SUBSIM: Silent Hunter 5 review (17/03/10) - Page 2

Phantom453 · 03-17-10, 04:46 AM

Thank you for the review Neal. Well written and a good read.

I thought your review was accurate, balanced and quite comprehensive. I particularly liked the points you made about the unfinished nature of the release and the extremely poor documentation (I still can’t bring myself to use the word “manual” in this case) and poor tutorial system. Obviously my pet hates at the moment.

Given your written assessment was spot on (IMHO), I too think your scores were a tad too high is some areas. Most of all though, I think you largely captured the concerns, disappointments, hopes and desires the Subsim community (still?) has for this game.

Sharkfin · 03-17-10, 04:46 AM

Thank You Neal for the excellent review. Will do exactly like You proposed:
wait a few more weeks for patches. And only if those patches fix the game, I will consider buying Silent Hunter 5.

Snake Man · 03-17-10, 06:45 AM

Excellent review, very nice read. I was surprised of the honesty of the review (meaning quite negative yet truthful).

vigilante · 03-17-10, 06:48 AM

hehe, when I've said a few month ago that SH5 it will be an unfinished game, made in great hurry and incomplete, a few board leaders were very intrigued: "how can you say that". Now they faced the reality genetelman.
Thank you Neil for a impartial review and the courage to put in black on white: this is an unfinished game, do not buy it now.

Drifter · 03-17-10, 06:56 AM

Quote:

The superb graphics never wear off, but once you put some hours into the game, a subsim requires solid gameplay and realistic AI to sustain your interest.

Well said. Thanks for the honest, balanced review.

SubV · 03-17-10, 07:05 AM

Thank you for the honest, objective review, Neal!

I still think the SH5 has more potential, than SH3 & SH4 put together.

Let's hope they'll remove the OSP at some moment.

03-17-10, 07:23 AM

Its a good review Neal, well written and fair. SH5 definately has potential, it's just a shame UBI seems so intent on sinking their own ships.

coronas · 03-17-10, 07:39 AM

Good and honest review.
Thanks, Neal!

Laffertytig · 03-17-10, 07:49 AM

fantastic review as always neal, that was a really good read.

im defo gonna hold the trigger on SH5 for a few more months though, just as i did with SH4. im sure if this game gets good support from ubi then it will be a sure fire purchase for me and probably many others as well.

in the meantime im just havin way to much fun with napolean total war

ReallyDedPoet · 03-17-10, 08:04 AM

Nicely done Neal, balanced and fair

RSColonel_131st · 03-17-10, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pcelt

On the whole a very fair and balanced review of the major strengths and shortcomings of SH5.
But I do feel that the misery and frustration of some of the effects of the DRM are underplayed. Having on many occasions to wait for long periods to gain access yo your game is one thing but when like me you also find that ,through no fault of your own UBI server has lost or is unable to d/l your last group of saves (in my case ten) then I think frustration and anger are reaonable responses.

I applaud Neal on doing a professional review of the game content and simulation level, but to not even mention that many people on his very own forum couldn't access the game for extended lenghts of time on multiple days and weekends - I don't know what he's hoping to gain from UBI by washing over these problems, but it's certainly neither professional, nor accurate nor objective. Besides, the hope (he mentiones in the article) that UBI will remove the CP later has been already clearly disproved by UBI Spokespeople saying the system will stay in all titles forever.

If the biggest negative of a game is the copy protection used, and he glosses over it, even tries to give some missinformed hope that it will go away then he hasn't done a full review of the game.

The General · 03-17-10, 08:14 AM

Great review Neal, thanks

I will say that if a game is really well designed and has good tutorials, then the need for a manual is reduced. Clearly the Devs didn't have time/manpower to work on the manual (or the tutorials for that matter), I'd rather they spent their time working on finishing the game anyway. Like the box art, the manual is one of the last things to worry about.

flakmonkey · 03-17-10, 08:16 AM

Great review, found a typo though

"They did this for StarForce in SH3, and with the v1.5 patch in SH5. They probably have a plan for this in SH5, but are reluctant to reveal it at this point."

Im guessing you meant sh4.

+Didnt you get a printed manual neal?? I aggree its a rubbish manual but i still got the printed one witht the standard version of the game.

MLF · 03-17-10, 08:18 AM

An excellent review, Neal, that tells it as it is - straight and to the point. Thank you. I will take the advice in your summary.

Regards

MLF

sharkbit · 03-17-10, 08:21 AM

Excellent review.

Seems very balanced. I'm still holding out hope that one day I can still purchase this title.

03-17-10, 06:45 AM	#18
Snake Man Sailor man Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 43 Downloads: 91 Uploads: 0	Excellent review, very nice read. I was surprised of the honesty of the review (meaning quite negative yet truthful). __________________ Operation Flashpoint. Armed Assault. ArmA 2, ArmA 3. Falcon 4 Theaters, Farming Simulator 19, FS22, FS25, Silent Hunter 3, SH4, SH5, Cold Waters, CMANO, Sea Power, Naval Warfare. www.pmctactical.org Snake Man, PMC.

