Battlestations: Midway

About

Battlestations: Midway is a WWII-themed game that combines action and strategy. Players can control over 60 different ships, planes, and submarines while engaging in large-scale naval battles. The game features historical missions based on the Pacific Theater of Operations, allowing players to reenact iconic battles from the war.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

+20

77%

Audience ScoreBased on 479 reviews

story29 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

The game offers a nostalgic experience for fans of WWII naval combat, allowing players to control a variety of ships and aircraft.
The graphics, while dated, are still considered decent and the cutscenes are visually appealing.
The gameplay combines real-time strategy with action elements, providing a unique experience of commanding naval battles.

The controls, especially for aircraft, are often described as awkward and difficult to master, leading to frustration.
The game suffers from technical issues, including audio problems in cutscenes and bugs that can disrupt gameplay.
Multiplayer functionality is essentially non-existent due to the shutdown of GameSpy, limiting replayability.

story
128 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
70%
7%
The game's story is a mix of historical events and fictional narratives, primarily following a U.S. Navy commander during World War II, but it is often criticized for being linear, simplistic, and lacking depth. While some players appreciate the engaging gameplay and variety of missions, many find the cutscenes and character development clichéd and unconvincing. Overall, the campaign is seen as limited in scope, with a few memorable moments overshadowed by tedious mission structures and frustrating difficulty spikes.
- “The campaign follows the story of two friends, Henry and Donald.”
- “Its campaign follows a navy commander with a storyline from the day of the Pearl Harbor attack to the victory at Midway, during which he lost his best friend in battle, making it more personal.”
- “The graphics are decent, the cut-scenes are well done, and the first couple of missions really pulled me in and captured my excitement.”
- “The story is, by far, the weakest aspect of this game.”
- “Everything else about the story is forgettable, but it does stay true to what happened in World War II's early Pacific campaign, which I guess gives it a few points.”
- “There isn't much for story depth, so really the game is a handful of random - historically inspired - missions.”
graphics
59 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
61%
7%
The graphics of the game are generally considered decent for its age, with many reviewers noting that while they show signs of aging, they still hold up reasonably well, especially in cutscenes. Some players appreciate the nostalgic feel and arcade-style visuals, while others criticize the dated animations and overall quality. Despite the mixed opinions, the engaging gameplay often compensates for any graphical shortcomings, making it an enjoyable experience for fans of the genre.
- “The graphics are great, and I had no problems with the control scheme.”
- “My first impressions of this game are that the cutscenes and graphics are surprisingly amazing for a 2007 game.”
- “Graphics are refreshing, and the game has an arcade feeling to it, all while serving as a good WWII game.”
- “Graphics are dated, multiplayer is no longer supported, and single player missions are bland & end quickly.”
- “Really bad controls, unrealistic action and ships, a stitched together episode like story and graphics that looked awful in 2007 (more like 1998).”
- “The game is starting to show its age as well graphically.”
gameplay
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
60%
8%
The gameplay is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its engaging mechanics and diverse mission objectives, while others criticize its dated controls and level design. Although it offers a unique blend of naval, air, and submarine combat, many feel that it lacks the polish and depth found in more modern titles. Overall, it provides a fun, albeit challenging experience, especially for those interested in exploring different gameplay styles, despite some frustrating elements.
- “While the graphics may show their age, the engaging gameplay and diverse mission objectives make up for it.”
- “The gameplay is actually extremely fun, and even would I dare say replayable.”
- “I enjoyed the game mechanics and the simple to learn controls though some of the aspects do get complicated; overall I enjoy the game's unique play style and strategy.”
- “It feels like an arcadey low-budget 'jack of all trades' game, where other games have done naval combat better, other games have done flight combat better, and other games have done submarine gameplay better.”
- “Controls are hard, and from what I've played, there isn't a tutorial that guides you through the controls and gameplay.”
- “The actual gameplay thus far has been slow and mind-numbingly boring but has seemed like just the tutorial still.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
17%
50%
