Subsim review of Crash Dive

[Onkel Neal]

Crash Dive review (http://www.subsim.com/reviews/review_crash_dive.php)
http://www.subsim.com/reviews/cd2s.jpg

Now we have the wave of mobile and tablet sub games. Apps, really, but they are getter closer to becoming a true simulation follow-up to the older subsims in every way. And we have just about come full circle. Made for Android, Mac iOS, and Amazon Kindle Fire, Crash Dive is a U-boat sim that features gameplay like Aces of the Deep and Grey Wolf, with much better graphics and portable like no DOS or Windows-based game ever thought of being. In fact, Crash Dive so consistently brought back memories of Aces of the Deep, that I could not help but compare and refer to the older classic throughout this review. Crash Dive is the first title from Panic Ensues, a new development house from an experienced programmer, Scott Goffman.

Enjoy! Now I can stop worrying about writing the review and getting decent screenshots and get back to playing the game! :know:

I've added this promo video from Amazon. (http://www.amazon.com/gp/mpd/permalink/m1Z68LHOV9FO4S/ref=ent_fb_link)

.

[nikimcbee]

Crash Dive review (http://www.subsim.com/reviews/review_crash_dive.php)



Enjoy! Now I can stop worrying about writing the review and getting decent screenshots and get back to playing the game! :know:

Great review Neal:Kaleun_Salute:.

I bought the game a few days ago and here's my first impressions. I played it on the kindle HD fire.

I love the look and feel of the game. It is very easy to pick up and get into it. The gameplay itself is faster pace than a desktop PC. The AI escorts (naval vessels, not hookers) are pretty tough. It is challenging to hit them and escape from them. It did remind me a lot of AotD. It was fun to watch the escorts latch onto your decoy and work it over with DCs.

I loved the war patrol concept!:Kaleun_Applaud: Totally random and dynamic; great variety of ships and contacts that make up the convoys.

The map very is also very well done imo. I'm impressed with the sonar reflection animation when the escorts are hunting for you.

The coolest part of the game, I thought was the sound.:salute::Kaleun_Applaud::Kaleun_Thumbs_Up::K aleun_Wink::Kaleun_Salute: Lots of great details.

The only thing I didn't really like was, I found turning in the periscope screen a little cumbersome, especially when you are evading escorts.

McBee review:
:Kaleun_Cheers::Kaleun_Thumbs_Up::Kaleun_Applaud:: Kaleun_Salute:
Well worth the money.

[blydchyld]

Nice review have been looking for something to replace SH on a drive.

Oh Btw, "Smoke on the horizon".

[Onkel Neal]

Nice review have been looking for something to replace SH on a drive.

Oh Btw, "Smoke on the horizon".

:up:

[WebSpawn]

I'm going to try this game. Good review! And ofcourse, give the following order:

"Deeper, chief, deeper"

[Onkel Neal]

I'm going to try this game. Good review! And ofcourse, give the following order:

"Deeper, chief, deeper"

Good man, I salute skippers with the keen eye :shucks:

[HephaestusChimp]

Looks great, and nice review. Going to give it a try sometime, but I wonder about using Dud torpedoes?

[Onkel Neal]

Looks great, and nice review. Going to give it a try sometime, but I wonder about using Dud torpedoes?

Dud torpedoes did you say? :woot:

PM on the way.:salute:

[Downunderjock]

Thanks for the Heads up about this game and the review.

Will look into it, down the track. I have to admit, I haven't played Aces of the Deep, etc.

Er..! alittle, behind the 8 ball, on some games, to date.
(non Sub ones, too.)

Pardon, to you all for that.

You will just have to Heel Haul me, Tie me to the Mast, for punishment.

Or worse still, KP duty (kitchen "patrol"?) for the next 6 months.

No, no, not cleaning out the "Head" for six months and the pipes, too.
AAArrrggghh...!

Anything, but that, Oh please.

I am still so badly stuck in SH 5, as per you don't want to know.

So bad, I am playing other games, presently. All not Naval, or Land warfare games. (er..! for fun, Dr Who. Ha! as an example.)

And what's this WOTA one???

May I throw in, that I am sure you are all aware on Steam a game coming called "Victory at Sea."

Which??? Kinda looks similar??

Now, I am not having a go at Crash Dive or Naval Fleet 2.

Just that this Steam one, looks similar????

Check it out, and see what you think.

Take care, all.


"Now hear, this, Mermaids off the Port Bow, Whoo Hoo!

