Silent Hunter®: Wolves of the Pacific

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"Silent Hunter: Wolves of the Pacific" is a submarine simulation game set in the Pacific Ocean during World War II. Players command a US submarine and must complete missions such as destroying enemy ships and bases. The game features realistic naval combat and ship behavior, as well as a dynamic campaign that changes based on player decisions.

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Silent Hunter®: Wolves of the Pacific screenshot

72%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,295 reviews

story10 positive mentions

stability52 negative mentions

Highly immersive gameplay that captures the tension of submarine warfare.
Great modding community that enhances the game experience significantly.
Offers a variety of missions and the ability to adjust difficulty settings for a tailored experience.

Frequent bugs and crashes, especially on modern systems like Windows 10 and 11.
The base game is unplayable without the necessary DLC and patches, which are not included in the Steam version.
Lack of proper tutorials and guidance for new players, making it difficult to learn the game mechanics.

story
178 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
91%
3%
The story aspect of "Silent Hunter 4: Wolves of the Pacific" is generally viewed as minimal, with players noting that the game focuses more on mission-based gameplay rather than a cohesive narrative. While there are various missions, including patrols and covert operations, many reviewers feel that the lack of a strong storyline detracts from the overall experience, making it more about the simulation and mechanics than an engaging plot. The addition of the U-Boat Missions DLC is often recommended to enhance gameplay, but it does not significantly improve the narrative depth.
- “The tenseness when invading Midway in the U-boat missions campaign, sinking an aircraft carrier, a light cruiser, and a battleship, all while being shot at by torpedo boats and having bombers pass over me was a very interesting experience.”
- “The missions and campaigns require a real dedication to this game as they are not kid stuff - navigating and attacking convoys will really test your skills.”
- “This game isn't about the story as it is about the experience.”
- “In SH5, you're sent down a storyline and have little to no freedom to roam.”
- “Midway is the storyline for the career mode, although it isn't stated as such.”
graphics
88 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
68%
7%
The graphics of the game are generally considered decent for its release in 2007, with some players praising the water effects and overall visual appeal, especially when enhanced with mods. However, many reviews highlight that the graphics have aged poorly, with various bugs and clunky camera angles detracting from the experience. While not up to modern standards, the visuals still provide an enjoyable experience for those willing to overlook their dated nature.
- “The graphics are very good and even epic for 2007.”
- “Awesome graphics and plenty of gameplay.”
- “This is the best u-boat game out there, it is very realistic and even it is quite old the graphics of the waves and u-boats are awesome.”
- “How about water that moves independently from the ship, graphics blacking out entirely, or not even causing damage when hitting a ship?”
- “It's tone is all off, feeling more like a tropical adventure than anything, the difficulty is pathetic, it's more confusing than Silent Hunter 3 with no obvious answer, it's buggier than Silent Hunter 3, its graphics are okay for the time, but by god, they have aged so terribly it's not even funny.”
- “Graphics can be a little clunky at times and some camera angles are terrible (when aiming the AA gun at certain angles the camera goes into the tower and the screen goes black so you can't aim).”
gameplay
58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
62%
7%
The gameplay is generally praised for its depth and realism, with adjustable difficulty settings that enhance the experience. However, players have noted issues such as a clunky UI, bugs, and a lack of adequate tutorials for newcomers. While the mechanics are immersive and enjoyable, some users have experienced frustrating technical problems, including save file corruption.
- “Gameplay is smooth; and the experience feels realistic.”
- “Full difficulty brings an intensely immersive experience that can be extremely rewarding once you learn the mechanics.”
- “I also like the game mechanics; you can adjust the difficulty before every mission to make the game experience how you like best, and it tells you how realistic you've made it in percentage format.”
- “But the gameplay really drives me up a wall.”
- “The UI is clunky, the gameplay is buggy, and there is little to no information for a new player to understand the various complexities that are ultimately unfinished with the game.”
- “Also, after hours of gameplay all of my save files suddenly became corrupt and I am completely unable to play the game now.”
stability
54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
2%
96%
The stability of the game has been widely criticized, with many users reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and crashes that significantly hinder gameplay. While some comparisons suggest it is less buggy than Silent Hunter III, the general consensus is that the game is a "buggy mess," often requiring mods to improve stability and performance. Overall, players express frustration with the game's instability, leading to lost progress and frequent restarts.
