One of the unique selling points of Battlestations Pacific is that it comes in two parts, first of all you can attempt to re-write history as you fight as the Japanese throughout the famous battles of WWII or if you prefer you can fight as the Americans and win the war the way it was meant to happen.

 

 

No matter what side you choose to play as the game will guide you through, advising you what your primary and secondary missions are. In fact when playing as the Japanese should you not carry these missions out to the satisfaction of the commander you will have him screaming down your ear just to give you a reminder of what it is that you are supposed to be doing, which adds a nice sense of authenticity to proceedings. On a side note it is worth completing the secondary missions if you can as doing this will reward you with naval supplies, these can range from air support, active supplies which is basically a bonus which lasts for a short time and also a longer term bonus. The rewards you gain here obviously help you in your current task.

 

The missions when playing on either side are quite varied and for the most part historically accurate, the Japanese story for example kicks off with you attacking Pearl Harbour, blowing up grounded planes, sinking ships etc. It’s all very intense and a great way to start the game. Although you start off controlling a limited amount of aircraft it isn’t long before you are taking control of the whole fleet, therefore in one mission you will be tasked with taking down a ship with your aircrafts torpedoes and then in the next you will be controlling a ship and be tasked with shooting aircraft out of the sky.

 

One of the missions that stood out for me involved escorting a ship named the Shoho through the night, here you are tasked with shooting down enemy planes from the night sky. The effects here really look great as the water sparkles in the moonlight and the enemies are only visible in the night sky thanks to the light of the gunfire. This mission is a great way to show this game off that’s for sure.

 

Those new to the game will certainly feel at home as the controls are very easy to pick up. Throughout each mission you are prompted with onscreen directions to ease you in, which really helps you learn the skills you will need to master the game. To be honest if you have ever played a flight sim type game before you will probably feel right at home with Battlestations Pacific, however there are some differences especially on the tactical side that you will need to learn.

 

The tactical side of the game includes issuing orders, repairing your ship or using the games support manager. The support manager is an important part of the game, allowing you to launch units and issue orders which in turn should help you bring down the enemy a lot easier. Accessing orders or the support manager is as simple a pressing a button and played to your advantage this will really help you get to a swift victory.

 

 

Graphically the game looks wonderful, the water effects are very realistic and the developer has even went to the trouble of animating little sailors dashing around on the decks of the ships, panicking as yet another set of bombs drop from your aircraft, this in itself is a great touch and adds a real sense of realism.

 

For those players who prefer their kicks online, Battlestation Pacific also comes with a multiplayer mode which includes five game modes for you to get your teeth into. The modes included in the multiplayer are Escort, Siege, Competitive, Duel and Island Capture, all of these modes are quite varied and most involve in one way or another either capturing a key location or destroying a set target or in the case of Duel, each other.

 

Battlestation Pacific is certainly a step up from Battlestation Midway, providing the same level of fun but also adding in a whole new list of options and equipment to play with. Anyone who enjoys this genre will love this game thanks to it being easy to pick up and play and great fun at the same time.