[Aktungbby]

blydchyld, WebSpawn, HephaestusChimp :Kaleun_Salute:first posters ALL!

[modgamers]

WOW !!!

Silent Hunter 2 was even more successful ... you know that on April 1 even with the time difference it is not yet?

[modgamers]

I prefer to continue to test the Beta of Nuclear War mods for SH4 :)

[dwassllir]

Cool review Neal although I am not a smartphone\tablet guy at the moment. Thanks again for keeping the community informed. o7

[Normandy44]

Very good!!! Thanks for me warnig this fabulous game!!!!! :Kaleun_Cheers:

[Meldric]

Hi!

Great game indeed. I gave it a shot and I have to say that I saw more different ways a ship sunk than I did in ALL hours I played SH5. And the destroyers are much cleverer and more dangerous.

I start to push away the feeling that something was terribly wrong with my mod list.

Christian

[stoppro]

I wish I had a tablet or a newer phone. looks pretty good .Shame can't play on a pc.

[ironkross]

There are some concessions to gameplay that nibble into realism.

That is the part I can't get past. I guess I'll always be a PC sim game guy.
Thank's for the heads up though. Good to hear from you.

[Stew U-582]

Looks Interesting, Thanks for the E Mail Sub Sim.

I noticed a few people saying "I've PC shame I cant play".
Surely there is a Android "or whatever" virtual environment simulator.
If I can run a virtual machine on PC that runs Mac or Linux etc you must
be able to run these apps.

Maybe someone with a bit of knowhow can make a tut.

Keep well everyone, glad to see SubSim is still strong,
I haven't visited for a while.

Stew:rock:

[Frank Smith]

PC - nothing that has Android, no phone nothing like that.
Maybe later it will be for PC's, till then back to SH4.
thanks for all the nice read and info on this game..:arrgh!:

[Satch]

graphics do look pretty good.

Is it available for a PC?

[nectember]

looks like an old game
is there wowers here？ I now play wow:o

[nynek]

I really do understand power of imagination over dirty glitter of special effects , details, sea mechanics, and the other sh***t. The only thing which is bothering me about this reincarnation is music. It is simply too good....midi format would be perfect.

nynek

[subsunk1307]

Thanks Neil told the Wife about it and she downloaded it onto her I pad for me for Fathers Day, now I will have something to play on the odd occasion that she is driving (LOL) still like SH4 on the PC though, bought 5 but couldn't get into it, I think because my old PC is so Sloooow anyway thanks again, keep up the good work.:rock:

[Jimbuna]

Cool review Neal :cool:

[Onkel Neal]

Looks Interesting, Thanks for the E Mail Sub Sim.

I noticed a few people saying "I've PC shame I cant play".
Surely there is a Android "or whatever" virtual environment simulator.
If I can run a virtual machine on PC that runs Mac or Linux etc you must
be able to run these apps.

Maybe someone with a bit of knowhow can make a tut.

Keep well everyone, glad to see SubSim is still strong,
I haven't visited for a while.

Stew:rock:

I was wondering the same thing, maybe there is an Android emulator for the PC somewhere... :hmm2:

Edit: see this thread: http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=215478

PS: thanks, Jim!

[raymond6751]

I just bought a windows 8 tablet. This won't run on it.



Grrr

[aanker]

Excellent review as always, and yes, I shared it with my friends who have the platforms to play it..... a-n-d, the price is right too.

[Onkel Neal]

I just bought a windows 8 tablet. This won't run on it.



Grrr

Yes, it's Android or iOS. But, we are looking into an emulator to get it to run on a Win system. (http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=215478)

Excellent review as always, and yes, I shared it with my friends who have the platforms to play it..... a-n-d, the price is right too.

Cool, thanks Arthur. :up:

[Havokflight]

Thanks for pointing this one out to us. Will give it a look.:Kaleun_Applaud:

[nelson]

I spotted this while trawling through Google play and it had good reviews so I bought it. I wasn't disappointed given that it's an android game. Great graphics and sound, missions and campaigns, great stuff. Think SH3 on Tablet.

[Red Devil]

Very good review, but not for me. I have tremendous respect for the WW2 submariners but I will not take an 'enemy' boat out against my own ships. And before anyone says its 'just a game' - I have done decades of research into the Battle of the Atlantic and know all about the Allied civilian casualties and how many of them died. And how 75% of the U boats crews never saw port again. :down:

[ST.Rage]

Thanks Neal!! I stumbled on this a few weeks ago and was very pleasantly surprised. I urge any droid users to grab this. I really don't think you will be dissapointed!

