ATLANTIC FLEET
KillerFish Games $9.99
WORLD WAR II RATING: 5/5
THE BASICS: Atlantic Fleet gives players the chance to recreate battles in the Atlantic Theater between Germany and Britain during World War II. Players control the actions of both a ship and an aircraft to complete certain game achievements.
THE OBJECTIVE: Can vary from significant missions—such as sinking the Bismarck—to more common engagements, like escorting convoys. Players have access to a huge range of ships, like the Prinz Eugen or King George V, as well as small destroyers and submarines. Based on the ship and mission, players will choose their artillery from a large selection of guns, torpedoes, and antiaircraft weaponry to defeat their opponent. Your mission is sinking the enemy!
HISTORICAL ACCURACY: Excellent. The designers have done a top-notch job of putting a lot of work into rendering accurate depictions of ships and aircraft and in setting up events exactly as they happened. The game is extremely enjoyable for those who are playing just for fun, but also realistic enough to study virtual imitations of real-life engagements.
THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY: Exciting and fast-paced. Atlantic Fleet displays a great combination of realism, accuracy, and playability, fusing lifelike recreation with ease of play. Its only downfall is that the game is limited to the Atlantic Theater. As it stands, it’s so entertaining that players will long to fight the battles in the Pacific as well.
PLAYABILITY: Superb. The game mechanics are extremely well crafted, making its replay value highly addictive. The simple interface allows players of any skill level to play confidently. With its vast amount of scenarios, it could be a long time and many playthroughs before the player has exhausted all possible outcomes, if ever.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Atlantic Fleet is arguably one of the best computer simulations of this aspect of World War II currently available. If you like historical games involving sea warfare, definitely play it. Atlantic Fleet allows players the opportunity to experience a great game and allows historians to explore actual conflicts and engagements and test theories of alternate outcomes.
Chris Ketcherside, a former Marine, is working on a PhD in military history.
This review was originally published in the September/October 2016 issue of World War II magazine. Subscribe here.