Pacific Storm Allies is sequel to the released Pacific Storm RTS Game. Pacific Storm, in its own right, was loaded with so many variables that you could play the game a multitude of ways. So many, in fact, it was this reviewer’s opinion that most gamers will most likely get comfortable playing one certain style and play that way through and through. Well, I guess the developers are out to prove me wrong by adding more content - enough to make my head spin. Listed below are just some of the many added features I thought those intrigued to the expansion might be interested in.

New nations allied to the USA and Japan in WWII, including Great Britain, Holland, USSR, and Germany that will interact with the nation controlled by the player and each other both in terms of peace and war. Great Britain becomes the third playable faction with its own unique units and homeland bases. There are also several new locations for establishing bases and combat including Indochina. Because of the introduction of new allied units, there are more variants to compiling tactical missions.

There are now hundreds of new technology upgrades that allow designing new historically accurate and unique weapons and units. Army, Navy, Air, and Engineering Academies can be constructed to train personnel and increase their experience.

Forty new aircraft and 20 new ships have been added along with a better damage model and hit location that is effected by combat and poor weather conditions. AI- and player-controlled units better split their fire on suitable targets. My favorite addition to the game is that you can now control ships in a third-person view. You can set speed, direction, order fire to main caliber, anti-air artillery, and launch torpedoes separately. You can also control aircraft with a mouse.

The tutorial is a must for those new to the game. Here you will learn how to manage and direct your units in a “learn-by-doing” format. This surely speeds up the learning curve because reading the manual can leave you a bit confused. There are so many options at your fingertips that the tutorial surely spells out to get you playing quite quickly. Those strategy fans will gain much from the manual for more in depth play.

Some of these missions can take sometime to complete. Fortunately you can speed up or slow down gameplay to fit the gamer’s skill level. This also alleviates long time between battles so there is more action without a lot of dead time. Letting some of the in-game options take control of units can sometimes be a better alternative to taking control yourself. This makes fighting some times more effective. Though having the option to take control of the guns may be an enjoyable option it seems that this is not necessarily the most effective style.

Visually the game also has a few noticeable enhancements. Some added post effects like blur and glow, and environmental effects like waves, clouds and birds intensify the overall realism. Though I would not call this title the most visually stunning title, it does do an above average job in the strategy genre.

The multiplayer system has been improved with three modes; Battle Planner, Dogfight, and Historical games will surely challenge those who dare to wage war via LAN or over the Internet. Unfortunately there is not a dedicated server at the time of the review that allows you to search and join an online game. So you will have to already know a valid IP address to play over the Internet or play via LAN.

This is one sequel I can honestly say a lot of effort has gone into. Pacific Storm, in my opinion, is a title that has so much detail to every perspective of game play that most players will not play the game to its fullest. However, for those WWII strategy fans that live and breathe micro managing, down to literally controlling one specific unit, this sequel will surely compliment an already well-developed game.

Gameplay: 7.0
There is more options here than several games combined, but this leaves the learning curve at it’s highest. Yes, you can toggle some auto stuff but there is still so much micro management to make this feel more like work. Plus still a few bugs need to be worked out.

Graphics: 7.0
Not bad for a strategy game, but just nothing eye popping.

Sound: 7.0
Decent sound effects. Some music did not seem suited for what was happening in the game nor fit the time period. Not bad overall.

Difficulty: Hard
So many options may feel daunting. Though I like all the options and toggles available, it takes some time to get things right.

Concept: 7.0
There is a ton of variation to this game but it is still another WWII strategy game.

Multiplayer: 5.0
I was not happy to find that there is no search online for available games. You need an IP address or play as a LAN. Online play and the ability to find games hosted by the game creator’s own server is expected these days. They really dropped the ball there.

Overall: 7.0
In my opinion only the hardcore WWII naval buffs will get really get a charge out of this one.