Battlestations: Midway is a game that I had been looking forward to months in advance of its release. A next-gen game of naval warfare and air combat has been long overdue for console players. I had suspected that since Eidos was taking a very broad approach, and giving the gamer so many vehicle types, the game would be unfocused and arcade-like with very little of the promised strategy and tactics. That’s not a knock on arcade style games, but rather a commentary on the short list of good strategy games available to console gamers. It looks like I missed the boat in my prediction. Eidos has delivered a product that does well in naval and air tactics as well as overall game play. I must say that I was pleasantly surprised that a game that I thought would be good turned out to be great.
Battlestations: Midway lets the player take the helm or stick of some of the great war machines of the Pacific Theater. All manner of ocean vessels are represented, from the ordinary PT boat to submarines and carriers, to the mightiest battleship. The aircraft of the game include recon seaplanes, dive bombers, level bombers, torpedo planes, and of course, fighters. Many campaign scenarios and Xbox Live battles will have you jumping from sea to air throughout the entire engagement.
The campaign mode has you following the career of Henry Walker. You’ll walk in his shoes from the Day of Infamy at Pearl Harbor through the turning point of the Pacific naval war, the Battle of Midway. The battles are held together by cut scenes of Henry Walker getting promotion after promotion, as he rises through the US Navy’s ranks. While the voice acting is not bad, the script is a little weak. Eidos tried to give the campaign cut scenes a grainy, old-fashioned feel, but it just doesn’t look good. I guess it’s not a big deal because most players will elect to skip over the cut scenes after the first time they play through the campaign.
Cut scenes aside, the meat and potatoes of the game are the fantastic naval and air battles. As I mentioned at the onset, this is not an arcade style game. You’ll need to effectively maneuver your ships to gain the upper hand in battle. In order to be able to bring all of your guns to bear on the enemy, you’ll have to turn your vessel broadside of a foe that is trying to outmaneuver you at the same time. As you might imagine, the larger the ship, the wider and slower the turning arc. A battleship will have a great advantage in terms of artillery range and gun power, but evading torpedoes can be a challenge. Conversely, a destroyer might be fast and nimble, but it lacks in the size and number of main guns. You’ll have to arrange your ships in formation to ensure you take advantage of the strengths and limit the weaknesses of any individual ship. A 40,000-ton aircraft carrier may be the weapon of choice for attacking enemy ships and land installations, but it is completely defenseless against a submarine.
You assembled your formation and put them in great position to meet the enemy. Now what? Time to put your tactics and skill to the test. Using the D pad, you can move from vessel to vessel within your flotilla. Jump to your carrier and launch up to 4 squadrons to the skies. Go to your battleship and use your binoculars to determine the enemy’s range and bearing. Let a salvo of artillery fly, but make sure you are leading the enemy ship with your aim. It takes time for artillery shells to cover 1000 yards. You had better aim where your foe will be, rather than where he is when you let loose your main guns. Otherwise you’ll watch your shells splash harmlessly into the ocean. Once the opposing formations draw close, watch for the telltale sign of a torpedo wake. Nothing will strike fear into your heart quicker than watching an arc of torpedoes creep up on your ship. You’ll have to turn your ship or put it in reverse to try to make the torpedoes miss. A strike below the waterline can turn the course of the battle.
