Silent Hunter 4

Publisher: Ubisoft
Preview by Yossarian (30 March 2007)

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IT'S A GREAT TIME to be a simmer! A bumper crop of new sims are in the pipeline, and chief among them is the follow up to the hugely popular Silent Hunter 3 from Ubisoft. This time around brings a departure from the Atlantic scenario presented in Silent Hunter 2 and 3, with the latest iteration, the series returns to its roots: the Pacific.

While Silent Hunter 3 was already (if you'll pardon the pun) incredibly deep, SH4 promises to deliver unprecedented levels of detail. Major changes include a completely reworked graphics engine (early screenshots have the water in particular looking amazing), improved AI (ships communicate using Morse and signal lights, amongst others making interception of enemy traffic possible), a wider range of mission types; Silent Hunter 3 was a more free-ranging affair along the lines of "patrol grid X". Silent Hunter 4 will have the player participate in a wide variety of tasks: slipping into an enemy harbour to photograph enemy surface assets, rescuing downed airmen, inserting spec ops teams and more.

The game world promises to be more believable too; historical events such as the battles of the Coral Sea and Midway will take place at their appointed time and place, and there are suggestions the game will involve the player in these events. The multiplayer system has been given an overhaul as well; there are suggestions that players will have the opportunity to control Japanese destroyers in a PvP matchup against human submarine commanders. Releasing at the end of the month, Silent Hunter 4 is most definitely a title we'll be keeping our eyes on.

Features:

• Hollywood Blockbuster Experience: Lifelike graphics and spectacular audio/visual effects offer an incredibly immersive gaming experience. Witness historical accuracy and amazing attention to detail, from breathtaking Pacific settings to more than 75 authentic-looking war machines such as the U.S. Gato sub, the Japanese Yamato flagship, and the Kawanishi aircraft.
• Large-Scale Naval Engagements: Witness epic naval engagements either firsthand or via radio messages and orders from high command.
• Innovative Crew Evolution: Earn upgrades and experience to guide the evolution of crewmembers, making your men the most effective naval force in the Pacific theater.
• Immersive Single-Player Gameplay: Diverse mission objectives and events on over 15 maps combined with unique rewards make each campaign a unique experience. Commandeer various U.S. submarines and progress in your career as a naval officer via improved dynamic campaigns in Career mode, or dive into 'instant actions' and single patrols for a quick fight.
• Addictive New Online Adversarial Mode: Join forces with up to 8 friends via LAN or 4 via the Internet in either cooperative or adversarial gameplay modes. Scripted and generated mission types allow for epic online battles and unlimited replayability.
• Scalable Learning Experience: Selectable difficulty levels allow players to choose how challenging of a simulation to play.

Show me the screenshots!

Check out the Official Site.