Battlestations: Midway (Xbox 360) Review
Posted by Chris McCarver on 02.19.2007
The complete package for the WW2 enthusiast? Very, very close.
Platform: Xbox 360 (also available for PC)
Publisher: Eidos Interactive
Developer: Eidos Interactive
ESRB Rating: T (mild language, realistic violence, suggestive themes, use of tobacco and alcohol)
Release Date: Jan. 30, 2007
Review by CHRIS McCARVER
The World War II game genre is something I’m wholly new to. The likes of Call of Duty and Medal of Honor have yet to find even a temporary home on my consoles or handhelds, but not out of dislike but mere unfamiliarity. I’m not that much of a history buff, and though I know the barest of bones regarding the greatest conflict of the 20th century, I’m by no means an expert. So forgive me if I’ve had to consult more research than first-hand knowledge as I take apart Eidos’ entry in the genre for the Xbox 360, Battlestations: Midway. I have to say, as much as a WW2 neophyte as I am, I can say even a noob at this will find this game a lot of fun.
"C'mon, guys, let's take out these yankees and get back to base before Naruto comes on!"
Graphics
Eidos so very much did not skimp on the graphics. From the cutscenes to the gameplay visuals, this game looks very, very nice. The environments of the Pacific Theater are lush and detailed, right down to the smooth-looking island foliage and the amply-animated ocean water. The many, many vehicles players will get to climb behind the wheel of (more on that later) are nicely detailed both in terms of their technical accuracy and war-worn texturing. The pilot and crew animations within the vehicles are astoundingly lifelike as well.
The menu and control interfaces have a decidedly 1940s-military style. The speedometers on your vehicles are in the form of rolling tally-wheels with an attached throttle that moves as you throttle up or down. Also, the summary of each mission take the form of period newspapers chronicling your exploits and manila-foldered dossiers detailing how well you did on the mission.
Uh-oh. Somebody's got another "we regret to inform you" letter to type up.
Gameplay
Though not a very original jump-off point, the game begins on the “day that will live in infamy” wherein the Japanese Imperial Forces launched an unprovoked attack on the Pearl Harbor naval base in Hawaii. Your primary player character is one Henry Walker, a PT boat commander growing ever-so-bored with his peacetime duties. During a routine cruise (which doubles as a tutorial on navigating the seas in this title), his boredom goes the way of all irony as the ship he’s traveling to is blasted to bits and Walker finds himself having to actually fire the guns he’s spent many months polishing.
Vehicular combat is at the heart of Battlestations: Midway, be it in the air or over (and under) the ocean’s depths. Early levels consist of taking a single U.S. Navy war machine against various representatives of the Japanese armada, but as you advance through the game, you’ll also advance in rank and authority, allowing you to command entire squadrons of planes and ships with a very intuitive ability to take control of each of your units on the fly. Think of it as a real-time strategy game with naval-sim and combat flight-sim controls.
And less micro-management.
"MAVERICK!!"
The vehicle selection in this game alone rivals that of Grand Theft Auto. PT boats, submarines, destroyers, fighters, divebombers, aircraft carriers... if you’re a nut for WW2-mechanized combat, you’ll need a roll of Brawny nearby to wipe the drool off your controller. All of them handle differently and realistically, from the speedboat-like PT boat to the lumbering juggernaut that was a 1940’s U.S. Navy destroyer.
Knowing when and where to send your units is just as important as how in this game; each level has a checklist of primary and bonus objectives that deft players are going to have to figure out the best units to handle each challenge. It’s very easy to just hop in your favorite death-mobile and start mowing down the enemy, but those who want to succeed at this game’s later levels are going to learn over-specialization will spell disaster. When piloting large naval vessels, you’ll have to be able to launch, direct, and call back attacks, as well as work damage control if your ship gets too well-peppered.
The game contains a very in-depth and increasingly challenging string of single-player missions as well as a side selection of “challenge” missions that test your skills in piloting a specific type of vehicle, divided into ships, submarines, and aircraft. I’m not kidding when I say this: the challenge missions are nigh insurmountable unless you really have brought your A-game. Point-and-shoot tactics are useless here, using your brains as well as your fire button is nearly mandatory for surviving these levels.
Sorry, folks, the real Navy's nothing like SeaQuest DSV. TV, once again, has lied to you.
If I had any complaints about this title, and they’re admittedly few, the combat in some levels can seem a bit slow and unsatisfying for those more attracted to full-blown action titles. The fact that some of your enemies can be taken out off-screen by other units not under your direct control can seem a bit anti-climactic, especially if you’ve managed to mercilessly fight your way to the final objective. Also, I felt the air-piloting controls were a bit counter-intuitive, with both the throttle and directional controls assigned to the analog sticks in a manner that made flying a plane in this game a
Sound
The music, well, the music’s pretty good for yet another sweeping epic orchestral score that could fit into any recent WW2 film this side of Saving Private Ryan. Not that I’m complaining, per se, and I certainly wouldn’t want a World War II game with a rock or hip-hop score, I just wish somebody would come up with an original take on music with World War II games.
The voice acting’s pretty good but I had a major problem with the voice applied to Henry Walker (the name of whose VA escapes me at the moment), which seemed awfully young for coming out of a character with a face that looked older than a 70-year-old tanning-bed addict. For the most part though, all the voices are ably acted and cast otherwise, aside from the fact that the same voice barks are overused a bit.
"Um, Captain? Our ships don't normally belch fire, do they?"
Lasting Appeal
Battlestations: Midway continues the grand tradition of realistic-war games setting the bar of multiplayer. The game’s single-player campaign quite frankly pales in comparison to depth of XBL online multiplayer, wherein you literally can have hundreds, hundreds of units on-screen duking it out in recreations of some of the most preeminent battles of the war. A number of the maps restrict available vehicles, but up to eight players can take on one another on XBL for missions that will prove a tactician’s dream (or worst nightmare, take your pick). Unfortuprnately, while the game supports four-man teams in multiplayer, the online segments of the game lack leaderboards or clan support. Still, that’s just one small con in a sea of pros.
Fun Factor
Be warned, Battlestations: Midway isn’t your run-around-and-shoot-stuff WW2 game. It’s easy to learn, but mastery of this game is a major test of gamers’ tactical abilities, and that’s just talking the game’s single-player campaign. That being said, this title is chock-full of content that will keep WW2 aficionados and strategy-gaming gurus on the couch for hours. The variety and depth of this game is staggering, and with graphics to match, Battlestations: Midway proves that Eidos is willing to come with the goods.
The 411
Battlestations: Midway may have set a new bar for the WW2 strategy game. Combining brain-straining strategy and shoot-em-‘up vehicular combat, this game is one nice piece of historical interactive entertainment. Despite a few issues with the controls and the audio package, this title is definitely a must-own for hardcore strategy nuts and World War II hobbyists.
Phenomenally deep mission structure, large variety of vehicles, learning curve challenging but inviting, air pilot controls could be tweaked, combat can be slow
Sound
7.5
Appropriate if not generic WW2 score, voice acting well acted but often repetitive
Lasting Appeal
8.5
Multiplayer on XBL dwarfs the single-player campaign by leaps and bounce, single and team play supported, no leaderboards or clan support
Fun Factor
8.5
Excellent for strategy buffs and WW2 enthusiasts, learning curve may scare off newcomers
