SUBSIM's Battlestations: Pacific review

[Onkel Neal]

A nice, detailed review by our own UnderseaLcpl

Battlestations: Pacific

For those of you unfamiliar with the Battlestations franchise, the gameplay is a hybrid of real-time strategy and something approaching simulation. Players can use the game's tactical map to command squadrons and flotillas, or even individual planes and ships, or they can jump directly into pretty much any unit in the game and come to terms with the enemy personally. Sounds cool, right? It is, but there is something very important to remember before purchasing a game from the Battlestations line; It is not a simulation and it is not historically accurate, though it is mad fun. Want to attack Pearl Harbor with Kawasaki Shindens? You can do that. Shoot down a Mitsubishi A6M Zero with a Brewster Buffalo? Very possible. Shoot down another one with an Avenger? Sure, why not? Battlestations: Pacific is about gameplay, not sim fideluity and I promise you, the gameplay experience is worth dealing with that silliness.

[PL_Andrev]

And where is the rating table? Is there map editor?

[Onkel Neal]

Rating table comes from me, and I'm waiting for the game to arrive.

Map editior, good question. I'll check with James.

[PL_Andrev]

and question about not exactly map but mission editor, please.

[UnderseaLcpl]

There is no map or mission editor. You're stuck with the presets, but there are a lot of them.

Neal will have his own ratings and comments posted when he receives the game, he's been waiting on me to send it back to him. Sorry for the delay. If I wasn't chasing work and unable to even afford the postage, he'd have had it by now.

I'd rate it like this, though;

Realism: 6/20
+6 points for visceral and realistic feel (including damage effects), 0 points for complete disregard for the mechanics of aircraft, ships, submarines, ballistics, scale, and just about everything else. Those plus 6 points pack a wallop, though.

Historical Accuracy: 1/10
+1 points for having a wealth of war machines that actually existed. 0 points for everything else. Submerged submarines communicate via radio in this game. The fleet compositions are inaccurate, although they do feature vessels that were present in those battles.

Graphics: 9/10
A full ten for stunning visual effects, smoothness, textures, damage modeling, and all-around epicness that borders on that of a cinematic masterpiece.
-1 point for crewmen strolling about nonchalantly during torpedo attacks and being able to see when you're underwater. Honestly, if you couldn't see underwater, submarines would be worthless, so I wouldn't knock it much.

Sound/Music: 7/10
+10 for fittingly epic battle music and an impressive selection of suitably chaotic battle sounds
-1 for the music being repetitive, but only -1 because you won't really notice
-2 for naval artillery being too meek-sounding, and for the voice acting.

Gameplay: 18/20
+10 because you'll get your money's worth from the single-player alone, and the multiplayer is very good.
+5 for intuitive and simple controls.
+5 for effective genre-blending
-2 for balance issues

Repeat play: 6/10
+8 for being one of those games you just have to play every so often to relive the experience.
-2 for no editing tool. It would be minus 3 or four, but unit and mission variety is very, very good.

Stability/Bugs: 9-10/10
+10 for no crashes or AI bugs whatsoever
-1(possible) because I had trouble taking screenshots, but I think that's because of my rig.

Multiplay:5/5

+5, trust me. It's good, even with the balance issues relating to unlock-able units, which I already dinged it for in gameplay, mostly because they will affect your first forays into the single-player campaign as well.

Map/Mission editor: 2/5

+2 for not needing one
It may seem odd to put any score in this area, but the unlock-able units have a major effect on mission variety, enough to partially offset the lack of editors. That is, for the casual gamer. For modders and the like, it still gets a 0.

Finally, it gets a plus 15 bonus for being so good despite its' shortcomings. There are a lot of little things in the game that don't really fit in the other categories, but which make the game very enjoyable. It's kind of a Je ne sais quoi that you have to experience yourself.

Total: 76-79

[PL_Andrev]

Originally Posted by UnderseaLcpl

There is no map or mission editor.

Next problem.
Game is too much lock, "unfriendable" for modders.