Review - Battlestations: Midway

Battlestations! Incoming Lag and Short Single-Player Campaign!

I was so jazzed when the Battlestations: Midway multiplayer demo came out. I had been watching the progressively intense trailers for a few weeks, and was roped by the gameplay trailer that was released a week or two prior to the demo's release. I went home the day of, downloaded the demo, and spent the rest of the night playing the Islands of Solomon over and over. Despite a rather unimpressed response from major game review sites, my commitment to spending the $60 did not waver. I bought my copy on February 9th, played single player for two days straight and then, looking at the bright green box, wondered why the hell I spent $60 on a game that just doesn't last.

The answer: marketing. I have to give it to Edios Interactive; their marketing of Battlestations was very well done indeed. Now, that is not to say that we were promised a golden egg and received a straw turd but rather that I would have rented, and enjoyed, Battlestations instead of bought. Gripe all I want, what's done is done so let’s get into the nitty-gritty.

Battlestations: Midway is a breath of fresh gunpowder and flak into the World War II game genre. "Dubeya Debeya Two", as my grandfather called it, has faced a barrage of games, trailing the innovative release of Medal of Honor, trying to bring us the most realistic frontline experience out there. Some have succeeded, most have failed. Battlestations steps away from the overdone infantry charge through mine fields laying down suppressive fire and puts you in charge of naval and air superiority dog fighting with Japanese Zeros, taking on titanic battleships, and depth-charging evasive submarines. As short as it is, Battlestations is a new and refreshing experience.

The single player campaign for Battlestations: Midway follows the US Navy's Pacific campaign during WWII. You play the role of Henry Walker having been recently stationed in Pearl Harbor. Before you know it, surprise surprise, the Japanese are attacking and you and your PT Boat crew are left responsible for saving the day! What, didn't you read your history books? That's right! A single PT Boat was responsible for saving all the ships that survived the attack! And that same PT Boat would have won the war but a god damned Narwhal headbutted it and then sea turtles ate the crew.

Though the single player is entertaining, the realism and engagement leaves a bit to be desired. Realism aside, the player will find it hard to be involved in the character of Henry Walker due to a lack of character development. This is due in part to Edios only developing Henry during cut scenes between missions. We observe Henry instead of playing as him. While I know Gordon Freeman as the bad ass, crowbar toting scientist unwillingly forced into defending himself from an alien race and an oppressive regime or Master Chief as the witty, but tough as nails, cyborg who has no problem taking on an entire planet of enemies, I only know Henry Walker as the Battlestations guy who commands the ships. Honestly, I had to look up his name before writing this.

Where the story is lacking, the gameplay picks up the slack as it is where Battlestations begins to shine. From crewing a PT Boat to piloting a F4F Wildcat, it’s all deadly. Battlestations allows you to play what you love and direct what you consider boring. For example, if taking on a battleship with a torpedo bomber is your thing, go at it and by a quick flick of the Select button you can tell the rest of your fleet to do the things you would rather not be in the front seat of. Similarly, if you prefer to be sneaking around underwater for the perfect shot then take control of your sub and tell your airplanes and ships to do everything else. My one complaint was again in realism: Kamikaze planes do no damage to ships. One of the most challenging elements for the U.S. forces faced was how Japan was willing to throw its pilots in swarms at their fleet, causing unimaginable damage and chaos. What is a WWII Pacific Campaign without a good ol' kamikaze?

Graphically, Battlestations: Midway is nothing to write home about. WWII was a vicious, dirty, destructive war. Pictures and video after Pearl Harbor show flaming ships half underwater. Planes break apart as they fall towards the sea. Kamikaze pilots create devastating damage to carriers. Battlestations is missing all of the graphical realism that made the Pacific campaign as expensive in human life and steel as it was. Little men, 4-5 at most, wander the decks. Ships sink without any major breaking apart; some explosions and immediate sinking. Planes curve downward on fire and explode in a flash and, well, that's that. Edios would have done well to pull a page from Ubisoft's Silent Hunter III in the graphics department; a game that is 2 years old now but still trumps Battlestation's graphics in some ways. There are a few moments in the clouds where you will feel a bit impressed, but overall Battlestations does not look truly next-gen.

Multiplayer is definitely a great time, as it was what first grasped my attention following the demo release. Gameplay is fun, but it is essential to have a mic to win. Teamwork is key in these massive battles as you must coordinate naval and air attacks to successfully sink anything. Lag is a consistent issue and players will often drop from a game, leaving a massive battle to be fought by 2-4 players. 3 out of 5 games I joined had such bad lag that I personally dropped, knowing fully well that it wasn't me.

Overall, Battlestations: Midway is an "arcade WWII naval/air simulator" which holds a great deal of initial entertainment in gameplay but lacks graphical assets, longevity, realism, and story immersion to make it a hit. True enough, this is a refreshing step from typical WWII games but falters in those Wow-factor scenes that make those "other WWII" games so memorable. While the multiplayer holds some weight, you will quickly become bored and grab something a bit quicker paced. Finish that off with the fact that Edios is charging $5 for a recently released extension of the single player via Xbox Live, and you may just shove this in your drawer with gusto. Borrow this from a friend, and assure him he will get it back in 2 weeks.