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| The graphics in the game aren't too bad at all... |
...but you'll probably spend most of your time looking at a console. |
Graphics in the game actually aren’t half bad. Although you will likely have the command map or a control console taking up the bulk of the window most of the time, you have the option to switch to 3D view. Here, you can see your naval confrontations play out in all their glory. These looks pretty good, and it’s very satisfying to down an enemy submarine or battleship. Besides that, switching to various stations of the ship provides you a nice console with buttons that are realistically functional.
Sound is where the game is somewhat barren. There is occasional music that fades in as something interesting happens, but it quickly fades out. Besides, it’s rather generic, and is unlikely to leave an impact on you. It doesn't really matter though, because you’ll hardly notice it as you’re trying to maintain focus on controlling your platform. There is some voice acting that is probably pretty close to actual radio chatter that goes on inside a platform. It’s fairly decent, and gets the job done. Don’t be expecting anything of star quality, though. Considering this type of game, that’s not really surprising.
Dangerous Waters is admittedly geared towards serious naval warfare buffs. The game’s 570 page manual stands as testament to that. Once you learn the intricacies of the game and really get into it, it’s an extremely satisfying and often challenging game. One of the unique parts of this game is the ability to control so many different platforms. There is an Oliver Hazard Perry class frigate, the MH-60R Seahaw, the P-3C Orion, a Kilo class 636/877, a Seawolf class SSN, an Akula I/II class SSN, and a 688(I) class SSN.
If you know anything about naval warfare, you might be surprised. There are air, surface, and subsurface platforms. This is part of what makes the game really great; it gives new dimension to tactics and gives plenty of variety to the missions. With all this depth, this is obviously the most realistic naval warfare game ever created for civilian use. Thankfully, the developers have thoughtfully included some video tutorials on one of the game CDs in order to help you get used to the rather complicated mechanics of this game.
You’ll be given a fair sampling of missions to take the various platforms on to perform tasks that range from simple scouting missions to complicated missions that involve taking down multiple hostiles. The difficulty of the missions depends on just how many of the tasks you want to take upon yourself. You can assign crew to some of the more complicated stations, and manage the easier ones by yourself. Or you can just do all of them. It’s a nice feature that let’s you decide how you want to play.
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| It's admirable how this game attempts at combining three types of platforms... |
...and succeeds at it with flying colors. |
Something interesting in the game is that you can control the game using just your voice. You can issue voice commands by microphone or headset in every crew station. You can do things like set course, designate target contacts, launch weapons, countermeasures, etc. It really draws you into the action and makes you feel like a real naval commander. It seems to work fairly well at recognizing your voice commands, with only a few slipups here and there.
A really nice addition is the mission editor. It lets you create your missions to play through, which adds greatly to the replay factor of the game. It’s supposedly the one used by the developers, so you can do just about anything with it. You can create single missions, multiplayer missions, or even whole campaigns. You’ll even be able to download and play missions from the inevitable communities that pop up after the release of this game.
Multiplayer in the game is fairly interesting, and you have some cooperative and head-to-head gameplay. Cooperative is cool because you can have your friend operating one the stations as you’re operating another on the same platform. Unfortunately, there is no lobby-based multiplayer. You’ll either have to connect by typing in someone’s IP, or by LAN. This isn’t really a big deal, but it can make it hard to find games unless someone you know has a keen interest in naval warfare.
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| The depth of this game is simply unmatched... |
...and there's a very good chance it'll keep you occupied for months to come. |
DANGEROUS WATERS VERDICT
Overall, this game is most definitely worth buying if you are interested in naval warfare. You’ll have to pick the game up straight from the publisher’s website though, as it’s not available from regular brick & mortar stores. If you are a casual gamer, or an adrenaline junkie, you will find this game too complicated and often too slow to enjoy. But if you take the time to really immerse yourself in the game, you will find an intricate and rewarding naval simulation that will not disappoint even the most demanding of naval fans. The replay value is also fairly high with the mission editor and the interesting multiplayer.
TOP GAME MOMENT
Taking control of your sub by voice, issuing orders akin to how a real sub commander would.
