Dangerous Waters

Dangerous Waters ranks among the most demanding and detailed military simulators ever made for PC, as it lets the player command not only a submarine but also a surface ship or an anti-submarine aircraft, all within one interconnected system of modern naval warfare. Instead of an arcade approach, it offers gameplay based on genuine sonar and radar detection, where the player must analyze acoustic traces, distinguish target types by their acoustic signature, and only then decide whether to fire or evade based on that data.

The simulation's depth is also reflected in its controls — the number of switches, displays and stations resembles a real combat information center, and the game makes practically no compromises in favor of accessibility, even for newcomers, who must first work their way through extensive training missions before understanding how the individual sensors and weapon systems work together. Missions range from hunting Cold War Soviet submarines to more modern scenarios involving guided missiles and air defense, while multiplayer allowed multiple players to split the individual posts on a single vessel among themselves, with each focusing on their own station — a unique approach at the time to cooperation and team coordination within a single combat unit. The sound design of the sonar, the rumble of turbines and radio communication were among the elements that defined the game the most and gave it an almost documentary tone.

Due to its extreme difficulty and austere user interface, Dangerous Waters remained the domain of a narrow but dedicated community of tactical simulator enthusiasts rather than a mass-played title. Even today it is considered one of the most authentic attempts to simulate underwater and surface combat, and regardless of its age it still serves as a reference point for every later project attempting a similar degree of realism and complexity.

Why play it: For dedicated tactical simulator enthusiasts seeking one of the most authentic attempts to simulate underwater and surface combat, even at the cost of extreme difficulty and an austere interface.