WDS Kriegsmarine!
 

https://i.ibb.co/SmVXFWC/KM.jpg

I just wanted to share my initial experience with Naval Campaigns: Kriegsmarine from Wargame Design Studio, and share a pictorial of one of the included battles.

https://wargameds.com/products/kriegsmarine

I recently got to check out this title, and I must say that this is a really nice wargame from WDS, who has carried on the legacy of the excellent old HPS series and John Tillers games. Kriegsmarine is a real time, pausable naval strategy game, with realistic gameplay, and clean and detailed overhead graphics. The ship and plane models in particular are very pretty, as are the clouds, and the representations of weapons are understandable and clear, if a little small. It simulates a number of famous battles, playable from both sides. The time can be speeded up to 10X, and the press of a button brings you back to real time.

While not a deep simulator of single ship operation by any means, you have overall good control of your groups or ships actions, without micromanaging a lot small details on single ships. A very fun aspect of the game is the aircraft mission assignment, which involves a bit more managing. I find this title very enjoyable, and the representations of my favorite ships and naval engagements are very good. The UI is very much like other wargames from WDS/HPS, clean and intuitive.

Sounds are very good, cannons are heavy and the feeling of WW2 naval action is definately there! One aspect I felt were off was the ocean graphics themselves. They seem to be the same signal blue of the other naval campaign games, and stand out harshly. They does not look anything like the atlantic ocean, in which the game is supposed to be set. Luckily, like many WDS/HPS titles, the formats are open and moddable. If you compare with the screenshots on the official website, you will see in my shots below that I have already made a small mod for it, changing all the different ocean state graphics for more realistic ones, with more natural and realistic coloring. I will make an upload for this mod later.

The game runs like a dream, due to its low graphic demands. And as a real time WW2 naval action strategy game, it is most welcome addition. There are other reviews out there, going in better detail on the content, but I can highly recommend this game for any fans of big ship action in WW2! Following are some pictures of the battle between Scharnhorst / Gneisenau and the aircraft carrier Glorious, as well as some random game shots featuring my ocean mod.


Here is Gneisenau. Very nice ship models! The game also has many zoom levels, this being the closest one. Names and other features showing can be toogled on or off.

https://i.ibb.co/Wf4NzRJ/01-Gneisenau.jpg

The carrier Glorious steaming ahead.

https://i.ibb.co/H29TTz6/02-Glorious.jpg

On the large map zoom levels, the texture gives way for better readability.

https://i.ibb.co/SKbPV9v/03-Big-Map.jpg

The game displays more info when right clicking on the selected ship in the left panel.

https://i.ibb.co/hFgD4c9/04-Info-Tab.jpg

By clicking the large ship button, you get a nice profile picture of the selected ship.

https://i.ibb.co/vDd4TbW/05-Large-Ship-Picture.jpg

A Gloster Gladiator has just taken off from the Glorious.

https://i.ibb.co/g92hrgP/06-Gladiator-Take-Off.jpg

The Gladiator patrols around the carrier.

https://i.ibb.co/GCD3dnW/07-Gladiator-Patrol.jpg

Glorious sustains a hit from the german battlecruisers.

https://i.ibb.co/SyHdmjx/08-Glorious-Hit.jpg

The Glorious launches Swordfish aircraft, but they stay away from the german ships.

https://i.ibb.co/2S91LQH/09-Swordfish-Attack.jpg

Glorious has taken a lot of damage and is burning. Aircraft can no longer land, and loiter in the air.

https://i.ibb.co/cNmhbhR/10-Glorious-Damage.jpg

Destroyers Ardent and Acasta is trying to protect Glorious by laying smoke.

https://i.ibb.co/6ms2Wfb/11-Destroyers-Laying-Smoke.jpg

Info on the aircraft. Nice pictures of the various models.

https://i.ibb.co/71ZGWr0/12-Aircraft-Info.jpg

Gneisenau while closing on the carrier, has strayed into Acasta's torpedo range. The destroyer launches a torpedo. It is represented by a white square.

https://i.ibb.co/Qdhd9Gs/13-Acasta-Launches-Torpedo.jpg

Gneisenau manages to avoid incoming torpedo with good margin.

https://i.ibb.co/yknyrYp/14-Gneisena...ng-Torpedo.jpg

After many bad hits from the german battlecruisers, the Glorious is sunk. In the info panel, you will see the ship is now on the bottom of the sea. Meanwhile, Gneisenau opens AA fire on the aircraft.

https://i.ibb.co/BKC5H6g/15-Glorious-Is-Sunk.jpg

Acasta is damaged, but manages to launch another salvo of torpedoes. Scharnhorst turns hard to avoid. They barely miss.

https://i.ibb.co/0qxMTxf/16-Scharnho...-Torpedoes.jpg

The destroyer Acasta is sunk by heavy shelling from Scharnhorst. Battle won by the German side. Unfortunately Glorious did not have a chance.

https://i.ibb.co/XDTVWwB/17-Acasta-Is-Sunk.jpg

Convoy freighter, showing off dark, stormy waters and a cloudy sky.

https://i.ibb.co/YjkW1rb/18-Night-an...ter-Convoy.jpg

German destroyers in the calmer waters of the norwegian fjords.

https://i.ibb.co/qFY0H6c/20-Water-Shallow-Narvik.jpg

German destroyers off Plymouth, screenshot showing off a rolling atlantic ocean texture.

https://i.ibb.co/jfGTnyB/21-Water-Atlantic.jpg