Turn based ship tactics sim
The idea behind the game is interesting enough: strip a naval tactical turn based sim of other elements, be it economical, higher strategic ones, etc., and keep the naval skirmishes in focus. That would be the premise. Oh, but the execution! Wooden Ships & Iron Men is absolutely killed by the awful manner in which the classic turn based elements are botched up. First of all, turns are egregiously lengthened by including too many options in there, many of which are worthless, Also, the PC takes just as much time to take turns, as it need to show you step by step what it is doing. Can you not just skip to your moves, already? Well, apparently not, so, you'll have to put up with the design if you want to play. I for once went for a much better produced game that has naval battles at its core as well, Battleship: The Classic Naval Warfare, at least this one is a bit more direct and doesn't pussyfoot as much. So, what can I say about Wooden Ships & Iron Men that would end this review on a lighter tone? Well, the game looks nice, so while getting bored waiting for a turn to end, you'll at least be able to admire the ok(ish) 2D graphics. How bout that as an incentive to play, eh?!
