Glug glug glug!
Submarine simulators are perhaps not the most mass market-friendly games out there, but as games such as Silent Hunter and Silent Service have shown over the years, there's clearly a number of people out there who are interested in the depth and complexity that they offer. Seawolf is a sequel to 688 Attack Sub and improves on its predecessor to the point where if you're curious about such things, this makes for a good place to start. You're in control of the titular submarine and must test your skills across 33 missions which are quite varied and see you running escort duties, seek and destroy and other such activities, spitting death from beneath. You have access to all the parts of the sub and it's your job to issue orders and keep everything running shipshape, and it's here that the game's appeal lies. There's a good sense of detail on offer here, with much of the atmosphere built by the mission orders and news stories that help punctuate the strategy, while the missions themselves are varied and quite intense. Newcomers to the genre are likely to be put off by the sheer amount of detail, and it does feel like you're in control of the real thing. The first missions especially are quite intimidating and it will take a while to get used to things, unless you're a veteran of the genre, in which case you'll be right at home. The visuals are nothing special, but the AI is cranked right up and which also contributes to the lack of accessibility. All in all, a good bet for sub fans but others may find this a little boring so be careful before you try it out.
