Battlestations: Pacific

Battlestations: Pacific built on the successful concept of the 2007 predecessor and expanded it primarily with the option to play a campaign as the Imperial Japanese Navy, which gave the Pacific conflict a second, previously unused perspective. The player again switches between commanding the entire fleet on the strategic map and directly controlling individual ships and aircraft in an ongoing battle, whether a destroyer, a submarine, or a fighter squadron protecting its own carriers, and can jump between units at any time depending on where the battle is currently heating up.

The Japanese campaign let players experience an alternative version of the war, where they try to counter growing American superiority, offering a different pace and different tactical choices than the offensive American storyline, where the player is instead pushed toward rapid expansion and exploiting overwhelming material superiority. This contrast between defensive and offensive strategy was one of the biggest differences between the sequel and the original. The game broadened its roster of units and battle scenarios, improved the graphics and the explosion and fire effects on decks, and kept the bold, cinematically styled music accompanying the great clashes between the fleets of both sides of the conflict. Multiplayer modes let players face off against each other in these very same spectacular battles of carriers, battleships, and submarines, offering entertainment even after finishing both single-player campaigns.

Battlestations: Pacific was received as a successful expansion of the core idea, bringing more content and variety through playable Japan. Today it's seen as the more mature and content-richer of the series' two entries, and remains a popular choice for fans of an accessible take on the Pacific naval war even years later, particularly thanks to the chance to experience the conflict from both sides of the front line.

Why play it: For fans of an accessible take on the Pacific naval war who will appreciate the richer content and the chance to experience the conflict from both sides of the front line through playable Japan.