War On The Sea: Video Review Games

Video games dedicated to the navy now quite a bit. From popular modern projects can be remembered World of Warships and her eternal competitor in the form of marine fighting from War Thunder. The rest of the game on the marine battles of the era of world wars will not be able to call either modern (series Silent Hunter And Battlestations, “Steel Monsters”) or popular (Uboat, Rule The Waves 2).

Several of these “widely known in narrow circles” of projects created studio Killerfish Games. At first she released step-by-step strategies Atlantic Fleet And Pacific Fleet, Then developed a tactical submarine simulator Cold Waters, And now swung on a full-fledged RTS dedicated to the battles in the Pacific Ocean between the troops of the allies and the Imperial Army of Japan. Tell O WAR ON THE SEA – A new project of Australian developers, the release of which took place in Steam in early February.

From Miduey to Guadalkanal

If Cold Waters NATO’s submarines were devoted to the years of the Cold War, then it is possible for us to command the fleet as imperial Japan and allies during the battle for the Pacific Ocean in World War I9. The modes are traditionally limited to Singleer: historical battles, dynamic campaign and created in a simple fighting editor, where you can choose the number and composition of the opposing parties.

It was on the campaign that I had the greatest hopes: a large-scale war on the sea TVID promised interesting gameplay with focus on logistics, supply and exploration. Formally, all this in the campaign is, but the implementation is primitive primitive. For example, for the capture of one of the bases on the numerous Pacific Islands, the procedure for approximately as follows: We collect the operational group of several ships, shipping the supplies and a landing, send to the desired point, where we unload the infantry and wait for some time until the goal goes under our control. Type of orders on the global map is only one – movement;Intelligence is presented except with aviation, and the logistics begins and ends at the stage of transparency with one base to another.

The development of ports and airfields is limited only by the button for improving the bases, so the word “dynamic” in the design of the campaign is better to take in quotes – freedom of action still ends at the choice of ships and attack goals. About the study of technology and the construction of the fleet do not even think – this is not you “Steel Monsters” or Hearts of Iron.For a beautiful picture, please feel the World of Warships – here the stars from the sky are missing.
However, on a global map, too much microcontrols so that you can feel like a strategist: for example, set the route to automatically send conmented or patrols – all manually. Warning with each ship and aircraft adversely affects atmosphericness, however, without this, the Pacific Ocean in the game does not impress the living world. Not only the simplified concept of the campaign is to blame for this, but also an uncomfortable interface.

Ignoring generally accepted design solutions (for example, the button here looks like “Chekbox”) annoying, but it is even more nervous the bad readability of the card. The detected enemy convoy or the plane is indicated by a special icon, but it is worth the enemy to go beyond visibility, as the label disappears from the card. It is impossible to draw on it – plan operations in the mind, remembering the contact location with the enemy.

The huge theater of hostilities does not seem to be a place for a gigantic battle, as in reality, is just a picture of the ocean and islands with those arising there, then here the icons of fleets and aviation. Two such icons met – load into the tactical mode. Maybe there is better things, since the campaign to developers frankly failed?Map of dynamic campaign. To the interface will have to get used to.

Neither fish nor fowl

W Killerfish Games Behind the shoulders there are experience in creating three games dedicated to marine battles, so for this aspect of the gameplay in Wots I did not worry. As it turned out, in vain. The main problem is that the “sea battle” can not be clearly attributed to any genre. That before us is arcade, simulator, strategy?..

For arcade here is too strange control. Yes, you can specify the speed of the stroke and angle of rotation (using the slider, as when adjusting the volume, – rate the convenience!), Select a target for an automatic attack or manually press the shot button and … Perhaps, on this opportunity for direct control end.

The game is also not drawn on the simulator – here you simply have nothing to simulate, with the exception of the system of struggle for the vitality, allowing you to send emergency teams to extinguish fires and latch holes in the case. Course laying, calculating a combat solution for a torpedo volley, the work of Sonar and Radar – everything is either remaining behind the scenes, providing only a demonstration of ready-made data on the screen, or there is no. Dreams of the simulator I forgot immediately after I found that there are no tools for working with a card. Compare Silent Hunter or Dangerous Waters I will not even – the difference is so great. Subordinate control interface: For the arcade, it is too difficult for the simulator – too simplistic, and for the strategy – too inconvenient.
Closer than just Wots to the usual real-time strategy, but the full RTS will not be called it either. Marina is too high abstract occurring. Numerous game data do not have a clear and visual digital expression, therefore, such parameters, as the likelihood of hitting, the shooting range, the number of printed and the resulting damage, the time to reach the route point, remains only to guess. If such a simulator is even plus, then plan actions in a simple touch of tactics (just such, apparently, and planned to do Wots) In such conditions, it is almost impossible.

You have to act in many ways at random, suffering not only from the deficit of information, but also from the terrible interface. I wonder how the developers are offered to control the ship in battle, if there is no line and transportation at hand, and the radius of the gun or sonar is not specified on the map? The latter seems to not work – the submarines can only be detected by chance, using a underwater chamber.

Finally, a leisurely flow of battle and the inability to turn on the acceleration of time after the first fire contact is finally put the cross in the pleasure of what is happening.

Exterior design it turned out to be the rest of the rest. Graphics B Wots approximately at the level of the first games Killerfish Games, which will soon be fulfilled more than a dozen years: such a picture will not impress anyone even on “Mobils”, where Atlantic Fleet And Pacific Fleet, By the way, feel beautiful. Toning ships are not blocked on the part, there are no slurry in the housing, the effects of shooting and explosions are outdated – with the exception of air battles, for what is happening completely not interesting to observe.

It is difficult to present the war on the Pacific Ocean without aviation. Watch the air battles in the game much more interesting than for ships shooting.
***
For those who appreciate the game on the naval theme (any setting and genre), WAR ON THE SEA, Most likely, will be a big disappointment. Cold Waters It was also difficult to be called a masterpiece (especially for realism lovers), but against the background of almost the complete absence of analogues, it did not have to arrive. As a result, after patches and mods, it turned out quite a completely demolished tactical simulator of modern applies.

Wots such luxury can not afford – the heels are coming MicroProse, threatening to release several projects about marine battles at once, on the approach Destroyer: The U-Boat Hunter And Ultimate Admiral: Dreadnoughts, And in early access Uboat Successfully keeps the course to release. This year the choice of games for the “Sea Fight” promises to be extremely rich, but WAR ON THE SEA From this list will have to shut out.

Pros: Beautiful air battles;Wrestling system.

Minuses: terrible interface;outdated graphics;indefinite genre affiliation;bugs.