Battlestations: Midway
Encyclopedia
Battlestations: Midway is a video game developed by Eidos Studios Hungary and released on January 30, 2007 for the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...

 and Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...

. The Mac version of this game was developed by Robosoft Technologies
Robosoft Technologies
Robosoft Technologies is an Indian information technology company which provides software product development services. Robosoft was founded in 1996 by Rohith Bhat, who established the company to develop software products for the Mac market...

, based out of India and published in July 2008 by Feral Interactive
Feral Interactive
Feral Interactive is a publishing company founded in 1999 that publishes games and other software that did not fit in with the release programs of the large established publishers. It publishes Macintosh games and has relationships with publishers such as Electronic Arts, Eidos Interactive,...

.

Set in the Pacific
Pacific Theater of Operations
The Pacific Theater of Operations was the World War II area of military activity in the Pacific Ocean and the countries bordering it, a geographic scope that reflected the operational and administrative command structures of the American forces during that period...

 during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, it's a hybrid of action
Action game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...

 and real-time tactics
Real-time tactics
Real-time tactics or RTT is a subgenre of tactical wargames played in real-time simulating the considerations and circumstances of operational warfare and military tactics...

 as the player can both command his fleet assets and assume control of any one of them at will. The single player campaign is a series of missions from Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...

 to the Battle of Midway
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway is widely regarded as the most important naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, approximately one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea and six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States Navy decisively defeated...

, from a single patrol boat
Patrol boat
A patrol boat is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defense duties.There have been many designs for patrol boats. They may be operated by a nation's navy, coast guard, or police force, and may be intended for marine and/or estuarine or river environments...

 to a carrier battle group
Carrier battle group
A carrier battle group consists of an aircraft carrier and its escorts, together composing the group. The first naval task forces built around carriers appeared just prior to and during World War II. The Imperial Japanese Navy was the first to assemble a large number of carriers into a single...

.

Gameplay

In either the single-player or multiplayer game the player can start with a ship
Ship
Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...

, submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...

, aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...

, shipyard
Shipyard
Shipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance and basing activities than shipyards, which are sometimes associated more with initial...

, airfield or a combination of any of them. The player can switch between their allocated or built units in order to complete objectives. Each unit also has its own unique features and controls. For example, using a carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...

, shipyard or airfield, players can release carrier aircraft, ships, or land-based aircraft respectively. These units can then be used to engage in naval battles, undersea actions or dogfights and bombing runs.

Players are encouraged to work together online. In multiplayer, each player controls a different group of units. One example would be the map "Battle of Samar." The Japanese are to destroy the Allied Carriers, while the Allies have to sink the Japanese battleship Yamato
Japanese battleship Yamato
, named after the ancient Japanese Yamato Province, was the lead ship of the Yamato class of battleships that served with the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. She and her sister ship, Musashi, were the heaviest and most powerfully armed battleships ever constructed, displacing...

. The Yamato is capable of sustaining dozens of torpedoes, dive bombs, and direct shell hits due to its heavy armor. However, the Allies have two battleships and carriers, the Japanese only have one. Therefore, the Allies are forced to attack the Yamato together, while trying to maintain air superiority. However, the Yamato cannot fend off all the American planes by itself, therefore requiring other players on the Japanese team to support with their lighter Fubukis
Fubuki class destroyer
The was a class of twenty four destroyers of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The Fubuki class has been called "the world's first modern destroyer." The Fubuki class not only set a new standard for Japanese vessels, but for destroyers around the world...

and Heavy Cruisers.

Single player challenges

Battlestations: Midway offers several challenge levels where the player's skills are tested.

Ship Challenges
  • "Strike on the Monster" - February 28, 1942
  • "Battle of the Java Sea
    Battle of the Java Sea
    The Battle of the Java Sea was a decisive naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, that sealed the fate of the Netherlands East Indies....

