14 DAY TRIAL // I have never had and hope to never have an actual experience of war during my lifetime but, as a male of the human species, I will always be fascinated by conflict, by its causes, by the way countries arm themselves in order to get an advantage, and by the complex way various variables interact in order to lead to an outcome where one side claims victory and another must acknowledge defeat.
Naval War: Arctic Circle is a strategy title that tackles one of the lesser known aspects of modern warfare: sea-based engagements that involve a multitude of weaponry, ranging from carrier groups, modern aircraft and helicopters to land-based planes and submarines.
It’s a tale set in the near future that sees NATO, minus the United States of America which seem to be involved in an incident with China, against a resurgent Russia over naval rights to use the Northwestern Passage, which has been opened up by global warming.
The presentation of the missions is pretty hilarious, with talking heads representing the leaders of the various forces spouting exposition and joking about their own abilities. But the actual battles are tense affairs, complete with quick kills, complex strategy and moments when I was clutching my mouse as if my life depended on it.
Naval War: Arctic Circle is not a graphical powerhouse, but it excels when it comes to offering detailed information on the various units that are ready for engagement and on their various abilities.
I never felt that I needed to check out Wikipedia or another online source in order to know exactly what an active sensor is, but the game made it easy to see what effects activating one would have on the battlefield, offering me more information while also exposing my enemies to counterstrikes.
Take a look at the attached video to see the sparse yet engaging Naval War: Arctic Circle in action.