[El Dude]

Good news! Not sure if i will buy it but good to know that submarine games/sims are still being made:) I have Sh3 and 5 still on my hd, though havent played for a year or so. Maybe its time again for a bit hunting on the ocean:)

[Kresge]

Thanks for the email Neal! I'll have to download it on my iPad and get back into subsimming. Glad you still keep the site running :up:

Forgot to add :subsim:

[Gumby]

Hi, folks! I haven't been here for a long time.
Is crash Dive playable on a smartphone? I'm concerned about playing it on 4" display...:hmm2:

[Onkel Neal]

Thanks, guys, for the kind words.

Gumby, I played the game on an LG G2, it has a 5." screen. The game is very playable on that size, although I was happier once I got the game on my 7" Kindle.

[Gumby]

I'll give it a try. :subsim:

[Gerald]

Fascinating,and smooth review.:)

[Chooky88]

Thanks for the email and review. I'll definitely buy this one. In Kalbarri for a fishing holiday. I timed it with perfection for what the news call a 'once a year storm'. It's turned into a drinking holiday! At least now I have some time to play my new game :-)

[Malakie]

This game has you running a nazi germany uboat right? No American or British subs?

[Cpt.Nautilus]

Thanks for the review. I'll see how this works on a tablet.

I have a 2-year-old Asus Transformer Pad TF300. Any idea how this game is going to work on it? Otherwise I could try on my brand new Galaxy S5 but I'm a bit concerned of playing a subsim on a small screen...

[SilentOtto]

Not my gaming platform, but any news about new sims are good news, also a reason to drop by, had been quite long for me!

Thanks Onkel!

You last visited: 10-21-2013 at 08:46 AM

[Skybird]

Funny, when you did the review for Battle Fleet 2 some days ago I thought "He should do a review for Crash Dive". I almost offered you to do it myself, but then got distracted. :)

[beresford]

Any chance of seeing a Windows or Xbox compatible version? My tablet runs Windows 8 and there is a shortage of strategy/sim games.

[ReallyDedPoet]

Nice, I'll fire this up on the iPad at some point :yep:

[Onkel Neal]

Not my gaming platform, but any news about new sims are good news, also a reason to drop by, had been quite long for me!

Thanks Onkel!

You last visited: 10-21-2013 at 08:46 AM

Always good to hear from old friends. I got email from some guys who have not been here since 2004 :)

This game has you running a nazi germany uboat right? No American or British subs?

Yes , German u-boats

[jimmie]

Good news and review, thank you! I might try the game. I hope someone create a very simulation (hardcore) uboat game, not weighing on graphics for the priorities. Price it high for targeting only hardcore customers in the first place. Of course awesome graphics would be awesome but let's have a sim whose focus is to listening...

[francho1961]

Thank you very much for your information, I am grateful for that.

:up:
:yeah:

[danlisa]

Hi All, received an interesting mail shot which brought me here:

Nice review Neal, based on this write up, I bought it last night. :yeah:

Still to put time in on it but first impressions are impressive, especially for a tablet. I hope Panic Ensues can expand and develop this gem of a title further.

Also:
...screenshots in this review were taken with a tool external to the game...

On your Kindle 7, press & hold the Volume & Power Button down. Native screen capture. Sometimes, in your review, your "external tool" was wonky. (DSLR or Camera Phone?) :03: I did chuckle.

[flag4]

...just downloaded it. and I like it so far. and for £4.16 I cant complain. doesn't work on my small htc, but that's no fault of the game - the screens too small.
I think with some polish and a few changes ie depth charge red square doesn't need to come 'over' the screen - but this a niggle. the ocean is pixelated - but again, just a niggle. the destroyers move way to fast as well. but all these things can be altered.
im impressed with it and have already spent well over two hours acclimatising myself with it.
nice job to the Devs...bring on the polish:up:

[Onkel Neal]

Hi All, received an interesting mail shot which brought me here:

Nice review Neal, based on this write up, I bought it last night. :yeah:

Still to put time in on it but first impressions are impressive, especially for a tablet. I hope Panic Ensues can expand and develop this gem of a title further.

Also:


On your Kindle 7, press & hold the Volume & Power Button down. Native screen capture. Sometimes, in your review, your "external tool" was wonky. (DSLR or Camera Phone?) :03: I did chuckle.

Hey, you 're just trying to trick me into shutting down my kindle :woot:
Thanx for the feedback. Lol. Yeah, "external tool" = camera phone. :subsim: It's hard to keep the tablet lined up and play the game.

