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M icroProse have had things to themselves for a long time in the submarine market: their aged game Silent Service gave the player a chance to experience the thrills and spills of captaining a World War II sub. Now Electronic Arts bring things right up to date with a simulation of the latest range of American and Soviet subs.
It is mainly a one player game, but on some missions two players can play head-to-head via modem, each controlling a different side’s sub. There are 10 missions in total (although the first is merely a practice mission) which may not sound like much but, as anyone who has played this sort of game will know, one mission can last a very long time. Moreover, once you have played them in the American sub you can play them again in the Soviet one, effectively doubling the number of missions.

The whole game is played and controlled from a main screen depicting the inside of your sub. By moving the mouse over certain members of your crew and clicking, you reveal different areas of the sub. The areas include the radio room where orders are sent and received, the navigation room where waypoints and so on are set, the engine room, torpedo control, damage control, the sonar room and the periscope. Obviously, the options available in each room vary, but the act of switching between rooms simply involves hitting a function key.

Once you have got your order and have decided on a strategy the first thing to do is jump from room to room and complete all the necessary tasks. Then you can switch on all the latest gadgetry (things like the contour computer, which gives you a constantly updated image of the surrounding sea bed) and settle back for some nail-biting tension.
Andy Smith