Battlestations: Midway
Command fleets and control units in Pacific WWII battles.
Battlestations: Midway is a World War II video game that blends action and real-time tactics, released in 2007 for Xbox 360 and Windows. Developed by Eidos Hungary, it allows players to command fleet assets and directly control any unit. The game is notable for its backwards compatibility on Xbox One and Xbox Series consoles.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Eidos Hungary
- Publisher
- Eidos Interactive; Feral Interactive (Mac OS X)
- Designer
- Györei Viktor; Szalasci Botond
- Programmer
- Somfai Ákos
- Artist
- Nagy Zoltán
- Genre
- Action, real-time tactics
- Series
- Battlestations
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
Players begin with a combination of ships, submarines, aircraft, shipyards, or airfields, and can switch between allocated units to complete objectives. Each unit has unique features and controls; for example, carriers, shipyards, and airfields can release carrier aircraft, ships, or land-based aircraft. These units engage in naval battles, undersea actions, dogfights, and bombing runs. Multiplayer matches support up to eight players in team-based play, where each player controls a different group of units with unique strengths and weaknesses. Teams win by completing objectives such as destroying or protecting a unit or reaching a map point. The single-player campaign features 11 historically based missions from the American perspective, following Henry Walker and his friend Donald Locklear. The game includes appearances by John F. Kennedy and Franklin D. Roosevelt. Each multiplayer map is a set-piece battle where initial units are the only ones available, except for spawnable units and respawning planes in the rarely played map Air Superiority at Luzon. Since December 2012, GameSpy's closure has caused multiplayer error messages.
Development
Development began around March 2002 for Windows under the title Midway: Naval Battles, targeting a late 2003 to early 2004 release. After SCi Games acquired publishing rights, the game was rebranded as Battlestations: Midway, and versions for Gizmondo, PlayStation 2, and Xbox were commissioned but later cancelled in favor of an Xbox 360 release. A multiplayer demo for Xbox 360 appeared on January 18, 2007, followed by a PC demo on January 26 and a Mac OS X demo on July 24, 2008. The PC demo supported only LAN play, while the Xbox 360 demo worked online. Eidos released the Iowa Mission Pack on March 28, 2003, adding ship models, a ship challenge, and a multiplayer map; it is preserved for PC via Mod DB. A PC patch has been released.
Reception
The PC version received generally favorable reviews, while the Xbox 360 version received average reviews on Metacritic. In Japan, Spike ported and published the Xbox 360 version on February 7, 2008; Famitsu scored it one six and three sevens, while Famitsu X360 gave one seven, two eights, and one seven. 411Mania rated the Xbox 360 version nine out of ten.
Sequel
Eidos Interactive released Battlestations: Pacific for Windows and Xbox 360 in May 2009. The sequel takes place after Battlestations: Midway, with twice as many missions and 21 new units. It adds the ability to command troops on islands, though not individual land units, and introduces naval mines and kamikazes. Players can play as the Japanese from the Pearl Harbor attack to Midway, with enhanced realism such as underwater flora and fauna. An alternate history timeline allows a Japanese victory at Midway, leading to an invasion of Hawaii. At the start of the Pearl Harbor attack, players can kill the two main characters from the previous game, with specific comments if they succeed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who published Battlestations: Midway?
Battlestations: Midway was published by Eidos Interactive and Feral Interactive (Mac OS X).
What platforms is Battlestations: Midway available on?
Battlestations: Midway was released for Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X.
Who designed Battlestations: Midway?
Battlestations: Midway was designed by Györei Viktor and Szalasci Botond.
Who composed the music for Battlestations: Midway?
The music for Battlestations: Midway was composed by Richard Jacques.
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