Pacific Storm takes us into the heart of World War Two based in the first half of the 20th century in the year 1942 with Japan trying to take over the pacific. You play as the United States fleet, who tries to stop the Japanese expansion in the region. With three game types rolled into one game and twenty-three different forces (Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Portugal, Italy, France, Germany, Scandinavia, Israel, Turkey, India, Japan, South Korea, China, Taiwan, Brazil, North America and South Africa) Pacific Storm is nay offer just what fans of simulators, action and strategy are longing for..

Game Styles:

Strategic Mode is a overview of a battle field, where you control your fleet, ships and bases. The ships are manufactured and ordered in your metropolis and are used to move your engineers, sailors, pilots and soldiers and take over enemy territory. Bases are used to protect your territory while your fleet is away and they can also assist your ships in intelligence gathering and your air fleet in bombings.

The Tactical Game is a Sea and Air based prospective presented in a bird's eye View. You begin by placing your ships and aircraft on the map, with the object of the game being the capture all the enemies bases by destroying their ships and the base's defenses using the shells from your ships or bombings from your aircraft. You can take over any unit on the map in a Tactical Game and switch the mode to the Action mode.

In Action Mode you take over a single unit, like an airplane or the defense system on an aircraft. In this mode the game becomes a simulator, but all the commands you have given in tactical mode for your units still stick. While controlling an airplane you can switch between third and first person prospective, with the option to fire the MG, drop bombs and launch torpedoes. When in control of a ship you play as the defense system, taking the role of an anti-air gunner.

To win a game as the United States you must capture and hold two bases, from Tokyo, Nagasaki, Osaka or Okinawa for four months, as the Japanese you must capture and hold for at least two months Panama and either Bremerton, Monterrey or San Diego.

Driving The War Machine:

The Metropolis zone is the area that houses your industrial buildings and military production plants facilities. The metropolis is also used delivering Engineer, Soldier, Pilot and Sailor Units and Goods by your country's industries. after ordering a unit you select which area the unit will be placed in. The Order Management Button opens a dialog where you can order new units, new designs of Airplanes, Ships and Weapons. New Hardware is also stored in your Metropolis for the use of shipping to Bases and ships via Transports. Cargo and Personnel maybe transported by transports. In the Unit Editor you can make modifications to your Ships, change their Engines, Weapon Systems, Equipment or number of Personnel on board.

Your personnel units each have a crew, each crew is divided into different experience groups. Crew members have no identity, Commanders however have a name, photo biography and a list of characteristics describing them as commanding officers. Engineers and Soldiers are special positions and are not members of a crew. Engineers construct bases while Soldiers capture and defend bases. Personnel gain experience in fighting and exercises as they do their day to day jobs, there are five experience ranks Recruit, Experienced, Battle-Hardened, Veterans and Elite. Personnel also gain and lose Morale, Morale determines how effective the crew gains experience. Morale is gained and lost when a unit is in a battle in which you win or retreat from.

Bases are used for Defensive and offensive operations. A base may used as an airfield to extend the range of your aviation, or you can built facilities and turn it to a strategic strong hold to provide support your naval and aircraft offensive, and defensive operations in large areas. Bases are constructed when you find an island and transport engineers to it. To capture a base you must land troops onto the base's island, after destroying the coastal defenses you begin an invasion. Invasion troops begin fighting as soon as they land, fighting the base defenders and destroying the base's facilities. after the base is defeated you begin building your own.

There are five different types of aircraft; each Aircraft unit is stationed on an airfield or an aircraft carrier. The Fighter is a aircraft designed to fight enemy air units, the Carrier Bombers are designed to attack land based targets and ships with heavy damage bombs, Carrier-Based Torpedo Bombers are designed to attack ships and submarines, Bombers are capable of carrying large loads of ordnance and the Bomber's designed to destroy large stationary targets, like bases.

Final Thoughts:

All in all our test drive of Buka's game was an interesting experience. Obviously the game is still heavily in development, but what's there looks good, functions well and is on the right path to be different than most strategy games. Pacific Storm is a very diverse style war game with many different interesting features and many in-depth and complex ideas. The game has a easy feel to it with many different styles of play, and will be something to look forward to when it is released next year.