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Battlestations: Midway

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8.3 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 55 critic reviews
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Based on 29 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: SCi Games / Eidos Interactive

Developer: Mithis Games

Genre(s): Real-Time Strategy, Third-Person Action

Players: 16

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Release Date: January 30, 2007

Summary

Battlestations: Midway blends intense 3rd-person action with epic, large-scale naval combat and brings to life the great Pacific battles of World War II. From the chaos of Pearl Harbor, through the Philippines, Java and the Coral Sea all the way to the epic Battle of Midway. Players can relive classic battles with realistic locations and accurate historical detail and take part in huge multi-unit online battles with up to eight players controlling over 60 units. Innovative gameplay lets players take direct control of over 60 different warships, planes and submarines, many of which are based on actual historical vehicles, from a 3rd-person perspective. Players can instantly switch between and control every vehicle in the battle experiencing combat from multiple perspectives and playing multiple roles including a pilot, a gunner, a submarine captain and a carrier fleet commander. [Eidos Interactive]

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Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Game Chronicles

Just when you thought they couldn’t put a new spin on the WWII genre, here come Eidos ready to show that three genres can exist in harmony and even work on a console.

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IGN

While so many action games are devoid of strategy and so many strategy games are short on action, Battlestations Midway delivers both.

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Planet Xbox 360

Much like chess, you can learn how to use the pieces in an hour, but learning to use them skillfully takes time and patience. If you can handle a bit of a learning curve and some clunky controls, this game will reward you with challenging and enjoyable game play.

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Gaming Age

If you're looking for a game that's fast paced and fun from the get-go, this isn't for you. If you're a couch jockey who enjoys a long day of a tall iced tea and the history channel... Well. Eidos has made the game for you.

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GamingExcellence

Few titles attempt a real-time strategy/action hybrid, and even less actually succeed. The precision of point-and-click may be the time-honored interface for tactical games, but Eidos Hungary has produced an excellent, landmark entry for the genre on consoles

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Console Gameworld

Battlestations: Midway offers a brand new approach to naval combat on the consoles. It portrays the atmosphere of WWII in the Pacific theatre quite well. Not everyone will be satisfied with the slow pace of naval warfare, but if you’re a history buff, you don’t want to miss the boat.

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Xbox World 360 Magazine UK

When Battlestations Midway is good, it's really good.

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XboxAddict

My hat is off to Eidos mainly for expanding the variety of games on the 360. That is always a good thing.

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AceGamez

It's a slow paced game, so those who shy away from games like chess will probably want to turn a blind eye, but anybody with an ounce of patience and a lust for either piloting a plane, commanding a ship or steering a submarine should sail down to their local game shop and pick up a copy!

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Da Gameboyz

It takes strategic and real time strategy games to a whole new level on the Xbox 360 and it is fairly easy to learn. Sure, the single player mode is relatively short but the multiplayer action is where the fun lies.

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GameZone

While there are some control issues that feel a bit under whelming at times, the scenarios, battles and war machines to command make this a fun Xbox 360 game.

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VideoGamer

Bold, thrilling and immense, and deserves every success. The Action RTS has arrived and let's hope it is here to stay.

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Boomtown

Eidos should be commended on breaking out of the current fad for very similar and rather dull shooters and providing console owners with something so different. Battlestations Midway reminds me a lot of the kind of games we used to get from Microprose and that's a compliment indeed.

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360 Gamer Magazine UK

The seamless integration of a user-friendly tactical map enhances the gameplay, and having the choice to fly, sail or sink to the depths of the ocean whilst taking part in one of history's most influential battles is too much fun to miss. [Issue 21, p.50]

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Games Master UK

A cracking strategy game with some brilliant action elements. Suprisingly decent, this. [Apr 2007, p.76]

GamingTrend

The somewhat disappointing textures, lack of any graphical or audio "wow" factor, poor battlefield ambiance, a boring tutorial, and a short overall game all take away from its glory.

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Team Xbox

Although there's a steep learning curve, you'll be having a grand old time once you get the hang of the controls. Hardcore strategy fans are in for a treat.

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GameSpot

Battlestations: Midway strikes just the right balance between action and strategy to create a game that's as unique as it is enjoyable.

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Play.tm

Midway finds some fairly uncharted waters in which to lay-anchor, even if the game could be a bit more expansive.

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GamerNode

Very fun game that is marred by technical problems. The lack of replay is what really hurts.

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Gaming Horizon

If you’re a war fan or love strategy titles, Battlestations Midway is definitely worth a spin. The only problem is that it’s more than likely going to be a hit only for hardcore gamers.

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MS Xbox World

Overall, I think the balance between action and strategy is spot on for the casual as well as hardcore gamers out there and is well worth renting it out. The single player campaign is too short but on LIVE it will be different every time you play, making the game last for quite some time.

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The Onion (A.V. Club)

Hell in the Pacific for the trigger-happy. V-J Day for the wannabe Nimitz.

