Battleship World War 2

CNET Editors' review

by: CNET staff on November 11, 2009

Battleship Game World War 2 is an unusual naval warfare simulation game in which users ply a fleet of ships into battle, assuming the role of one of several navies active in World War II. Although it's not much to look at, the gameplay will appeal to some fans of military strategy games.

The program's interface is almost laughably unattractive, with grainy, low-resolution photos, clunky typefaces, and cumbersome advertising for the full version of the game. The fact that the program changes the monitor resolution didn't help. This is definitely not a game for lovers of high-quality graphics. Gameplay is not particularly intuitive, either; we had to consult the built-in tutorial, and then the user guide, in order to figure it out. The game compares itself to the classic Battleship board game, and although there are some superficial similarities, this version is far more complex. Each player's turn involves moving his or her fleet of ships, attacking enemy ships, resupplying the existing fleet, and building new ships. In the free version of the program, users can choose from nine different missions representing battles between various Allied and Axis navies; the paid version gives access to many more. Overall, despite the game's many drawbacks, we found that it had a geeky charm and was surprisingly enjoyable.

Battleship Game World War 2 is free to try, but the trial version limits the number of available campaigns. The program installs desktop icons without asking but uninstalls without issues. We recommend this program with strong reservations; it's not for everyone, but a certain demographic will enjoy it.

Publisher's Description

From Strategy Lights Studios:

Naval strategy battleship game which covers all major navy battles during WW2. Game contains missions, Death-Match and Free Hunt scenarios & campaign from Pearl Harbor and Midway to the Iwo Jima and Leyte battle. Player can control or fight against USN, Kriegsmarine, Imperial Japan Navy, Royal Navy, Royal Canadian Navy, Royal Australian Navy, Royal New Zealand Navy and Regia Marina (Italian Navy) Scenarios include Bismarck, Atlantic 1941, Lamansh, RAAF, Doenitz, Coral Sea, Midway, HMS Prince Of Wales, Leyte, US Marines, Atlantic 1943, Sir John Tovey, Normandy, Invasion, Emperor Hirohito, HMAS Perth, Road To Okinawa, Singapore, Iwo Jima, Kamikaze, Conquer Of Italy, Norway Convoy, U-Boats, Fall Of Australia, Battle For Leyte, Conquer Of Japan, Yamato, Spruance, Halsey and many others. All unit names and officer ranks are historic. Player can purchase new ships/planes during the game. There are more then 50 unit types, including Battleship, Battlecruiser, Fleet Aircraft Carrier, Heavy Anti-sub Cruiser, Heavy Bomber, Long Range Fighter, Long Range Naval Bomber, Fleet Cruiser, Heavy Fleet Destroyer, Fast Carrier and Heavy Fleet Submarine type. Game objectives: conquer enemy ports, defend friendly ports, destroy ships, eliminate all enemy units, secure transport convoy to the friendly port.

What's new in this version: New air force units