    " - March 1, 1942
  • "Hunt for the Cruiser" - June 11, 1942
  • "Might of Yamato
    Japanese battleship Yamato
    , named after the ancient Japanese Yamato Province, was the lead ship of the Yamato class of battleships that served with the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. She and her sister ship, Musashi, were the heaviest and most powerfully armed battleships ever constructed, displacing...

    " - July 19, 1942


The DLC (Downloadable Content) Adds:
  • "Raid on Truk"
    Operation Hailstone
    Operation Hailstone was a massive naval air and surface attack launched on February 17–18, 1944, during World War II by the United States Navy against the Japanese naval and air base at Truk in the Caroline Islands, a pre-war Japanese territory.-Background:Truk was a major Japanese logistical base...

     - February 16, 1944


Plane Challenges
  • "Shortage of Reinforcements" - December 9, 1941
  • "Saving Tulagi
    Tulagi
    Tulagi, less commonly Tulaghi, is a small island in the Solomon Islands, just off the south coast of Florida Island. The town of the same name on the island Tulagi, less commonly Tulaghi, is a small island (5.5 km by 1 km) in the Solomon Islands, just off the south coast of Florida...

    " - May 4, 1942
  • "Attack on Force Z"
    Sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse
    The sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse was a Second World War naval engagement that took place north of Singapore, off the east coast of Malaya, near Kuantan, Pahang where the British Royal Navy battleship HMS Prince of Wales and battlecruiser HMS Repulse were sunk by land-based bombers and...

     - December 10, 1941


Submarine Challenges
  • "Crucial Cargo" - January 12, 1942
  • "Periscopes Threatening" - February 17, 1942
  • "Coup de Grace" - May 27, 1942

Multiplayer

Battlestations: Midway supports multiplayer matches of up to eight players. Matches are team-based, beginning with each player choosing either an Allied or a Japanese starting base from a list of preset slots in the lobby. Each slot has its own unique unit or building allocation. Each multiplayer map is essentially a "set-piece" battle, with two notable exceptions, whereby all of the units on the map at the beginning of the match are all the units available to the players for the entire match. The two exceptions to this are units that can be spawned (e.g. aircraft from airfields, aircraft carriers, etc.) and the planes in the map "Air Superiority at Luzon", which is very infrequently played.

Demo

A multiplayer demo was released on the Xbox Live Marketplace
Xbox Live Marketplace
The Xbox Live Marketplace is a virtual market designed for Microsoft's Xbox 360 console that allows Xbox Live members to download purchased or promotional content...

 on January 18, 2007. The PC demo was released on January 26, 2007, and the Mac OS X demo followed on July 24, 2008. The demos contain the multiplayer map Battle of Solomon Islands
Battle of the Eastern Solomons
The naval Battle of the Eastern Solomons The naval Battle of the Eastern Solomons The naval Battle of the Eastern Solomons (also known as the Battle of the Stewart Islands and, in Japanese sources, as the , took place on 24–25 August 1942, and was the third carrier battle of the Pacific campaign...

, which supports up to 8 players.

The PC demo works only for LAN play. Players will disconnect frequently when attempting to play via the internet. The Xbox 360 demo functions correctly via Xbox Live online play.

Downloadable content

Eidos released the "Iowa Mission Pack" on the Xbox Live Marketplace. This update includes several new ship models, as well as the "Raid on Truk" ship challenge and the "Battle of Sibuyan Sea" multiplayer map. A patch has been released for the PC version. There are themes and gamer pictures available for Xbox Live as well. More maps, patches, modifications, and textures can be downloaded at http://www.battlestations.eu/

Reception

  • 1UP: 7/10
  • IGN
    IGN
    IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...

    : 8.5/10
  • Game Informer
    Game Informer
    Game Informer is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations...

