Battlestations: Midway

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Battlestations:Midway
Battlestations - Midway Coverart.png
Developer(s) Eidos Interactive Hungary
Robosoft Technologies (Mac)
Publisher(s) Eidos Interactive
Feral Interactive (Mac)
Composer(s) Richard Jacques
Series Battlestations
Platform(s) Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X
Release date(s) January 30, 2007
Genre(s) Action, Real-time tactics
Mode(s) Single-player, Multiplayer
Rating(s) ESRB: T
Media DVD, Steam download
System requirements Windows XP/Vista
2 GHz Processor
512 MB RAM
6 GB HDD space
4x DVD Drive
64 MB DirectX 9.0c compatible nVidia 6800 Series or Radeon X800 (2.0 pixelshader compatible)Graphics Card
DirectX 9.0c compatible Sound Card
Input methods Xbox 360 Controller, Keyboard, Mouse

Battlestations: Midway is a video game developed by Eidos Studios Hungary and released on January 30, 2007 for the Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows. The Mac version of this game was developed by Robosoft Technologies, based out of India and Published by Feral Interactive.

Set in the Pacific during World War II, it's a hybrid of action and real-time tactics as the player can both command his fleet assets and assume control of any one of them at will. The single player campaign is a series of missions from Pearl Harbor to the Battle of Midway, from a single patrol boat to a carrier battle group.

Contents

[edit] Gameplay

In either the single-player or multiplayer game the player can start with a ship, submarine, aircraft, shipyard, airfield or a combination of any of them. The player can switch between their allocated or built units in order to complete objectives. Each unit also has its own unique features and controls. For example, using a carrier, shipyard or airfield, players can release carrier aircraft, ships, or land-based aircraft respectively. These units can then be used to engage in naval battles, undersea actions or dogfights and bombing runs.

Players are encouraged to work together online. In multiplayer, each player controls a different group of units. One example would be the map "Battle of Samar." The Japanese are to destroy the Allied Carriers, while the Allies have to sink the Japanese battleship Yamato. The Yamato is capable of sustaining dozens of torpedoes, dive bombs, and direct shell hits due to its heavy armor. However, the Allies have two battleships and carriers, the Japanese only have one. Therefore, the Allies are forced to attack the Yamato together, while trying to maintain air superiority. However, the Yamato cannot fend off all the American planes by itself, therefore requiring other players on the Japanese team to support with their lighter Fubukis and Heavy Cruisers.

[edit] Single player challenges

Battlestations: Midway offers several challenge levels where the player's skills are tested.

Ship Challenges

  • "Strike on the Monster" - February 28, 1941
  • "Battle of the Java Sea" - March 1, 1942
  • "Hunt for the Cruiser" - June 11, 1942
  • "Might of Yamato" - July 19, 1942

The DLC (Downloadable Content) Adds:

Plane Challenges

Submarine Challenges

  • "Crucial Cargo" - January 12, 1942
  • "Periscopes Threatening" - February 17, 1942
  • "Coup de Grace" - May 27, 1942

[edit] Multiplayer

Battlestations: Midway supports multiplayer matches of up to eight players. Matches are team-based, beginning with each player choosing either an Allied or a Japanese starting base from a list of preset slots in the lobby. Each slot has its own unique unit or building allocation. Each multiplayer map is essentially a "set-piece" battle, with two notable exceptions, whereby all of the units on the map at the beginning of the match are all the units available to the players for the entire match. The two exceptions to this are units that can be spawned (e.g. aircraft from airfields, aircraft carriers, etc.) and the planes in the map "Air Superiority at Luzon", which is very infrequently played.[1]

[edit] Demo

A multiplayer demo was released on the Xbox Live Marketplace on January 18, 2007. The PC demo was released on January 26, 2007, and the Mac OS X demo followed on July 24, 2008. The demos contain the multiplayer map Battle of Solomon Islands, which supports up to 8 players.

It should be noted that the PC demo works only for LAN play. Players will disconnect frequently when attempting to play via the internet. Xbox 360 demo works fine.

[edit] Downloadable content

Eidos released the "Iowa Mission Pack" on the Xbox Live Marketplace. This update includes several new ship models, as well as the "Raid on Truk" ship challenge and the "Battle of Sibuyan Sea" multiplayer map. A patch has been released for the PC version. There are themes and gamer pictures available for Xbox Live as well.

[edit] Reception

The Xbox 360 version scores 73% on Metacritic based on 33 reviews, the PC version scores 75% based on 11 reviews.

[edit] Sequel

On February 28, Eidos Interactive announced Battlestations: Pacific for PC and Xbox 360[2]. In May 2009 the game became available to the public.[3] This sequel takes place right after Battlestations: Midway and has twice as many missions than the game before. It also includes 21 new units and add the ability to command troops to fight on the islands, though the player has no control over any individual land unit.[4]. Naval mine and Kamikazes have also been added. A new feature includes the ability to play as the Japanese from commanding the Pearl Harbor attack to Midway. Details have been added for a more realistic effect; for example, while submerged in a sub flora and fauna are visible, as well as a sea floor.

On May 15, 2008, Feral Interactive has announced Battlestations: Midway for Mac[5]. This game was developed for the Mac by Robosoft Technologies and a release date is yet to be announced.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Amateur Survey revealing "Air Superiority at Luzon" is played only once out of twenty times mathematically.--~~~~
  2. ^ Battlestations: Pacific press release
  3. ^ Battlestations:_Pacific Wikipedia
  4. ^ Eidos Battlestations
  5. ^ Battlestations: Midway press release

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battlestations:_Midway"