211: Silent Service II

Number 211
(7.8 points)
Silent Service II
1992: 62

After Red Storm Rising, we head beneath the waves once more, in a somewhat more accessible form.

We go back to World War II for this one, climbing inside a US Navy submarine to take on the Japanese in the waters of the Pacific. There are a variety of subs to choose from, and you can sail throughout the ocean, patrolling for enemy ships. You will encounter all manner of Japanese vessels, from small patrol craft to the mighty Yamato battleship. The detailed manual is exceptionally good, in that it provides clear descriptions for how to get started, while also giving meticulous information about every aspect of the game, and lots of reading material for the real-life ships and battles on which the game is based.

For me, any complex simulation requires a good tutorial to get the player acquainted with the game, and unlike Red Storm Rising, the tutorial on offer here does exactly what you need. They even give you a tutorial scenario that consists of a handful of ships waiting patiently while you blow them to smithereens. For that reason alone, it's more worthwhile trying this than Microprose's other offering. It's a simpler and cleaner design, too, so it's just fun to get into - and I have to emphasise how good the manual is.

Recommended TOSEC disk(s):
Silent Service II v1.01 (1991-08-07)(MicroProse)(Disk 1 of 2)
Silent Service II v1.01 (1991-08-07)(MicroProse)(Disk 2 of 2)