Battlestations Pacific Xbox 360 Review

The graphical presentation of Battlestations Pacific looks a little bland and the textures are poor for a new Xbox 360 production. The scenes of wanton destruction are visually unimpressive most of the time, with explosions that are a little underpowered and effects that do the job, but don't stand out to the eye. The menus included are a little ugly and unappealing to look at and it will be hard at first to find what you need, until you learn where to look.

The open-water battle sounds in Battlestations Pacific didn't inspire me as much as the sounds of battle on the open-water in Empire: Total War, which is definitely a lost opportunity considering the increased complexity and explosiveness of modern naval encounters. The music did the job of increasing the pace of the action and adding to the energy of the battles with modern orchestrated sounds that fill the room.

Battlestations Pacific is only average in the playability of the single player experience, the airplanes handle well and are fun to fly, but the ships appear to move to slowly even for being on the open water, and the submarines are difficult to move around. There are times when the chaotic nature of the battles seems to go beyond the level which would exist in real combat. The surface and underwater vessels at times bump into each other like slow slapstick characters in a play.

The online multiplayer mode works well even with eight players (4 on each side) at a time and this mode was a lot more engaging and satisfying to play than the single player campaigns.

Battlestations Pacific isn't any more fun to play than Midway was and they didn't improve the AI, which is one of the most important aspects in a good strategy game. Having played the bored midshipman once already, I don't really want to play this game again, but the first go-around was good enough to be recommended. RTS veterans aren't going to be impressed, but if you've never played a video game in this genre before and want to give it a try, it will introduce you well enough.