Carrier Command 2

Carrier Command 2 aims provide real-time strategy which will see you control an entire fleet of aircraft aboard a carrier and will have to command them effectively to take control of the Archipelago. Have you ever played the popular board game Battleships? A game that asks you to map out where your opponent has placed pins on their grid representing vessels of war. Can you remember the feeling when you were able to identify and destroy one of your opponent’s ships for good? Well, imagine that feeling, that burst of serotonin times one thousand.

This game plays like other tactical war games of this nature such as SOCOM, Command and Conquer, Civilisation, Tropico, HUMANKIND and Planetary Annihilation: Titans. This game aims to offer an authentic, tactically deep and fun war game epic that grants the player full control. However, is this game a real time strategy game for the ages? Or is it a direct hit to B4, sinking your carrier? We find out in our review of Carrier Command 2

Fleet to the Beat

Firstly, lets talk about this games rather strange yet effective art style. This game used a cel-shaded, cartoonish design that makes this game feel like a mash-up of a Thunderbirds episode and a hand drawn, 80’s inspired Top Gun comic book. It’s a brave move from the developers to stray away from the photo realism that most aircraft-related games often stay true to. Yet, through taking this approach, the game stands out and creates its own brand of aircraft action which was a smart move and looks great in practice.

The gameplay is also excellently deep too. The player has a full range of offensive and defensive tactics to make use of when commanding sea and sky. You’ll have access to a wealth of internal systems and comms on the carrier, you can plan your attacks, using thin enemy weak spots to break through their lines and when all is said and done, you’ll have conquered the occupied territories and become a master general, leading your squad to victory.

We admit that in terms of story and narrative, there is very little to speak of in traditional terms. However, thanks to the deep and nuanced, almost sandbox-like gameplay. The player is able to create their own narrative and allow their decisions to tell their own story. As they say, history is written by the victors, so the ability to create your own narrative and focus on the task at hand will be preferable to some.

The Verdict

Overall, we have to say that Carrier Command 2 is a step up from the original outing. There are much more tactical options to play around with. The games tend to be much more well paced, the graphical approach is weird yet wonderful and despite the lack of story, the game succeeds regardless.

Pros:

• Interesting art style
• Deep and nuanced RTS gameplay
• Longer, better paced games

Cons:

• VR functionality needs work
• Game has no story to speak of