Battlestations: Midway (Xbox 360)

Before I begin, I feel that I must say that this isn't a game for everyone. It demands a certain amount of effort to play and if you enjoy mindless violence then it certainly isn't for you. However, put in the time to complete the training levels and you will be rewarded with a huge amount of satisfaction.

The graphics are brilliant and really show what the 360 can really do. Your eyes are gently massaged by various calming blues and the ocean looks so cool and deep that if you play this on a hot day, you will have to constantly fight the urge to dive through your television screen. It's not all like this though; you'll be exposed to beautifull sunsets, fog and other elements. This experience changes with each unit you use, for example cruising 5,000 feet above the sea in a flying fortress weaving in and out of the clouds and occasionally glimpsing the lazy white slithers left by distant ships on a perfect blue ocean. At the other end of the extreme you'll find youself in a small patrol boat racing at full speed, dodging the pillars of spray that remind you that there's a war on and someone is trying to kill you. This is part of the genius of the game; the constant shift between the peacefull and the manic and it really is exhillerating.

The attention to detail is excellent. While in control of ships you can see the crew walking around on the deck and it really gives you a sense of power. Playing as the various units gives the game a huge amount of diversity, especially the submarines. I mean, how many other games give you the oppertunity to pilot a sub, which is so much fun. At times you feel like a predator, hunting unsuspecting ships; then you hear the pings of the enemy sonar and the thud of depth charges detonating all around you and you can't help but feel scared and vulnerable.

The controls are well thought out and you can really feel the weight when piloting the larger ships and planes.

Once you've completed the useful training course, the campaign is good fun and gradually builds in difficulty level. During this time you will have been given the oppertunity to sample most of the units, aswell as the various stratagies that can be used. After the campaigns comes the challenges. These really are a challenge and are very satisfying to complete, as you really feel like you've achieved something. If, after finishing these, you still haven't had enough, then Midway pulls out another ace from up it's well stockpiled sleve: the online play. Fighting with or against other human players provides another completely different gaming experience which adds months onto the game's lifespan. All in all, a brilliant gaming experience, not quite perfect, but pretty close.

When i 1st bought this game i crindged in horror, sure it looked nice but i just had so much trouble getting into the game so i put it away for a day or so, i finally desided to have another go, i worked my way thru the tutorial, practised using all the planes, boats, subs and once i got the hang of it i was hooked, it can be quite technical and strategy does play a big part of the game but never the less there is enough in the game to satisfy the action gamers. just take the time to learn the controls etc and within a few hours you will be sinking enemy battleships, shooting down enemy planes and enjoying every minute of it.. frustration can sometimes creep in but stick to your guns (no pun intended)

Battlestations Midway is an ambitious game which doesn't quite pull off every trick it sets out to achieve but gets away with most of them. The idea is to give the player command of naval units in the pivotal battles of the Pacific war during WWII. This is done using a combination of hands-on combat by controlling ships, aircraft and subs, and planning of overall strategy using a tactical map.

The various units are fairly easy to control and the large number of tutorials cover the controls well. There are a lot of controls to remember in this game and referral back to the tutorials is often a good idea. The manual doesn't even bother explaining all that much as it often refers to the tutorials in the game instead.

The single player campaign breaks you into controlling and commanding your units gently, starting you off in a PT (torpedo) boat, then up to destroyers, cruisers, aircraft carriers, submarines and eventually entire fleets. You also get to fly virtually every plane in the Pacific theatre as you engage in dogfights plus dive bomb and torpedo enemy ships. Some missions are far too easy and others are ridiculously hard - the difficulty curve is all over the place rather than ramping up as you get near the end of the game. It can also be pretty confusing what is going on as the game does not pause whenever you are looking at the map.

As well as the main campaign, there are challenges based around the various unit types. These are standalone missions and pretty tricky. They are very useful, though, in preparing you for multiplayer.

Battlestations Midway is played over Xbox Live with up to eight players taking control of either the US or Japanese forces and attempting to complete certain objectives. This is good fun but naturally, as with so many online games, playing with dedicated people or friends makes it more enjoyable.

Graphically the game is mostly very good. As there is often an awful lot going on, some simple textures and effects are required to keep the framerate up. But that isn't to say it's ugly - ships lean as they turn, roll on the waves, water splashes on the `camera', men move around on deck. Planes glint in the sun and water kicks up with explosions and sinking vessels. It often looks absolutely great with the odd rough edge. Sound is good, lots of authentic bangs and good radio chatter keeping you up to date on how soon your ship is going to sink if you don't get some repairs on the go very soon.

The campaign is pretty short, but has secondary and hidden objectives and multiple skill levels to reward replaying, plus the usual achievements. Online play extends the game and overall makes Battlestations Midway a good purchase.