The game offers moderate replayability, particularly on harder difficulties, and features enjoyable gameplay that encourages multiple playthroughs. However, the short campaign and lack of achievements detract from its overall replay value, leaving some players feeling that it may not satisfy veterans of the genre. Overall, it receives mixed reviews regarding its replayability, with scores averaging around 7/10.
- “The gameplay is actually extremely fun, and I would dare say replayable.”
- “Replayability: right now I am going to go with 7/10; it has some missions and a campaign.”
- “It's a shame the campaign is so short, but this replayability definitely helps that fact.”
- “This game does a very good job of combining action and RTS elements, although there is not much for replay value and it may seem too simplified for veterans of either genre.”
- “Short campaign with poor replayability and game mechanics.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is hit-or-miss, with some players finding it unintentionally funny due to poor voice acting and cringe-worthy writing. However, there are moments that genuinely elicit laughter, such as amusing gameplay scenarios. Overall, the comedic elements seem to vary widely in effectiveness.
- “Funny boat game!”
- “Well, the game made me laugh.”
- “One hilarious moment was when I got control over a destroyer and was told to sail to the other end of a canal.”
music
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The music in the game is highly praised, with many users noting that the soundtrack has aged remarkably well despite the game's age. Additionally, players appreciate the option to adjust the music volume on a scale from 1 to 10, enhancing their overall experience.
- “The graphics are good for their age, and I love the soundtrack.”
- “Old game, but the music is still great.”
- “If the game music included more variety, it would enhance the overall experience.”
- “If nothing else, the soundtrack has aged incredibly well.”
- “There is a music volume available between a volume level of 1-10.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
The game's stability is a mixed bag; while it installs and runs well on Windows 10 at max settings, players report frequent bugs, crashes, and frustrating controls, particularly when transitioning from Xbox to PC. The close camera angle further complicates navigation, contributing to an overall unstable experience.
- “This game simply installs and runs great on Windows 10 at maximum settings.”
- “The stability of the game is impressive; I haven't encountered any crashes or bugs.”
- “I appreciate how smoothly the game runs, even during intense moments.”
- “It's buggy as hell, controls are wonky and annoying to use, and the camera is so close to the vessels that you have a hard time looking around.”
- “Was great, but the transition from Xbox to PC has not really worked; it and Pacific are very buggy and have somewhat tricky controls when using mouse and keyboard.”
- “I was able to play some of this game, but there were constant crashes and glitches.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and dull, particularly when managing numerous units and navigating lengthy load and mission end screens. The repetitive nature of micromanaging during battles, especially in carrier and airfield levels, contributes to a sense of monotony.
- “Also, when there are lots of units in play, it can get a bit tedious ordering all of them around the map and micromanaging to engage enemy planes, dodge torpedoes, etc. This is especially noticeable on carrier and airfield levels.”
- “Tldr: tedious and dull.”
- “Tedious, tedious load screens and mission end screens.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The optimization of the game is praised for its smooth performance, with users reporting a fully functional battlestations midway that operates without any stuttering issues.
- “A fully working battlestations midway that runs smoothly with no stutter!”
- “The optimization in this game is top-notch, allowing for seamless gameplay even on lower-end systems.”
- “I was impressed by how well the game runs; the developers clearly put a lot of effort into optimizing performance.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Despite having less content compared to Battlestations: Pacific, the game successfully creates an enjoyable atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.
- “When compared to Battlestations: Pacific, it may seem that there is a lack of content; however, this does not weigh the game down, and it still maintains an enjoyable atmosphere.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Many users express frustration with the prevalence of microtransactions in games like "World of Worships" and "War Thunder," describing them as a detrimental aspect that negatively impacts the gaming experience.
- “Go play World of Warships and get bogged down in the cancer that is microtransactions, which infest modern gaming like a disease.”
- “The monetization in this game feels exploitative, pushing players to spend money just to enjoy basic features.”
- “It's frustrating to see how much of the game is locked behind paywalls, making it nearly impossible to progress without spending real money.”