- “Honestly, if you want to play a Silent Hunter game, buy the 3rd. I have had almost no glitches when playing that, and it wasn't as frustrating.”
- “However, this is the base game v1.3 version which is completely broken and an unplayable buggy mess.”
- “Currently my career of 25 plus hours has glitched and when loading the career the whole computer freezes and has to be turned off by holding the power button.”
- “Despite the numerous defects facing this game; it sometimes doesn't turn on, it sometimes freezes, and there's a big problem with getting it to open.”
optimization
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
58%
25%
The game's optimization is a mixed bag; while some users report it runs smoothly on Windows 10 with specific settings adjusted, others highlight significant performance issues, including crashes and erratic behavior during time acceleration. Overall, it appears that the game is not well-optimized, particularly for modern systems, despite some players finding workarounds to improve stability.
- “I was worried about the negative reviews saying that it doesn't work anymore on modern PCs, but the game works flawlessly in Windows 10 with the U-boot missions DLC, Windows Vista compatibility mode, and fullscreen optimization disabled.”
- “Check the box for 'disable fullscreen optimizations'.”
- “Honestly, this game would have been awesome if it didn't crash or seize up and drop in performance.”
- “The Balao is great, but what I'm getting at here is that you don't see the same disparity of performance that you saw in Silent Hunter 3.”
- “I was worried about the negative reviews saying that it doesn't work anymore on modern PCs, but the game works flawlessly in Win10 with the U-boot missions DLC, Windows Vista compatibility mode, and fullscreen optimization disabled.”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised, particularly during intense moments like being hunted by destroyers, which enhances the overall experience. However, some players believe that the atmosphere in the previous installment, "3," remains unmatched.
- “The atmosphere is amazing.”
- “Great game and the atmosphere is great when being hunted by destroyers.”
- “Still feel the atmosphere of 3 was best.”
music
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
33%
33%
The music in the game is highly praised, particularly the main theme and credits, which enhance the overall experience. An immersive mechanic allows players to listen to a radio while surfaced, especially when using the Captain Midnight CBS radio mod, which adds historical context through period news and music, further enriching the gameplay.
- “The soundtrack is great, especially the main theme and credits.”
- “There is a mechanic that allows you to listen to the radio while surfaced - that really helps with immersion if you load the Captain Midnight CBS radio mod as it will interrupt the musical interludes with war news on appropriate dates.”
- “Immersion is assisted by the introduction of period radio news and music.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as inconsistent, with some players finding it amusing due to its quirky elements like real-time travel, while others criticize its overall tone and execution, likening it to a confusing tropical adventure. Additionally, the game's technical issues and outdated graphics detract from the comedic experience, leading to mixed feelings about its humor.
- “A fantastic game, which allows you to do so many things; the nice feature may be the real-time travel, which makes it so funny to play.”
- “Funny way to start recommending a product, but I am still in the hospital drying my wet clothes.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and time-consuming, often requiring significant effort to manage repetitive tasks like status reports, which can lead to frustration due to unfiltered old messages cluttering the interface.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The message clipboard is tedious even after you send your status reports, and old news just sits there unfiltered.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is criticized for lacking depth compared to its predecessor, Silent Hunter V, where players could engage more intimately with the crew. While the crew's vocalizations during gameplay add some emotional intensity, they are deemed unrealistic and detract from the overall experience, especially during critical moments.
- “The crew shout or yell orders emotionally (similar to SH3), which no skipper I am sure would tolerate, especially during the critical phases of battle.”
- “However, it does lack the emotional investment of Silent Hunter V, in which you can walk the boat and get to know the characters that make up your crew. So if that is the experience you really want from a WWII submarine sim, go with V rather than IV.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
150%
Overall, while the game shows its age, many users feel that it still offers decent replayability, though some suggest that tuning could enhance the experience further.
- “This game offers a surprising amount of replayability, especially considering it's over a decade old.”
- “The variety of choices and outcomes keeps me coming back for more, making each playthrough feel fresh.”
- “With multiple paths and endings, this game encourages exploration and experimentation, enhancing its replay value.”
- “The game lacks significant changes in gameplay, making it hard to find motivation for replaying.”
- “Once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to dive back in.”
- “The limited variety in missions and challenges means replaying feels more like a chore than a choice.”