The controls can be a little clunky and take some time to master. They don’t feel like they were properly adapted from PC controls to the Xbox 360 setup. Looking around your plane requires holding down the left stick. Neither bumper is used in flight. I feel a better choice would have been LB for free look. RB for a quick check of your six would be nice too.
Playing through the tutorial is almost mandatory to fully understand the game. Unfortunately, this is a very long, tedious and dull experience. Grab your favorite caffeinated beverage and prepare to devote 60 minutes to learning how to play the game. There’s no way to speed up the process, but you can play through in installments, if you choose.
This game is also poised for downloadable content. Missing are two of my favorite planes from the Pacific theatre, the P38 Lightning and the F4U Corsair. I foresee some needed planes and maps in the future. Hopefully these will be free of charge, but how likely is that?
Overall, Battlestations: Midway is a solid war action/strategy game for console gamers. Much like chess, you can learn how to use the pieces in an hour, but learning to use them skillfully takes time and patience. If you can handle a bit of a learning curve and some clunky controls, this game will reward you with challenging and enjoyable game play.
