Im at a loss for words

[GoldenRivet]

INTRODUCTION TO THE GAME / TRAINING MISSION

Great introduction to the game.

however the "training mission" if that is what you dare call it is FAR too arcade like. i seriously felt like i was playing , only with ships.

let me summarize the opening scene

"Hey you.. wake up.. captain wants to see you on the bridge."

you go to the bridge

"well... looks like we are finally at war, oh well."

"SHIP SPOTTED! right there... holy sh*t i swear it is right there it just appeared out of nowhere... i could break wind on it from here it is so close!"

"Quick... get to the periscope and sink at least 2 of them"

done!

"congrats... you are now a U-boat commander W00+!"

the end

The game really needs a whole series of playable training missions.

the interface, options, crew interactions, skill sets etc are FAR too complicated for even the EXPERT SUBSIMMER to pickup quickly thus the need for about a dozen training missions.

because there is no printed manual, there is no ability to read the damned thing WHILE PLAYING as a reference. you have to write down any questions or curiosities you have then reference the included "manual" later on.

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CREW INTERACTION / RPG ELEMENTS

at first i thought "COOL!" i asked the 1WO about his family, and got a whole speech about his kids and wife etc. Awesome

I asked the radio guy about his brother aboard the bismark, the chief about his apparently ill wife and so on and so on.

about an hour later... about 2 hours later, about 3 hours later... NONE of these men's dialogue options ever changed. so... i have to ask... if it is always the same, whats the point.

the only unique thing i encountered during trying out dialogue was that EVENTUALLY the "pirate" started bitching aloud, in the middle of the command room about how the crew doesnt respect him and he wants me to do something about it.

ummmmm ok? i'll go have a talk with this dude about his wife... will that help?

As far as mission briefings... there is a naval officer who's sole job in life is to stand in the u-boat pen, next to your boat and wait for you to be ready for a mission. when you interact with him he tells you to "come in" and you fade out to a map screen.

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WATCH CREW

I order the crew to man the deck gun... i assume this would mean ATTACK A SHIP... but there is no obvious way to make them do this.

furthermore, once they are on the deck gun, there is no known way to get them off of it. they just stay put through the whole campaign if i dont submerge.

same goes for the flak gun.

The watch crew - dare i call them that - is a disgrace. They are blind, deaf, and apparently hallucinating.

The watch crew is on a continuous loop of pointing at random, non-existent objects that apparently only they can see in their hallucinogenic world.

however, i sailed to within 800 meters of a large british merchant ship... not one watch crew ever called it out or even hinted to the fact that we were about to collide with the enemy. they just sat there... in there LSD induced stupidity pointing at the invisible flying unicorn people.

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ENEMY AI

on more than one occasion I closed to within pissing distance of a DD which was apparently either abandoned... or the entire crew was experimenting with the same hallucinogenic drugs that my crew was by now completely stoned out of their skulls with.

because the enemy DD didnt even turn its guns, maneuver, shake a fist... react AT ALL. For the love of God at least fart in my general direction!!!

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CREW CAPABILITY / SKILLS / SPECIAL POWERS WHATEVER

Im not sold on this crew ability thing... how do you use the abilities? when do you use them? why have them anyhow?

i received a contact report of a convoy (you dont so much receive them as they appear on the map so you have to watch for it) and set up and intercept.

told the torpedo man "Warm up the weapons"

"CANNOT COMPLY"

ummmmmm... ok? perhaps you didnt understand me... we are about to go shoot these torpedoes at the enemy stop standing there playing pocket pool and get the gadamned weapons ready.

same situation with the "sound guy" i select "Reveal hidden enemies" when trying to make sound contact with a convoy that must surely be nearby... "I CANT DO THIS RIGHT NOW"

Ummmmmm ok you want me to come back in 10 minutes? cause we can totally put the war on hold until you get your turds in a pile.

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PLAYABILITY

If you have been following the silent hunter series from day one... prepare to get mind f*cked here... because everything you have known for the past 14 years is going to get turned on its head.

Interface, key strokes... the whole works... it has been completely - and i mean COMPLETELY overhauled... to the point that it is not even recognizable as a member of the silent hunter franchise.

the GUI leaves a LOT to be desired and provides the player with almost NO instantaneous access to important... nay... VITAL game information.

the "ahead slow" "ahead flank" "ahead standard" that is pretty much been the staple of the subsim franchise is GONE to be replaced with. "Extreme speed ahead"

wait?

extreme speed ahead?

he says... Extreme speed ahead.

ever heard that order given on a ship? I havn't... until now.

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THE GOOD STUFF

there are a few things i like in the game that i would have really loved to see expanded.

the role playing element... though new to a submarine simulation adds an interesting dynamic.

I understand that it would take 5 years to come up with enough dialogue for the characters to have something new to say every day or every few days... but we really need more than 5 weeks at sea asking "number two" about his family... or asking the radio guy about his brother.

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SUMMARY

Silent hunter 5 was just released and is already standing at a fork in the road.

the road to the left... far less traveled...

the road to the right... trodden down... a beaten and familiar path to video games

If silent hunter 5 takes the road to the left - through heavy patching, mods etc (like always - thanks for nothing Ubi) it could go down in history as a trend setting masterpiece.

If SH5 takes the road to the right... it will fade into obscurity as a game that had a lot of neat concepts and ideas... but that ultimately failed.