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Digital Entertainment News

A fun title that brings together action and tactics in the Pacific Theater of World War II, Battlestations: Midway does a lot of things right. Too bad the multiplayer isn’t fun because everything else about this game seems to work.

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Extreme Gamer

If sinking Battleships, Bombers, and Oil Tankers sound like fun, give Battlestations: Midway a once over because I’m sure nothing like it will come around for a while.

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Gamers Europe

A title that by nature seems much better suited to the PC - on the Xbox it never really endears enough for players to persevere and get past the initial awkwardness, and the strategy control schemes are just a bit too long-winded and cack-handed to pull off well on a joypad.

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GameBrink

When heading online you’ll find some much needed variety that wasn’t present in the single player game.

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Game Almighty

The many multiplayer possibilities should buy you a lot of time with the title, but the single-player campaign is just entirely too short (while the tutorial is mind-numbingly long).

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Gamestyle

A title greater than the sum of its parts, the tactical element keeps requires a bit of strategical know-how whilst the action element feels far more involved and creates the feeling that a tangible difference is being made to the outcome of the battle.

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Armchair Empire

Battlestations: Midway offers up a change from other World War II themed games and real time strategy fans are really going to find some enjoyment in this title. Those who are more interested in action-packed gameplay may find the level of micromanagement and accessibility to be a problem.

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GameCritics

I don't expect World War II to fall in popularity as a game subject any time soon, and Battlestations: Midway is a perfect example of why.

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PALGN

A few issues aside, Battlestations Midway successfully melds a game that provides a strategic action game that isn't your run-of-the-mill WWII game.

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Sydney Morning Herald

Battlestations: Midway has the potential to blossom as a multiplayer game, primarily online. With everyone free to jump between units, it can become chaotic, but that's half the fun.

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Official Xbox Magazine

Battlestations may not be the deepest or prettiest WWII-themed 360 game on the shelves, but it still hits a solid broadside. [Mar 2007, p.80]

GamePro

Stepping into the cockpit of a dive-bomber or Destroyer-class vessel just isn't that much fun.

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1UP

The mixing of genres is cool, and adds a unique twist to the play mechanics, but honestly, Midway would have been much more user-friendly had it been either an action game or a real-time strategy affair -- not both.

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Games Radar (in-house)

For all the undeniable pleasure of skimming at zero feet in a rickety torpedo bomber towards a hulking metal monster, we’re left with something too slight to sustain us. Expect cult-multiplayer status, and pray for a sequel.

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Total Video Games

A highly original, yet niche, offering from Eidos, let's hope that their Hungarian studio is given a chance to develop a truly next-generation sequel in the future. Certainly a pace of gaming that we're not used to on Xbox 360 to date.

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3DAvenue

The single player campaign is too short and doesn't throw you into the ‘whole navy vs whole navy' action quickly enough - the main appeal of this game is definitely the Live features. To sum up, Midway is innovative, but it ultimately doesn't go far enough.

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Xboxic

The variety of online play is a great boost to replay value, as you can play for hours without having the same game experience twice.

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Official Xbox Magazine UK

Everything it does is solid, workmanlike and shipshape; even the plot has slightly more class than other generic World War II games, tracking two friends and their gradual promotions from Pearl Harbour to being leaders at the mighty sea-battle of Midway. It’s not funny and it’s not clever, but it is slightly more subtle than most of the ham-fisted war stories we normally get. However, the game doesn’t move beyond competent and it’s hardly the most graphically wonderful title – outside of cutscenes, it does betray its Xbox and PS2 origins regularly.

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GameSpy

If you're willing to put a lot of time and effort into learning the various intricacies of the game's multiple controls, you're likely to get more than a little enjoyment out of the title. For the standard gamer though, the game's steep learning curve and hit or miss multiplayer experience may deep six most of the fun.

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Eurogamer

It's a game that does things a little differently from its peers, and has the rare distinction of being a game that stands out in its own right. But the very fact that it's an action game with a strategic bent also makes it quite tough to appreciate at first.

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ZTGameDomain

The graphics in this game are surprisingly good.

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games(TM)

Some will label it contrived, others experimental. We’d call it flawed but engaging and ultimately entertaining irrespective of that. [Mar 2007, p.104]

Gamer 2.0

It mostly fails to deliver standout action sequences, but fans of the real-time strategy genre should find their place in this game.

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Cheat Code Central

RTS fans might find it a little simple, but might find the emphasis on action a pleasing surprise. Action fans might find the strategy a little dull, but with the simplicity of the commands they'll find themselves in the thick of the action as often as they like.

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GameShark

Battlestations Midway is a welcome change from the traditions first person World War II shooting games that have been all the rage over the last few years and if you like naval warfare, there really aren’t many games out for the 360 besides this one to get your fix.

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Worth Playing

A title with an interesting concept that gets too bogged down in its own mediocrity to use that concept well. Most of the game can be played on autopilot - issuing simple commands and then watching lackluster ship models fight until one explodes.

