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Cool little PvP MMO for WWII naval combat fans
markoraos
Member Posts: 1,593
Ok, usually I'm not into spouting and gushing how something is teh awesome but..
This game is a bright little gem that is tying me over very nicely until WAR comes out.
It is all about second world war ships slugging it out with big guns and torpedoes.
The game is very retro 2D with nice sprite graphics that are surprisingly well done and accurate - you can see every bit of equipment on board and even the gun turrets rotate realistically, torpedoes dive deep into water at launch etc.
Although the game itself plays basically as an 2D action RTS where you control just your ship and its weaponry, the RPG and management "under the hood" is amazingly complex and realistic. You upgrade your weapons and armor, train your crews in different skills, specialize them with classes etc. You can even get an aircraft carrier with different kinds of airplanes that can be equipped in all kinds of ways...
It is a game by afficionados for afficionados and imo a bit older players who enjoy more "realistic" historical settings and mechanics. And yet the gameplay itself is really fast and casual. Perfect for a few 15 min quick "blitzkrieg" battles when you're a bit bored.
The majority of gameplay is team vs team battles with a variety of different maps (islands or no islands basically) and PvP modes. There are some single player training missions and historical battle scenarios but the game is team-based PvP at its core. You can form and join clans, fight for prizes on tournaments, there is a leaderboard, trading area, mail etc.
Although the game features an xp/leveling progression where your Captain and crew's level determines the size of the ship you can command, it really awards skillful play. For example I'm currently commanding a Destroyer (the second smallest ship class) but I managed to take out and defeat much much larger ships that should have pulverized me without a scratch. I did it by studying real WWII destroyer tactics where you have to rush your opponent using superior speed and small size and manoueuvre into firing a point-blank torpedo salvo before he anihiliates you with big guns. Absolutely sweet and a great rush of adrenaline!
Anywayz, the game is really professionally done and obviously a labour of love by its devs. It is free to download and play although you can subscribe for faster leveling and access to some weird/experimental ships. However it doesn't force you to spend a $ in any way and you don't feel gimped at all without subscription - yes, you can command THE biggest ships with the best weapons for free. It is continuously updated and it seems that the next big one will be the introduction of submarines which will take it to a whole new level.
Anyway I heartily recommend it to all WWII fans and especially naval warfare freaks.
Two thumbs up from me! 
/p.s.
The game is marvelously intricate under the hub and I'd strongly advise new players to check out the guides at www.nf-guides.com. Class/training progression for sailors is particularly important so you should read it up a bit. In addition the shipyard / management UI is a bit clunky and I had to look up on guide sites what different buttons stand for. However, this is not such a big deal - it kinda bolsters the illusion that you're not playing just another Windows game but actually controlling real stuff through some dedicated "battle computer".
