14 DAY TRIAL // When I engaged in my first ship-to-ship exchanges of fire in Order of Battle: Pacific, I was a little annoyed by the fact that I seemed to do no damage to my enemies, while they had an uncanny ability to chip away at the health of my vessels.
It took some time to understand all the nuances of fighting on the waters of the Pacific, but once I did, the title created by The Artistocrats revealed an extra layer of complexity and tactics that make it much more than a modern update of the classic Panzer General concept.
The most important thing during naval engagements is to make sure that each ship focuses on its tactical role, with destroyers scouting around and trying to get into torpedo range, cruisers working to deny the enemy use of the airspace while delivering some fire support, and with battleships delivering long-range strikes while trying not to attract too much attention.
Order of Battle: Pacific manages to stay close to the way the United States and Japan actually used their naval forces in World War II, although destroyers tend to be a little too resistant, especially when they get close to battleships.
Carriers are a special case, using their complement of aircraft to attack any enemy forces they want, but their impact is more limited than it was in real life.
Fleet to fleet combat sometimes feels a little slow, but it can really test the skills of the player, given the aggressive tendencies of the Artificial Intelligence.
Order of Battle: Pacific shines when combined operations are required
The best moments in the game are when a player needs to use embarked units and a fleet in order to secure a landing spot and then push inland to capture objectives.
The player needs to answer a lot of interesting and relevant questions: that fortification should bombard with my battleship? Should destroyers offer fire support or guard from submarines? Should my troops be spread out or focused on just one sector?
Order of Battle: Pacific also features a robust logistics system, and during a landing supply, ships need to be carefully managed to make sure that troops are not easily destroyed because they fail to get the ammunition and other rations they need.
The complexity of the game never approaches that faced by real world generals during World War II, but it does offer a solid tactical, focused video game experience, and the naval aspect makes it special.