    : 6.5/10
  • 360 Gamer Magazine UK: 8/10
  • PC Gamer Magazine UK: 74%
  • Official Xbox Magazine
    Official Xbox Magazine
    Official Xbox Magazine is a monthly video game magazine which started in November 2001 around the launch of the original Xbox. A preview issue was released for E3 2001, with another preview issue for November 2001. The magazine is bundled with a disc that includes game demos, preview videos and...

    : 7.0/10
  • GameSpot
    GameSpot
    GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...

    : 7.9/10
  • X-Play: 3/5


The Xbox 360 version scores 73% on Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...

 based on 33 reviews, the PC version scores 75% based on 11 reviews.

Ships

United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...



Battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...

  • USS New York
    USS New York (BB-34)
    USS New York was a United States Navy battleship, the lead ship of her class of two . She was the fifth ship to carry her name....



Aircraft Carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...

  • USS Yorktown
    USS Yorktown (CV-5)
    was an aircraft carrier commissioned in the United States Navy from 1937 until she was sunk at the Battle of Midway in June 1942. She was named after the Battle of Yorktown in 1781 and the lead ship of the Yorktown class which was designed after lessons learned from operations with the large...

  • USS Lexington
    USS Lexington (CV-2)
    USS Lexington , nicknamed the "Gray Lady" or "Lady Lex," was an early aircraft carrier of the United States Navy. She was the lead ship of the , though her sister ship was commissioned a month earlier...



Cruiser
Cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...

  • USS Cleveland
    USS Cleveland (CL-55)
    was the lead ship and one of the 26 United States Navy light cruisers completed during or shortly after World War II. She was the second ship to be named for the city of Cleveland, Ohio....



Destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...

  • USS Alden
    USS Alden (DD-211)
    USS Alden was a Clemson-class destroyer of the United States Navy . Serving during World War II, Alden is the only ship of the US Navy to have been named for Rear Admiral James Alden, Jr...

  • USS Clemson
    USS Clemson (DD-186)
    USS Clemson was the lead ship of her class of destroyers which served in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Midshipman Henry A...

  • USS Morris
    USS Morris (DD-271)
    The sixth USS Morris was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy. She was named for Charles Morris.-History:Morris was laid down 20 July 1918 by the Fore River Plant, Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, Squantum, Massachusetts; launched 12 April 1919; sponsored by Mrs. George E...

  • USS Bulmer
    USS Bulmer (DD-222)
    USS Bulmer was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Captain Roscoe Bulmer, and was the last warship of the Asiatic Fleet in commission....

  • USS John D. Edwards
    USS John D. Edwards (DD-216)
    USS John D. Edwards was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Lieutenant John D. Edwards....

  • USS John D. Ford
    USS John D. Ford (DD-228)
    USS John D. Ford was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Rear Admiral John Donaldson Ford....



Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...



Battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...

  • HMS King George V
    HMS King George V (41)
    HMS King George V was the lead ship of the five British King George V-class battleships of the Royal Navy. Laid down in 1937 and commissioned in 1940, King George V operated during the Second World War as part of the British Home and Pacific Fleets...

  • HMS Renown
    HMS Renown (1916)
    HMS Renown was the lead ship of her class of battlecruisers of the Royal Navy built during the First World War. She was originally laid down as an improved version of the s. Her construction was suspended on the outbreak of war on the grounds she would not be ready in a timely manner...

  • HMS Prince of Wales


Cruiser
Cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...

  • HMS Exeter
    HMS Exeter (68)
    HMS Exeter was a York class heavy cruiser of the Royal Navy that served in World War II. She was laid down on 1 August 1928 at the Devonport Dockyard, Plymouth, Devon. She was launched on 18 July 1929 and completed on 27 July 1931...



Game Awards

Awards in order on the in-game-display.
Award Award Name Requirements for Award Accessable in Notes
Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...

 
Must reach the Time and Hit Limits of the Service and Marksmanship medals Multiplayer
Air Medal
Air Medal
The Air Medal is a military decoration of the United States. The award was created in 1942, and is awarded for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.-Criteria:...

