Ship Simulator: Maritime Search and Rescue
- June 30, 2014
- Reality Twist
- 1h median play time
Get on Steam"Ship Simulator: Maritime Search and Rescue" is a game that puts you in the role of a sea rescuer, battling harsh elements and using powerful rescue vessels to save lives. Complete 20 different missions, including extinguishing fires and salvaging damaged ships, while communicating with the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Center. Choose your vessel and location on the North or Baltic Sea, and get ready for a challenging and engaging experience.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers a unique narrative experience focused on real emergency cases and missions, providing an engaging atmosphere.
- The water physics, buoyancy effects, and interactions with other vessels are modeled realistically, enhancing the gameplay experience.
- The game is easy to learn and can be enjoyable for players who appreciate ship driving and rescue missions.
- The controls are frustrating and unrealistic, making it difficult to maneuver the ships effectively, especially the smaller boats.
- The graphics are subpar, with low frame rates and glitches that detract from the overall experience.
- Many players find the gameplay repetitive and boring, with long stretches of time spent simply holding down keys without engaging content.
- story34 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally viewed as decent, focusing on realistic maritime rescue missions that highlight the challenges faced by emergency responders. While the narrative is engaging and features interesting characters, players have noted issues with mission design, bugs, and a lack of save options that detract from the overall experience. Despite these drawbacks, the game is praised for its potential and the unique perspective it offers on maritime search and rescue operations.
“The game focuses a lot on narration and is credible, based on real emergency cases and missions.”
“I feel I can recommend this game to a large audience of players for being more forgiving, for having smart and interesting missions, for the dialogues, narration, and the interesting characters, and for having a realism focused on enhancing the fun and enjoyability, instead of frustrating the player.”
“And last but not least, it gives a nice depiction of the German maritime search and rescue operations in general, and how complex and dangerous these maritime missions must be in real life.”
“The game isn't a true simulator; it's more of a storytelling game.”
“The final part of the mission on the Baltic Sea I could not complete due to it being bugged with the radio.”
“I would really like to give this game a thumbs up because it highlights people who are rarely thought of and do a very difficult job, but I can't as the game has kept crashing sometimes after 1 hour of gameplay, forcing me to restart the mission.”
- graphics10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some users noting realistic gameplay and good modeling of certain elements, while others criticize the overall quality as mediocre or poor, often citing issues like glitches, low frame rates, and high RAM usage. Many players express disappointment with the graphical performance, especially in relation to their hardware capabilities, leading to a frustrating experience. Overall, the graphics seem to be a significant drawback for a number of users, overshadowing the positive aspects of the game's visual design.
“Last but not least, the modeling of the daughter ships is very good, and the immense difference in mass and buoyancy compared to the main ships is extremely well perceivable both graphically and dynamically.”
“Graphics are nice, but for some reason, they are unusually heavy on RAM for what you get, resulting in a poor frame rate for something that doesn't appear particularly high-spec.”
“This is both a good and bad thing - it's good because there are many fewer graphical bugs and general slowness than you get from the classic ship simulator.”
“Awful graphics and gameplay.”
“Graphics were not very good and it was a bit glitchy; took ages to do stuff!”
“The graphics are bad, as the resolution does not fit my new laptop - it is not a good game in my point of view.”
- gameplay9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The gameplay is described as realistic and educational, particularly in teaching navigation and rescue techniques, but it suffers from significant graphical shortcomings and frequent crashes that disrupt the experience. While some players appreciate the depth and potential for immersive gameplay, others find it frustrating due to bugs and a lack of clarity in mission objectives. Overall, the game offers a mix of engaging content and technical issues that detract from its overall quality.
“It has very realistic gameplay, but the graphics are average.”
“This is the best ship game ever! If you have a mainstream PC, you'll be good to go. I'm just totally overwhelmed; it's a very good game with many hours of gameplay. It teaches you how to navigate the highways of the open seas, as the way they made this game is more like a course on driving boats, rescue techniques, understanding tides, and avoiding danger zones. I've only played an hour, but I can tell there's a lot more to explore.”
“You use the communication radio before returning to base; I think that's a required part of gameplay.”
“An example is the mobile phone call mission where it talks about transferring the radio communications into the sister ship, and people on a cliff waving. I have the name of the cliff, but I have no idea where that is, and all it takes me to is a waypoint nowhere near a cliff. Referring to the game manual is no help in regards to gameplay.”
“I would really like to give this game a thumbs up because it highlights people who are rarely thought of and do a very difficult job, but I can't as the game has kept crashing sometimes after 1 hour of gameplay. It's made me start the mission again, and even with the 4x speed, I don't like having to do the same mission twice when I've got it right already.”
“It's an okay game that is overpriced, and the gameplay feels a bit cheap.”
- music4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received for its quality, but players express frustration over the inability to turn it off and its inconsistent volume levels, particularly in menus. Many users suggest that adding a dedicated soundtrack feature would enhance the experience, allowing them to enjoy the music more freely. Overall, while the music contributes positively to the atmosphere, it has some notable drawbacks.
“It is a really good simulator and is very realistic. If I could add one thing to it, it would be to include the soundtrack so you can listen to the music from the game.”
“Among other issues I have is that you can't turn off the music.”
“The music is louder in the menus but still in the background while traveling back and forth holding down the 'W' key.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's narrative approach creates a dramatic yet enjoyable atmosphere, distinguishing it from typical simulation games that often overlook this element. The absence of strict game over conditions contributes to a relaxing experience, enhancing the overall ambiance.
“The narrative approach truly allows players to experience a dramatic yet enjoyable atmosphere, something that pure simulation games often overlook. The absence of strict game over conditions creates a relaxing and less punitive experience compared to many other games.”
“The atmosphere is incredibly immersive, drawing players into a world that feels both alive and engaging. Every detail contributes to a sense of place that enhances the overall experience.”
“The combination of stunning visuals and a haunting soundtrack creates an atmosphere that is both captivating and eerie, making every moment in the game feel significant.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the simulator to be realistic but occasionally tedious, detracting from the overall experience. While the game boasts impressive visuals and substantial content, some users suggest that adding a soundtrack could enhance enjoyment during repetitive tasks.
“The grinding in this game feels excessively tedious and takes away from the overall experience.”
“While the game has a lot of content, the repetitive nature of grinding makes it feel like a chore.”
“The simulation is impressive, but the grinding aspect can be quite annoying and detracts from the enjoyment.”
