Find tech advice for business here
GameSpot editors' review
-
CNET editors' rating:
stars
Mediocre
Detailed editors' rating
- Reviewed on: 01/09/2008
- Released on: 12/04/2007
- Originally published on GameSpot: The History Channel: Battle for the Pacific (Wii) Review
Unlike the Xbox 360 version of the game, the Wii version of Battle for the Pacific showed a lot of promise. Rather than following around a brain-dead soldier on a series of stand-alone missions, you actually play out a real story in some interesting jungle environments. The problem with Battle for the Pacific isn't in the design, though, but in the execution. Terrible controls, dumb artificial intelligence, and god-awful visuals get in the way of the game's potential, and keep this war from being one worth fighting.
Green is the new black.
There's a little bit of narrative here to tie things together. As Jonathan Farrell, you'll fight Japanese soldiers across 12 missions, most of which take place in jungle environments. Scrolling text and a competent voice-over fill you in on your objectives, and occasionally, a yawn-inducing History Channel segment will pop up to give you some historical perspective on the proceedings. None of it's very good--there are weird grammatical errors in the script, for example, which makes you wonder if the actor playing Farrell ever thought to mention anything--but it glues things together enough to keep you playing through the three-hour campaign.
The first thing you'll notice about Battle for the Pacific is that it's incredibly ugly. The game drowns you in a mess of muddy greens and browns, and textures are so blurry and unsightly that it's hard to make out anything from a distance. And for some reason, the game performs horribly, with the frame rate dipping noticeably when there is dense foliage on the screen. When things cut away for an in-engine cutscene, the whole thing becomes a nausea-inducing slideshow. There's also a thin, permanent tear that separates the left side from the right side of the screen. Additionally, like in the 360 version, there is an effect that blurs your view when you reload your weapon, though in this case, it obscures things to the point that you can make out absolutely nothing in the distance. All of this gets in the way of the gameplay, since you'll often be under attack by enemies that you simply can't see.
Yet somehow, even if you can't see them at all, your enemies can spot you from a mile away. The cheating AI is possibly the most frustrating aspect of Battle for the Pacific, because even when you can't see your pixelated enemies at all through the jungle flora, they can spot you through rocks and buildings, and their magic bullets seem to hit their target every time. In fact, AI soldiers are so talented, their guns will continue to shoot at you even when they are doubled over in pain, or after you have killed them and they are falling to the ground.
Continue readingMost helpful user reviews
-
Average user rating:
0 stars
Not yet available
Back to product review - My rating: 0 stars Write review
-
Showing 1 of 1 user review
- See 1 user review Write review
Submit your review
Where to buy
The History Channel: Battle for the Pacific (Wii):
$12.95 - $38.99
| store | price | in stock? | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
|
$38.99 | Yes |
|
|
GamesDirectOnline
|
$12.95 | No |
|
%20Wii%20Game%20reviews%20-%20CNET%20Reviews&srcUrl=http://reviews.cnet.com/wii-games/the-history-channel-battle/4505-9993_7-32566741.html){kind=small}