaneuvering an enemy ship while trying to sink a target.

Just like any game that features DirectX 10 the graphics are the center of everybody's attention and Akella is not letting us down with PT Boats: Knights of the Sea which is as gorgeous as a naval combat simulator can be. A powerful computer is needed to play this game that offers the best graphics experience, and the frame rate can drop dangerously low on weaker PCs rendering it virtually unplayable. Nonetheless the benefits of playing it with full details dwarf the inconveniences, and more than once I chose to restart an entire scenario just to replay the moment when torpedoes hit an enemy ship and sink it.

Few people will even think about sound effects which are growing in the shadow of the glamorous graphics, but it would be unfair to skip this section, because there is really a lot to enjoy here as well. The music themes are not very numerous and their repetitive nature could become frustrating eventually, but they brilliantly succeed in creating the appropriate atmosphere of loneliness and isolation that the cold waves of the Atlantic inspire. On the other hand the more heroic themes will lift your spirits and get you in the mood for the decisive battle, while navigating your small fleet through the stormy waters.

This is a game designed to excel in each and every aspect and those willing to take full advantage of these innovative concepts and dynamic features should be prepared to spend a bit more than planned to improve their skills. In order to combine these two different types of play, a flawless plan is required but good reflexes and the ability to adjust to the enemy's maneuvers are also needed. Perfect timing is everything and it takes time to step up your game to the level desired but once that is achieved, PT Boats: Knights of the Sea might very well be the best experience available for any naval combat enthusiast.