Battle Fleet 2: WW2 in the Pacific Review
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Battle Fleet 2: WW2 in the Pacific Review

Our Review by Jennifer Allen on July 28th, 2014
Rating: starstarstarhalfstarblankstar :: HISTORICAL STRATEGIZING
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Less complicated than it might seem, Battle Fleet 2: WW2 in the Pacific is a rewarding step up for those interested in strategy gaming.

Developer: Capital j Media LLC
Price: $4.99
Version Reviewed: 1.0.2
Device Reviewed On: iPad Mini Retina

Graphics / Sound Rating: starstarstarhalfstarblankstar
Game Controls Rating: starstarstarstarblankstar
Gameplay Rating: starstarstarhalfstarblankstar
Replay Value Rating: starstarstarstarblankstar

Overall Rating: starstarstarhalfstarblankstar

A step up from more causal strategy-based fare, Battle Fleet 2: WW2 in the Pacific is in dire need of a more extensive tutorial. Stick with it though, and it's a quite rewarding strategy game, even if there is a fair amount of trial and error to it.

Starting out, you have the choice of playing as the USA or as Japan as you pick your way through various battles. Almost like Risk, the campaign mode's board game style layout introduces you to a surprising amount of strategy when it comes to choosing where to attack next. It's a little overwhelming at first but it offers a decent amount of depth.

Battles mostly involve taking turns to fire off shots. You pick the target, attempt to estimate the distance and trajectory required in order to succeed, before fire a salvo and hope for the best. Future turns involve correcting your trajectory and trying to improve on past turns. It's a simple idea but one that's hidden by a series of gauges affecting things like the power used. The problem here is that Battle Fleet 2's tutorial is practically non-existent, meaning you're going to spend a while trying to figure things out for yourself. In reality, Battle Fleet 2: WW2 in the Pacific is quite straightforward but it'll seem off-putting at first to those used to more casual fare.

In time, you can customize weapon loadouts, including cannons and anti-aircraft weaponry, and that's when Battle Fleet 2 proves to be quite satisfying. Each craft or weapon reacts differently and quite appropriately, with huge aircraft carriers being sluggish yet effective thanks to their ability to call in airstrikes.

Figuring out those strengths and weaknesses are where Battle Fleet 2 turns quite pleasant, although time consuming. After all, many battles can take upwards of an hour to complete.

Besides the campaign mode it's possible to dive into one-off battles, as well as participate in hot seat based multiplayer or online. There's no asynchronous multiplayer, meaning you have to be willing to commit quite a bit of time to an online game - something that many don't seem to be willing to do given the quiet nature of the servers.

Recruit a friend though, and enjoy Battle Fleet 2: WW2 in the Pacific at its best. While the AI of the single player side of things is fine, it's never as satisfying as outwitting a real person can be. Battle Fleet 2: WW2 in the Pacific might offer an unnecessarily poor welcome through its tutorials, but it's worth sticking with if you're keen on more detailed strategizing.

iPad Screenshots

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Battle Fleet 2 screenshot 1 Battle Fleet 2 screenshot 2 Battle Fleet 2 screenshot 3 Battle Fleet 2 screenshot 4 Battle Fleet 2 screenshot 5
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