 
Kill 20 Enemy Planes, 5 minute plane usage Singleplayer
Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a medal awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight, subsequent to November 11, 1918." The...

 
Kill 40 Enemy Plans, 5 minute plane usage Singleplayer
Navy Distinguished Service Medal
Navy Distinguished Service Medal
The Navy Distinguished Service Medal is a military award of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps which was first created in 1919. The decoration is the Navy and Marine Corps equivalent to the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, and the Coast...

 
Kill 5 Enemy Ships, 5 minute ship usage Singleplayer
Navy Cross
Navy Cross
The Navy Cross is the highest decoration that may be bestowed by the Department of the Navy and the second highest decoration given for valor. It is normally only awarded to members of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard, but can be awarded to all...

 
Kill 10 Enemy Ships, 5 minute ship usage Singleplayer
Silver Star
Silver Star
The Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....

 
Kill 10 Enemy Planes and 5 Enemy Ships Multiplayer
Distinguished Service Cross
Air Force Distinguished Service Medal
The Air Force Distinguished Service Medal was created by an act of the United States Congress on July 6, 1960. The medal was intended as a new decoration of the United States Air Force to replace the policy of awarding the Army Distinguished Service Medal to Air Force personnel.The Air Force...

 
Kill 50 Enemy Planes and 10 Enemy Ships Multiplayer (Air Force Ribbon, non-existant medal)
Purple Heart
Purple Heart
The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...

 
Worst Kill/Death Ratio Multiplayer
Bronze Star
Bronze Star Medal
The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...

 
Team Kill/Death Ratio must be 3:1 Multiplayer
Legion of Merit
Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...

 
Team Kill/Death Ratio must be 5:1 Multiplayer
Artillery Marksmanship Citation 200 Artillery Hits All
AA Marksmanship Citation 100 AA Hits All
Torpedo Marksmanship Citation 15 Torpedo Hits All
Sea Unit Service Medal 25 Minutes unit usage All
Air Unit Service Medal 20 Minutes unit usage All
Submarine Service Medal 15 Minutes unit usage All


Sequel

On February 28, Eidos Interactive
Eidos Interactive
Eidos Interactive Ltd. is a British video game publisher and is a label of Square Enix Europe. As an independent company Eidos plc was headquartered in the Wimbledon Bridge House in Wimbledon, London Borough of Merton....

 announced Battlestations: Pacific
Battlestations: Pacific
Battlestations: Pacific is an action and real-time tactics video game published by Eidos Interactive and developed by Eidos Hungary. It is also the sequel to the 2007 video game Battlestations: Midway. It was released for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 on May 12, 2009 in North America, and on May...

for PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...

 and Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...

. In May 2009 the game became available to the public. This sequel takes place right after Battlestations: Midway and has twice as many missions than the game before. It also includes 21 new units and add the ability to command troops to fight on the islands, though the player has no control over any individual land unit.. Naval mine
Naval mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...

 and Kamikazes have also been added. A new feature includes the ability to play as the Japanese from commanding the Pearl Harbor attack to Midway. Details have been added for a more realistic effect; for example, while submerged in a sub flora and fauna are visible, as well as a sea floor. The game also provides an alternate history timeline for the Japanese, a what-if scenario that tells the story of the IJN's victory at Midway, which later considers Pearl Harbor a threat to its already overextending conquest borderline, therefore forcing an invasion of Hawaii, which Japan successfully executes. Bereft of naval supremacy and supplies, it forces the United States to surrender, and submit to a puppet government, dividing the region with Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...

 in the East, which concludes World War II in an Axis victory, and world conquest.

On May 15, 2008, Feral Interactive has announced Battlestations: Midway for Mac. This game was developed for the Mac by Robosoft Technologies
Robosoft Technologies
Robosoft Technologies is an Indian information technology company which provides software product development services. Robosoft was founded in 1996 by Rohith Bhat, who established the company to develop software products for the Mac market...

 and published by Feral Interactive.

External links

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