I was hoping someone would call me on that. :shucks:

[pensioned]

Thanks for the heads up Neal. I read your review and decided to buy Crash Dive and was pleasantly pleased with the app. It is heading in direction that I want an app of this type to go. Hopefully there will be little updates and improvements coming from listening to the comments of other users.....escorts too quick to evade...for example. The game ran smooth but I could not get through the combat tutorial.... after locking on to the required number of ships, the game just kept on running and never continued to the next phase...what ever it is.


I did not notice a save feature.
I'm only to the medium difficulty level so far but is it possible to save a mission. Seems cruel to have to start each scenario from the beginning each time after fighting for an hour or so and then having to quit for what ever reason.

[PanicEnsues]

I did not notice a save feature.
I'm only to the medium difficulty level so far but is it possible to save a mission. Seems cruel to have to start each scenario from the beginning each time after fighting for an hour or so and then having to quit for what ever reason.

Unfortunately the game can't be saved mid-mission. Patrols can be saved any time you're on the main Patrol map, but also not in the middle of an engagement.

Happy hunting!

-Scott

[pensioned]

Thanks for the reply.

[Agrajag]

Sorry to be the party pooper, but this hardly compares to Silent Hunter.

It's not bad for $7 but the review really made it sounds like serious simming on my tablet which I'd love. Instead there are tons of things that just don't add up.

Where's fuel? War Patrol also seems to end as soon as resupply spots run out (quickly) forcing you to simply head back to base and stop.

The ships you take down are from a very small list of ships and you'll see the same ones even in the same patrol and even after you sunk them.

The AI is a bit weak in that corvettes will often gather together in a group on a single side of a convoy leaving it wide open to attack.

Again, for $7 it's not bad, but it's definitely not much in the way of qualifying as a sim.

[Onkel Neal]

Agrajag, you make some good points, and I agree with you. Yes, Crash Dive is not a simulation on par with Silent Hunter 3, 4, 5. I would contend that it is comparable to SH1, though. Not as simulation based, but not too far off. Although it is not a "serious" simulation, I think it does have much of the same feel and gameplay as SH1 and Aces.

The fuel is consumed during a war patrol, there is a status bar at the top of the map screen that shows its state. I would argue that the resupplies are too frequent--real U-boat skippers usually did not resupply 3 times in a patrol, :) so going back to base and ending the patrol is right.


The ships you take down are from a very small list of ships and you'll see the same ones even in the same patrol and even after you sunk them.



Definitely agree, would love to see more variety. BTW, Scott, what is a Clickitat class tanker? :hmmm:


The ships you take down are from a very small list of ships and you'll see the same ones even in the same patrol and even after you sunk them.



Again, I agree. There are areas such as this where the AI could use additional attention, but I would still say the overall AI rates good. Not great, not perfect, but perfectly playable.

I hope this does not come off as argumentative, I appreciate the feedback. :salute:

Neal

[Agrajag]

No issues from me. Enjoyed the review. I just got a bit of a different idea in my head based on the review than what I experienced and much of that is my own heady desires overriding what you wrote.

The chance to play a real sub sim on a tablet was a real desire. Instead this is a very nice, but fairly limited, experience. Worth the money for sure.

[Aktungbby]

Definitely agree, would love to see more variety. BTW, Scott, what is a Clickitat class tanker? A misspelling of Klickitat I presume,:up: Named after a river in Washington State: Commisioned July 1945-decommisioned 1946: Klickitat AOG-64; Her class included several vessels, not all of which were commissioned . Klickitat, a gasoline tanker was decommissioned the following year and sold to Argentina-becoming Punta Loyola. Many were sold to South American counties and China. Coast Guard operated; of short duration; and VERY dangerous! http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/68/USS_Mettawee%3B09201701.jpg/300px-USS_Mettawee%3B09201701.jpg (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:USS_Mettawee;09201701.jpg)Many are listed as "fate Unknown"-probably quietly scrapped...Klickitat, according to an Coast Guardsman's obituary, did serve in the European theatre.

[Onkel Neal]

A misspelling of Klickitat I presume,:up: Named after a river in Washington State: Commisioned July 1945-decommisioned 1946: Klickitat AOG-64; Her class included several vessels, not all of which were commissioned . Klickitat, a gasoline tanker was decommissioned the following year and sold to Argentina-becoming Punta Loyola. Many were sold to South American counties and China. Coast Guard operated; of short duration; and VERY dangerous! http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/68/USS_Mettawee%3B09201701.jpg/300px-USS_Mettawee%3B09201701.jpg (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:USS_Mettawee;09201701.jpg)Many are listed as "fate Unknown"-probably quietly scrapped...Klickitat, according to an Coast Guardsman's obituary, did serve in the European theatre.

