BATTLESTATIONS: PACIFIC

GAME DETAILS :-

Developer : Eidos Hungary

Publisher : Eidos Interactive

Engine : Not Revealed

Genre : Historic Real-Time Tactics

Release Date : May 12 , 2009

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS :-

Operating System : Windows XP / Windows Vista

CPU : Intel Core 2 Duo Processor / AMD Athlon64 X2 4200+

Memory (RAM) : 2 GB

Graphics Hardware : DirectX 9.0c Compatible Video Card with Memory 256 MB

[NVIDIA : GeForce 7600 Series
ATI : Radeon X1950 Series]

Hard Disk Space : 8 GB

GAME FEATURES :-

Battlestations: Pacific begins where its predecessor left off, depicting the United States' wartime operations in the Pacific theater, though this time, it lets you experience history from both sides of the coin. Actually, in the case of the Japanese campaign, you'll explore an alternate history in which the Japanese expand their empire across the greater Pacific after destroying Pearl Harbor. Both the American campaign and its counterpart eschew an actual story, limiting narrative exposition to prebattle mission briefings and sepia-toned cutscenes made to look as if they were culled from old film footage. This History Channel-inspired method of storytelling works just fine, though the accompanying dialogue, especially that of the American campaign, is stilted and awkward, and the voice acting is at best amateurish--and at worst, deeply embarrassing. You'll spend a good amount of time in the cockpit of a fighter or bomber, laying waste to enemy aircraft, launching torpedoes into battleships, and pelleting PT boats with machine-gun fire. It's a shame that a more standard flight-control scheme isn't an option. However, once you get used to the controls, you'll find that Battlestations: Pacific offers a tight and enjoyable flight-combat experience that is as exciting as any arcade sim. From the B-25 bomber to the speedy F4U Corsair, each plane feels good to fly and appropriately powerful. Destroyers such as the Japanese Akizuki are equipped with artillery, antiaircraft turrets, and torpedoes; during the heat of battle, you will find yourself switching between them often. Watching a target battleship begin to flame and smoke during a protracted battle is rewarding, and the loud booms of volleyed artillery make these battles pack even more punch. Submarines fill out this impressive variety of units at your command. They demand more patience than their other naval brethren but also present their own intriguing tactical concerns. You can surface if you need to exercise some artillery power, but doing so leaves you incredibly vulnerable. At a midlevel depth, you can raise your periscope to help you survey your surroundings and properly aim your torpedoes, but you risk damaging the scope should a ship pass overhead while it's extended. The best missions are those in which you must coordinate full-scale attacks on land bases to capture them. Once you're managing a large force of aircraft, ships, and submarines, the excitement levels rise exponentially. You can switch easily from unit to unit, or you can use an overhead tactical map to select a unit caught in the heat of battle. Battlestations: Pacific strikes a pleasant balance between strategic control and heated action by weighing the effectiveness of the AI with that of the player, which in turn means that you must switch from one view to the other, and from one unit to another, with frequency.

This sounds like a lot to digest at once, but even in big, chaotic battles, the intuitive interface allows you to readily get a handle on the action. It's easy to replace a unit should you lose it, whether you're in the midst of aerial acrobatics or issuing orders from the map. There are also occasions in which you'll need to repair damaged ships, which is an intuitive process when you're in command of the vessel in question. Some of these orders are carried out only in certain views, so there is some fiddling involved, but whether you use a mouse and keyboard or a controller, issuing orders is user-friendly and ensures that you always feel firmly in control. The standout mode is Island Capture, in which opposing teams of up to four players each attempt to capture island bases while defending their own. This mode is intensely chaotic, demanding that each team member deploy the best units for the job, keep the overall progress of the battle in check, and jump into the fray when the AI is taking a beating. These matches can last for longer than an hour, but they retain a high level of intensity from beginning to end. Escort and Siege modes let you experience the excitement without all of the tactical considerations. Competitive mode is a fascinating score-based affair in which players compete for points by shooting down enemies or accomplishing other objectives. Most of the available maps are fun, especially those that focus on dogfighting. Others, such as one in which you launch kamikaze rocket planes into your target, are on the bland side. In Duel mode, the team members take control of a single unit, deathmatch-style, until one team is completely eliminated. This mode is the least interesting, particularly if you choose a naval battle, because it strips away the broader concerns that make Battlestations: Pacific so intriguing. The visuals have been markedly improved over Battlestations: Midway, and battles look terrific, given the game's ambitious scope. Some graphical weaknesses are apparent: Explosions are unimpressive up close, and though terrain is much improved, the lack of details and the low-resolution textures on land are noticeable. Weather effects look realistic, which makes a naval battle during a nighttime thunderstorm particularly intense. As you'd hope in a game based at sea, the water looks terrific, undulating pleasantly underneath your vessels and reflecting light in a natural manner. There are lots of cool, small touches that enhance the thrills, from the meandering crew members on your ships to the billows of smoke that rise from enemy ships as they take your merciless hammering. Even better, you should be able to maintain silky-smooth performance while cranking up the graphical frills, even on a mid-range PC. The sound effects are on par with the visuals. The loud explosion of a torpedo that squarely hits its target is always a delight, as is the rat-a-tat-tat of your Helldiver's tail gunner. The fanfare-filled orchestral soundtrack has all the typical bombast of most World War II games, but it's appropriate and rarely grating. Strategy and action merge in this complex and exciting sequel.

GAME REVIEW :-

8/10

Battlestations: Pacific Trailer :-