[xy_game]I’ve spent a few hours with a new iOS game this week called Battle Fleet 2, and it’s been an interesting experience, but also a challenging one. Developed by Capital j Media, Battle Fleet 2 is a wargame that focuses on naval battles of the Pacific during World War II.
The game allows players to play as either the US fleet or the Japanese fleet and players are required to battle to control key points to win the war for their chosen side. The game focuses on strategy and you won’t be able to just rush in and take over any single point with ease. What I really don’t like about the game is its complete lack of tutorials. If you pick it up and didn’t play the first game, or you haven’t really tried anything similar, expect to be completely lost for the first little chunk of time you spend with the game.
You can build up your fleet with a variety of ships, customize each one individually, and set out to sink the enemy. When the game starts, you’ll control a number of points on the map, but your navy will be deployed at random, and it will be up to you to maneuver your ships to the point where you want them. It’s a turn-based game though so the enemy could throw a wrench in your plans if you don’t move smart. That’s where you’re going to need to be tactical.
While Battle Fleet 2 does offer a single player experience, the game succeeds more as a multiplayer experience. The single player against the computer is good if that’s all you’re aiming to get from the game, but it’s more fun to go against a human opponent since you know they’re not pre-programmed and you’ll have to put up a real fight and so will they. Unfortunately, the game doesn’t offer any sort of checkpoint system whether you’re playing single player or multiplayer and you’ll either need to finish a full battle or quit the game. Playing time varies but the longest match I’ve played is about an hour, so it does require some attention if you want to win the war.
Battle Fleet 2 is a pretty solid game if you like skill and tactical play, and although it’s a little challenging to start out, it’s rewarding once you learn how to play. I look forward to seeing some improvements added through updates (a tutorial would really be great! *hint, hint!*), and maybe some further customization options. As it currently stands, the game is quality wargame and I welcome its arrival to the iOS library.
| Rating | Description |
| 8.0 | Gameplay Skills and tactics are a huge part of it, but it's really tough to learn how to play with no real guidance. Game feels mostly balanced though Japaneses have slight advantage, and never really unfair if you play it smart. |
| 7.5 | Graphics Inconsistent textures for water, but it often looks nice. War ships are nicely detailed for the most part. |
| 7.0 | Sound Nothing to write home about, but effects get the job done. You're not really playing this for the soundtrack though, so why care? |
| 7.5 | Final Score |
