First Look: Silent Hunter II

Silent Hunter 2 is a U-boat simulator set in World War II. Developed by Aeon, the developer of the first Silent Hunter game, Silent Hunter 2 takes place in the Atlantic theater of war. Silent Hunter 2 should be an accurate and detailed simulation of what it is like to captain a submarine in the lonely waters of the Atlantic in WWII. SSI plans to include many systems and subsystems for gamers to manipulate, so that if you want to specify exact depth movement, man the radar, peer through the periscope, man the gun, and adjust the exact trajectory of torpedoes, among other things, you can.

SSI has taken German war posters and used them as the background art for the game, although certain images have been modified or eliminated. The effect is to create a game that feels like a "period piece."

The in-game art itself is 3D, although not of the caliber existing in today's top-notch action games. Still, it is a significant jump up from Silent Hunter's graphics. There will be modeling of different climates, including storms, calm waters, fog, and huge swells.

For the submarine itself, SSI modeled the insides of a real U-boat, the U-505, to create accurate screens of all sorts of submarine systems, such as the torpedo room and the communications room, as well as other areas of the sub where you will be spending your time. In fact, the team went ahead and modeled six different types of U-boats for the game, so expect subtle variations in design as you play through the game.

The campaign is not entirely historical, but you will get missions that make sense in the context of the war. In addition to the core game, SSI is planning to include a multimedia tour of the U-boat. SSI has set a third- quarter ship date for the game, so expect to see it in the fall.