Oh well, that's certainly something I did not know, thanks!

[PanicEnsues]

A misspelling of Klickitat

Quite right, and a stupid misspelling at that, since I spelled the individual ship name correctly about 3 lines below that in code. :doh:

When I was looking for a T1 Tanker to add to the game, as soon as I saw pictures of the amazingly un-seaworthy-looking Klickitat I knew that had to be the one. I can't imagine crossing the Atlantic in something with such a low freeboard... :o

http://panicensuessoftware.com/CrashDive/images/USSKlickitatAOG-64-1.jpg
USS Klickitat AOG-64

[jgf]

Interesting. Would be more interesting if it was a PC game (can't imagine playing anything other than the simplest arcade games on anything less than a 19" monitor ...I currently use a 23" and dreaming of a 32").

But thanks for the heads up.

[Herr-Berbunch]

A good game, very playable on my SGS4, and handy for 'just a quick game' - easy to pick up and put down when needed (although like when I first played SH3 a couple of late nights have been had due to it).

Skies look gorgeous, my only graphics issue is occasionally I'll see what looks like a torpedo track, and seeing as I didn't fire one I'm glad it's not one. It's also very easy in easy and medium settings to evade detection, but I'll just put it up to hard.

Thanks guys, not much makes me spend any money in the Play Store, but this did and it's great. :yeah:

[SilentHunts]

This game is awesome! So fun and pretty hard.

[clayton]

Sold!

[Admiral Bowe-Legg]

Anyone know how to contact the makers of Crash dive to discuss improvements?.

[Aktungbby]

Admiral Bowe-Legg!:Kaleun_Salute: A PM to PAnicEnsues http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/images/ranks/panic_ensues.jpgis the way to go.

[PanicEnsues]

Anyone know how to contact the makers of Crash dive to discuss improvements?.

Hi!

I check the forums here fairly regularly; you can also email me at info@panicensuessoftware.com.

[Aktungbby]

I check the forums here fairly regularly; Jeeze! I was jus' helpin' :O: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/07/dc/85/07dc85f1adb7f69207466a582b3a071c.jpg

[PanicEnsues]

Jeeze! I was jus' helpin' :O:

Yep, and thank you! :up:

I just wanted to add more options for contacting me.

Happy hunting!

[PanicEnsues]

Greetings Captains! :Kaleun_Salute:

I've released a new game!

http://panicensuessoftware.com/TailGunCharlie/images/Banner_800.jpg

To be honest, there may not be much cross-over between fans of Crash Dive and my latest title, Tail Gun Charlie... But the game is free, so why not try it out?

It's available (did I mention it's free?) for Android and iOS devices that have a gyroscope. Currently, it's only released in the US, Canada, UK, and Australia; other countries will be added in the future.

You can watch the trailer: trailer: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEPAOKnI4Bg)

Or download the game from your neighborhood app store:

http://panicensuessoftware.com/TailGunCharlie/images/AppStore_sm.jpg (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tail-gun-charlie/id1173623952?ls=1&mt=8) http://panicensuessoftware.com/TailGunCharlie/images/GooglePlay_sm.jpg (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.panicensuessoftware.tailendcharlie)

Sometimes you need a break from the seas, so take to the skies! :D

-Scott

[Onkel Neal]

That's a good looking game. :up:

[Jimbuna]

Nice one :cool:

[cfsflyer]

I installed the game but apparently I don't have the gyro effect, alI have is rotatable screen, couldn't move the guns. Looks fun though

[Redwake]

I have the free version of the game, already played through all the difficulty setting and I like it, don't got the "campaign" part I still enjoy the game it's pretty fun to play when I don't got my laptop on me, and btw the tail gunner game looks good man.

[Wulliamp]

Just downloaded on steam great fun just enough sub sim action to keep me going!
Good stuff
By the way new to SUB SIM.

[Aktungbby]

Wulliamp!:Kaleun_Salute:

[Jimbuna]

Welcome to SubSim Wulliamp :Kaleun_Cheers:

[Commander Wallace]

Just downloaded on steam great fun just enough sub sim action to keep me going!
Good stuff
By the way new to SUB SIM.


Welcome to Subsim Wulliamp. :sunny: