Ironclads: High Seas

About

For over a year the forces of the United States of America (Northern States) and the Confederates States of America (Southern States) have fought a bitter war. In 1862 the governments of Great Britain, France and Spain recognize the Southern States to secure raw materials. The Souths economy becomes dependent on trade with Europe. The Northern Government imposes a complete blockade of shipping to …

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

43%

Audience ScoreBased on 28 reviews

replayability3 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

The game is simple and easy to understand, making it accessible for players.
It has potential for being a good game, especially for fans of naval history.
The graphics and modeling of the ships are well done, providing a visually appealing experience.

The gameplay is painfully slow and lacks meaningful interaction, making it feel dull and boring.
There are significant limitations in player control, such as the inability to target specific ships or change formations.
The game suffers from numerous bugs and lacks proper options, leading to a frustrating experience.

graphics
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
Overall, the graphics of the game receive mixed reviews; while some players appreciate the exquisite modeling of ship graphics and a clean interface, others criticize the dated visuals and lack of detail, particularly in water graphics. Despite some players finding the graphics adequate for gameplay, many agree that they have not aged well since 2009 and fall short of modern standards.
- “The wargamer is pleased to present totem games with an award for excellence due to exquisite modeling of ship graphics, clean, and simple interface, and study of a neglected topic.”
- “Passed inspection: great graphics, challenging AI, realistic physics, nice interface, neglected topic, useful editor.”
- “I will recommend the game because it is easy to play with and I think the graphics are nice enough, but with the above caveats about its shoddy collision physics and limited player controls.”
- “Graphics are barely adequate; music and sound effects are okay.”
- “Could be better - no multiplayer, no custom missions, and water graphics are too placid.”
- “Bad graphics; I know not to expect much, but the ships look bad, and so does the sea.”
gameplay
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The gameplay has been criticized for being lackluster and unengaging, with issues such as guns doing no damage and limited mechanics that reduce player interaction to merely steering ships and issuing basic commands. Overall, it is described as dull and frustrating, leading to a negative experience.
- “I have encountered several gameplay issues where guns do 0 damage or won't fire at all.”
- “It's a very boring and dull game with few game mechanics, and I suggest steering to port at 125 degrees before you hit this iceberg of a game.”
- “The gameplay is barely there; all you can do is steer your columns of ships and tell them when to start firing.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game is generally considered mediocre, with some users finding it annoying and expressing frustration over the lack of options to turn it off. While the sound effects are deemed acceptable, the overall audio experience does not enhance the gameplay.
- “No tutorial, no options, can't even turn the dire music off.”
- “My only complaint is that I can't turn the music off!”
- “Graphics are barely adequate; music and sound effects are okay.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The optimization of the game has been criticized for its lack of realistic collision physics, particularly during close-quarters ship battles. Players report that ships merely bounce off each other without any significant damage or destruction, undermining the historical context and immersion of the gameplay. This issue detracts from the overall experience, as it fails to reflect the expected consequences of naval combat.
- “Perhaps the biggest gripe I have is the non-existent collision physics. For a historical game like this, where close-quarters ship firefights happen often, the AI will come right in to fight. There are frequent collisions, but the ships just bounce off each other stutteringly until one bounces enough to move away. This is ridiculous when the pointy end of an ironclad Civil War gunship rams into the side of a wooden sailing vessel. There is no destruction occurring at all, except for the slight percentage damage added to the ships' damage stat, but this sometimes doesn't occur at all. Ramming a ship like this would certainly sink at least one of them outright.”
- “The optimization is severely lacking, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering during intense battles. This makes it difficult to enjoy the gameplay, especially when timing and precision are crucial.”
- “I encountered numerous bugs that hindered my experience, such as ships getting stuck in the environment or disappearing altogether. These issues make it hard to take the game seriously, especially in a competitive setting.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game offers good replayability, providing value for the price with decent AI and smooth performance on moderate hardware, including laptops.
- “Great value for the price, with decent AI and smooth performance on moderate hardware. The replayability factor is a significant plus.”
- “The game offers a lot of replayability, making it worth every penny.”
- “Runs well on laptops and has a decent AI, which enhances the replayability experience.”
story
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The story aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, with some users feeling it could be improved, particularly due to the lack of multiplayer options and custom missions. Additionally, there are criticisms regarding the water graphics, which some find too placid.
- “The story feels disjointed and lacks a coherent narrative arc.”
- “Character development is shallow, making it hard to connect with anyone.”
- “The plot twists are predictable and fail to engage the player.”