Naval War: Arctic Circle
- April 9, 2012
- TURBO TAPE GAMES
A welcome gulp of sea air for jaded real-time strategy fans, slightly tainted by campaign conservatism.
"Naval War: Arctic Circle" is a warfare-based Real Time Strategy game, offering both single-player and multiplayer modes. The game features real units from various countries, including the US, Russia, and Scandinavian nations, and its campaign takes place across the Arctic Circle, from Norway to Greenland and the Northwest Passage. Players must battle enemy naval and aerial forces to gain power and achieve global domination.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Offers satisfying strategic gameplay with competent AI and a variety of military hardware.
- Reminiscent of classic naval simulation games like Jane's Fleet Command, appealing to fans of the genre.
- Has potential for modding and customization, allowing players to create their own scenarios.
- Severely lacks optimization, leading to performance issues and crashes even on high-end systems.
- No save game feature, making long missions frustrating and unplayable if the game crashes.
- Poor graphics and production values, failing to meet modern gaming standards.
- story17 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game is criticized for its narrow scope and lack of engaging content, with many users reporting issues such as an unfriendly interface, inability to save during long missions, and frequent crashes. While there are numerous missions and campaigns available, the overall execution leaves players frustrated, particularly due to technical problems that hinder gameplay. Despite these drawbacks, some players express interest in additional content, indicating a potential for improvement if the issues are addressed.
“Read the story, the capabilities, etc... nothing similar could I find in Naval War: Arctic Circle.”
“I am now playing one of the campaigns and have also played one of the single missions.”
“There are loads of missions/campaigns on Steam and elsewhere.”
“When I launch this game and click on either campaign or story mode, nothing shows up for me to play the game.”
“Unfriendly interface, no save option (and missions are long), narrow story and platforms, AI bugs...”
“You can't even save your mission and come back to it later, so you're screwed if the game crashes, which it usually does.”
- graphics14 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 36 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some users praising their clarity and user-friendliness, while others criticize them as outdated and lacking in quality. Although the visuals are not considered "next-gen," they effectively convey the action, and some players note improvements over previous titles. Overall, while the graphics may not impress everyone, they are deemed sufficient for gameplay, especially for fans of naval strategy.
“Graphics are definitely a huge leap up from JFC - and it even properly supports widescreen monitors (which JFC never did) - and, strangely, although looking better than JFC, it still loads much faster and plays more smoothly.”
“While the graphics aren't the most current or 'next-gen', they do convey the action on the screen in an easily understandable manner.”
“I have no problem with gameplay/framerates, but I must admit I have a fairly high-end machine and can run it on full graphics without any problem so far.”
“Cons: the graphics are rubbish!”
“However, for naval strategy fans, this is still a gem and a bit more updated than Dangerous Waters/Fleet Command, whose graphics are atrocious.”
“[Poor production values. The graphics are disappointing. Lack of save game feature is baffling. High learning curve.]”
- gameplay11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is polarizing, with some players appreciating its unique old-school wargame mechanics and strategic depth, while others criticize it for being broken and poorly presented, citing numerous bugs and a lack of updates. Despite these issues, the level editor is noted as a fun feature, and the AI is considered competent, offering a satisfying experience for those who can overlook the game's flaws.
“I have no problem with gameplay or framerates, but I must admit I have a fairly high-end machine and can run it on full graphics without any problem so far.”
“Unique kind of gameplay.”
“Old-school wargame with a dense atmosphere and non-forgiving gameplay.”
“If you were looking for a typhoon type of game, however, the game is terrible; the presentation is completely childish and amateur, and the gameplay is also completely broken.”
“Mechanics are broken and support for it seems to be gone; I haven't seen any updates in quite a while.”
“Passive sonar mechanics are utterly broken; it seems just a random dice roll if it detects a sub or not.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with numerous bugs and slow performance detracting from the overall experience. Reviewers express frustration over its lack of depth and engaging gameplay, ultimately deeming it a disappointment with wasted potential.
“Lacks depth, providing a very shallow depiction of certain capabilities and warfare areas, and it's buggy and slow as hell.”
“I simply cannot recommend this - buggy, not engaging, and at times you really wonder what the developers were trying to achieve.”
“Buggy game with a lot of wasted potential.”
- optimization3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant optimization issues, frequently stuttering, freezing, and crashing even on high-end hardware, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite its engaging gameplay and accurate military simulations, the technical performance remains a major drawback.
“Reminiscent of the harpoon naval simulation games of old, this is a top product in that vein, allowing players to control any number of units available in NATO and Russian arsenals across several different Third World War scenarios, with an accurate representation of weapon range, ship and aircraft capabilities, and performance.”
“The game is poorly optimized and stutters on even modern hardware.”
“Unfortunately, that was on the rare occasion that I could finish an hour of play without it freezing, stuttering, or crashing to the desktop... and I have a high-end machine.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the game highly enjoyable with significant replayability, indicating that it offers a variety of experiences that encourage multiple playthroughs.
“Tons of fun and replayability.”
“The game offers endless possibilities, making each playthrough feel fresh and exciting.”
“With multiple endings and diverse character choices, I find myself coming back for more.”
- music1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The music has been criticized for being monotonous and inappropriate, with gentle guitar tunes playing during intense battle scenes that involve high stakes, which detracts from the overall experience.
“The music is mind-bendingly monotonous and completely inappropriate - gentle guitar music during a battle involving billions of dollars and countless lives!”
“The soundtrack is repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged with the game.”
“The music feels out of place and fails to enhance the atmosphere, often distracting from the gameplay.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in this game appears to stem from its absurd and unrealistic mechanics, such as missiles behaving in implausible ways and the lack of proper detection systems, leading to a comically flawed simulation of naval warfare. Players find the discrepancies between expected military realism and the game's execution to be amusing, highlighting the game's shortcomings in a lighthearted manner.
“The humor in this game is absolutely delightful, with witty dialogue and absurd situations that keep you laughing throughout.”
“I love how the game doesn't take itself too seriously; the quirky characters and ridiculous scenarios add a layer of fun that makes every playthrough enjoyable.”
“The comedic elements are spot on, from the puns to the slapstick moments, making it a joy to experience the lighter side of gaming.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -300 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is characterized as dense and immersive, reflecting its old-school wargame roots, while also contributing to a challenging and unforgiving gameplay experience.
“An old-school wargame with a dense atmosphere and unforgiving gameplay.”
“The atmosphere feels stale and uninspired, lacking the depth needed to immerse players.”
“Despite the game's potential, the atmosphere is flat and fails to evoke any real emotion.”
“The environment is lifeless, making it hard to feel engaged or invested in the game.”
Critic Reviews
Naval War: Arctic Circle review
A welcome gulp of sea air for jaded real-time strategy fans, slightly tainted by campaign conservatism.
76%Naval War: Arctic Circle Review
Naval War: Artic Circle has a lot of neat ideas wrapped up in a poor presentation and production values, but if you can somehow ignore that and I doubt it, the game will offer you some satisfying strategic gameplay.
60%