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Game Informer

It’s a mix of exciting and overwhelming as you try to maintain what feels like 50 pots boiling over at different times.

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Electronic Gaming Monthly

Ten minutes into the approximately hour-long tutorial and I thought this game probably should've stayed on PC. [Mar 2007, p.88]

G4 TV

For its ambition and tackling of two genres at once, Battlestations: Midway ain't half bad. Its duality means that not a lot of players will absolutely fall in love with it, but there's enough here for most gamers to find themselves happily immersed.

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Thunderbolt

Battlestations: Midway isn’t bad, but its ambitious mixture of action and real-time strategy doesn’t translate into an exciting and engaging game.

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X360 Magazine UK

While it can be commended for a bold mix of strategy and action, Midway doesn't really pull of either with much conviction, leaving a somewhat unsatisfying experienice. [Issue 17, p.90]

Edge Magazine

It’s sure to be a more compelling experience online, albeit one that relies heavily on the honour of your opponents, and its rough-edged charm is compulsive. [Mar 2007, p.87]

What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 8.3 (out of 10) based on 29 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Charlie A. gave it a9:
A rare diamond of a game. If you like RTS / vehicle combat style games this is a must. Resurects the Carrier Command / Hostile Waters / Armourgeddon / Battlezone genre. There are imperfections which might make a tiny difference if the gaming world was swamped with this type of game but as it isn't this is simply the best of its breed. A must buy.

Clive G. gave it an8:
This is a surprisingly well put together game. The single biggest drawback is that during battles with multiple units you spend most of your time playing on the map screen to coordinate everything. Also, it's often easier to let the CPU control all the units automatically but what's missing is a camera that enables you to look around without interupting the CPU - the moment you touch the controls, you assume manual control. Other than that, the impressive graphics, balanced gameplay and authentic performance of the different units make this a great option for strategy and WWII buffs.

Anhkhoa N. gave it a9:
The game is great. Like Mcbain said," Who doesn't want to control a whole fleet?" You just shoot and shoot. When you get tired let the A.I take care of things, then shoot and shoot. It didn't get a 10 because The campaign is too SHORT.

Macavity gave it a9:
Many people talk about this games online offers and say that it shines on xbox live. some people dont have xbox live and i wanted to rate this game for solo players, such as me. first of all...there is no game like this on the xbox, or any console ever made, that by itself should make you try it out. secondly, the graphics are not as bad as people say it is...they are very decent. the reason why the graphics are not "next gen" like is because some of the battles are quite crowded, lots of things going on at once and on a large map...having said this, i believe the 360 can handle much more. the game is short, or rather seems like that because there are a handful levels plus the challange levels. but the idea here, like in the hitman games...is to re-play the levels you unlock, time and time again. because no war is ever the same. since you are using your own strategy, it is possible to totally take on a new approach every time. the training levels are kind of long but they didnt bug me like they did many people...because believe it or not, you really want to learn all the things you can do in the game, and this is the only way...there was a mention about how bad the controls are...this is also not true, every vechicle and action is controlled very well. for a change, this is a game for smart people...not button mashing idiots...so, that will turn some people off, im not saying they are idiots but hey...there arent many people out there who enjoy spending time thinking behind a console. there are many real and cool vehicles in this game, obviously it is a realistic approach...so they will behave realistic. if you pilot your torpedo plane straight into a destroyer, they will shoot you down...you know?...so you better find ways to trick the enemy, create diversions, send multipple planes e.t.c...this is the fun factor of this great game...and it is, no daubt a great game...and on top of this all...if you like japanese zeros and destroyers and subs and all that stuff, you must have it. own it...loooove it!!!!

McBain 17 gave it an8:
This is a solid title with a pretty decent learning curve. The tutorial which is a must will take you over an hour, and you will need to reference it even after you start. Some missions seem easy while others overly difficult. The graphics are fair to above average. The game play? Fun! Who doesn't want to command an entire fleet? The ability to play it as a straight RTS game, but then take over any specific unit is a shot in the arm for the standard RTS game. Naval battles are challenging as you need to fight and keep your ship afloat. The ability to order your ship to fight/manuvre while you repair systems is a godsend. Dive bombing and torpedo attacks are exciting as you switch between the carrier and squads. I have yet to experience online, but I'm guessing this is where the game really shines. If anyone ever played the old Battleship and Carrier Aces for SNES then this game blends the best aspects of the two and gives it a face lift. Highly recomended.

Scott W. gave it a10:
This Game just had awesome Gameplay and awesome Graphics , not too easy because I like a challenge. Multiplay is just awesome.

William L. gave it a9:
The overall tactical command of this game is what has grabbed me. I am not after achievements so I like to sit back and watch if my commands can carry a scenario. Visually a 7, but it has me hooked. The only true detractor I have is the online play. Which is not in itself faulted, however for those who want to play online, you must realize that it is a time commitment. Not a 5 minute GOW, but I have seen 1.5 hour tactical clashes!

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Battlestations: Midway

Game Info

Summary

What The Critics Said

What Our Users Said

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