Here is my quick review after about 8 hours into the game.
This is unequivocally the spiritual successor to Tom Clancy’s Red Storm Rising. From the Campaign map to the tone of the game will remind you of Red Storm Rising, in a good way. This has been said before but I’ll echo it once again. This is not 688(i) Fleet Command, Sub Command or any Janes/Sonalysts game. Again that’s not a bad thing, it’s just different to expect….well….a different game. Sim, Sim lite, arcade, action. I don’t rightly know how to characterize the game. It certainly has simulation elements combined with action elements and it’s a great combination with TONS of potential. Potential is where I’ll leave the review. I like this game, it’s fun, it’s engaging and it shows lots of promise. Let’s face it in the PlayStation generation Simulations are a niche, subsims even more so. It’s up to the developer now to patch and polish what could be a gem.
The game has a nice help screen and in game quick reference. Tutorial missions, single missions and a 1968 and 1984 WW3 dynamic campaign.
Here are a few issues I have with the game at this time:
- No verbal/audio announcements for events in the game. Other than the small text in the status box on the bottom right of the screen. I don’t know how many times an Ace Russian ASW pilot dropped a torpedo and I don’t realize it because I didn’t see the notification. Audio announcements of “Torpedo in the water!” and things like that are a MUST! Crew voices are essential.
-Not being able to issue orders. I love manually controlling the sub and maneuvering it how I want. However, it would be nice to be able to set a course or set a depth.
-ASW aircraft are insanely accurate. They are on you before you know there are surface/submarine targets in the area. They have laser accurate sonobouys and torpedoes. Over all their weapons and sensors are too accurate.
-Helicopters stay on station too long, they would long run out of gas. (source I’m a military helo pilot) Bears fly over you unimpeded even when close to a friendly coast or we have air superiority.
-Surface task groups drive in with active sonar blazing, even if they aren’t sure you are there, or anything is there. They ping away making it almost impossible to sneak in for the attack.
-Even at the Max spawn of 25k yds the enemy is detecting you and engaging you too quickly. It almost instant.
-Coming off the campaign map to an engagement the player is always put in a poor tactical position. It’s maddening.
-Enemy submarines are ping way too often again running your stalking and then they instantly detect you and you’ve got torps incoming.
-Torpedo wires are cut too easily in my opinion. Even moving gently 5 or 10 degrees.
-Campaign briefings designate you to attack a particular target and intercept on the campaign screen. Sometimes it is difficult to find or you engage other targets or say take damage. Your failure is too drastic the debrief make it seem like your failure causes us to lose the war and you’re the sole submarine operating in the wear. It’s extremely annoying.
-Campaign map is boring. Where are the friendly subs, carrier groups, convoys, shipping lanes, front lines, fighter CAP patrols SOSUS stations? Oh how about a friendly sub tender maybe, please? It’s boring and plain not much else to say.
-Mini map needs drawing tools, range tools, more details and ways to organize contacts.
-As Nippelspanner said in his review, “Situational awareness is key, and here the game is lacking.” I could not say it better or agree more.
-Graphics are in the good category. I have a high-end system. I7 7700k, 32BG RAM, GTX1080 and some textures are beautiful and some are outright rough. I was honestly a tad disappointed in the textures but the 3D models are outstanding.
-Sounds are great once you turn the music off.
-The 1960s and 1980s propaganda art and news filling in between events is a really cool touch.
-I have so many issues with damage control and flooding being fixed then not fixed and fixed again. I’ve been back to port to repair and still have a compartment completely flooded. This game is buggy at it’s current state.
In summary, I think this game can be great. It’s fun and engaging in its current state but it’s far from perfect. I’m completely happy to support the devs and look forward to what they can produce in the future.