03-17-10, 07:39 AM	#23
coronas Ace of the Deep Join Date: May 2005 Location: Asturias, España Posts: 1,168 Downloads: 39 Uploads: 0	Good and honest review. Thanks, Neal! __________________

03-17-10, 08:04 AM	#25
ReallyDedPoet Canadian Wolf Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Canada. The one and only, East Coast Posts: 10,887 Downloads: 946 Uploads: 5	Nicely done Neal, balanced and fair __________________ Back in the Day

03-17-10, 08:14 AM	#27
The General The Old Man Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Mountain Ash, Wales, U.K. Posts: 1,548 Downloads: 179 Uploads: 3	Great review Neal, thanks I will say that if a game is really well designed and has good tutorials, then the need for a manual is reduced. Clearly the Devs didn't have time/manpower to work on the manual (or the tutorials for that matter), I'd rather they spent their time working on finishing the game anyway. Like the box art, the manual is one of the last things to worry about. __________________ *THE GENERAL*

03-17-10, 08:16 AM	#28
flakmonkey Grey Wolf Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Staffordshire, Uk Posts: 944 Downloads: 78 Uploads: 0	Great review, found a typo though "They did this for StarForce in SH3, and with the v1.5 patch in SH5. They probably have a plan for this in SH5, but are reluctant to reveal it at this point." Im guessing you meant sh4. +Didnt you get a printed manual neal?? I aggree its a rubbish manual but i still got the printed one witht the standard version of the game. __________________

03-17-10, 04:46 AM	#16
Phantom453 Watch Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Adelaide, South Australia Posts: 25 Downloads: 22 Uploads: 0	Thank you for the review Neal. Well written and a good read. I thought your review was accurate, balanced and quite comprehensive. I particularly liked the points you made about the unfinished nature of the release and the extremely poor documentation (I still can’t bring myself to use the word “manual” in this case) and poor tutorial system. Obviously my pet hates at the moment. Given your written assessment was spot on (IMHO), I too think your scores were a tad too high is some areas. Most of all though, I think you largely captured the concerns, disappointments, hopes and desires the Subsim community (still?) has for this game.

03-17-10, 04:46 AM	#17
Sharkfin Swabbie Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Black Forest, Germany Posts: 13 Downloads: 9 Uploads: 0	Thank You Neal for the excellent review. Will do exactly like You proposed: wait a few more weeks for patches. And only if those patches fix the game, I will consider buying Silent Hunter 5.

03-17-10, 06:48 AM	#19
vigilante Watch Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Constantza / Romania Posts: 23 Downloads: 51 Uploads: 0	hehe, when I've said a few month ago that SH5 it will be an unfinished game, made in great hurry and incomplete, a few board leaders were very intrigued: "how can you say that". Now they faced the reality genetelman. Thank you Neil for a impartial review and the courage to put in black on white: this is an unfinished game, do not buy it now.

03-17-10, 07:05 AM	#21
SubV Planesman Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Russia Posts: 187 Downloads: 182 Uploads: 4	Thank you for the honest, objective review, Neal! I still think the SH5 has more potential, than SH3 & SH4 put together. Let's hope they'll remove the OSP at some moment.

03-17-10, 07:23 AM	#22
Uber Gruber Stowaway Posts: n/a Downloads: Uploads:	Its a good review Neal, well written and fair. SH5 definately has potential, it's just a shame UBI seems so intent on sinking their own ships.

03-17-10, 07:49 AM	#24
Laffertytig Grey Wolf Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 757 Downloads: 110 Uploads: 0	fantastic review as always neal, that was a really good read. im defo gonna hold the trigger on SH5 for a few more months though, just as i did with SH4. im sure if this game gets good support from ubi then it will be a sure fire purchase for me and probably many others as well. in the meantime im just havin way to much fun with napolean total war

03-17-10, 08:18 AM	#29
MLF Weps Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: SW France Posts: 361 Downloads: 137 Uploads: 0	An excellent review, Neal, that tells it as it is - straight and to the point. Thank you. I will take the advice in your summary. Regards MLF __________________ Je pense donc je fuis!

03-17-10, 08:21 AM	#30
sharkbit The Old Man Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 1,529 Downloads: 334 Uploads: 0	Excellent review. Seems very balanced. I'm still holding out hope that one day I can still purchase this title. __________________ “Prejudice is blind. There will always be someone who says you aren’t welcome at the table. Stop apologizing for who you are and using all your energy trying to change their minds. Yes, you will lose friends, maybe even family. But you will gain your self-respect. You will know your worth. Once you have that, nothing can stop you.”