The History Channel: Battle for the Pacific
Encyclopedia
The History Channel: Battle for the Pacific is a historical first-person shooter
video game developed by Magic Wand Productions
with Kynogon
's AI middleware Kynapse
, and released on November 30, 2007 by Activision
and the History Channel for Microsoft Windows
, PlayStation 2
, PlayStation 3
, Wii
and Xbox 360
.
Battle for the Pacific allows players to participate in some of the most famous battles in the Pacific Theater of Operations
of World War II, such as The Battle of Iwo Jima
and The Battle of Corregidor
.
and M1 Garand rifle to the Japanese Type 100 submachine gun
and Type 38 carbine.
The first person shooter style of gameplay that Battle for the Pacific incorporates allows for gameplay that is similar to the Medal of Honor
and Call of Duty
series.
and Guadalcanal
to the closing days of Iwo Jima
. While the PlayStation 2
and Wii
versions have the player by his lonesome, similar to the early Medal of Honor
games, the Xbox 360
, PlayStation 3
, and PC version features more squad-based missions, with most all of the missions having two soldiers and an NCO
by your side, with other soldiers helping out as well. The game seems to have large, lush environments, from the beaches to the jungle, However one noticeable aspect in the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC version is that the player can not wander too far off from the commanding soldier, or else the mission will be terminated. This limits free roaming and creates a more linear single player experience
On Game Rankings it ranges from 30 to 50% and on Metric the Xbox 360 version received 38 out of a 100
On IGN the Xbox 360 and PC versions got 4.5 and 4.9 respectively, on a scale from 1 to 10, citing its lack of story, repetitious gameplay and short game length, while the Wii and PS2 version suffered even more with scores of 2.5 and 3 due to bad graphics, bad narration, and over all being worse than the Xbox 360 and PC versions.
Gamespot has also given the game a bad review, with the Xbox 360 version receiving a 2 on a scale from 1 to 10, the Wii version receiving a 4 and the PS2 version with 4.5, mainly due to many factors including short game length and derivative gameplay for the Xbox 360, while the PS2 and Wii version had bad graphics, inconsistency with the framerate, and poor artificial intelligence.
Screwattacks' "The Scoop" said that the game had "horrible graphics, poor online multiplayer, bad music, and a lack of a sprint feature."
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
video game developed by Magic Wand Productions
Magic Wand Productions
Magic Wand Productions is a video game developer based out of Bucharest, Romania. The company is part of a group that also includes the Romanian companies FUN Labs and Sand Grain Studios...
with Kynogon
Kynogon
Kynogon was a computer software company that provided AI middleware to the video game and the simulation industries. The company was acquired by AutoDesk in Feb 2008, and it's flagship product is now titled Autodesk Kynapse.-History:...
's AI middleware Kynapse
Kynapse
Kynapse is the artificial intelligence middleware product developed by Kynogon, which was bought by Autodesk in 2008, and is since called Autodesk Kynapse.-Kynapse main functionalities:Kynapse includes:*An automatic AI data generation tool...
, and released on November 30, 2007 by Activision
Activision
Activision is an American publisher, majority owned by French conglomerate Vivendi SA. Its current CEO is Robert Kotick. It was founded on October 1, 1979 and was the world's first independent developer and distributor of video games for gaming consoles...
and the History Channel for 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...
, PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
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...
.
Battle for the Pacific allows players to participate in some of the most famous battles in the Pacific Theater of Operations
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...
of World War II, such as The Battle of Iwo Jima
Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima , or Operation Detachment, was a major battle in which the United States fought for and captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Empire of Japan. The U.S...
and The Battle of Corregidor
Battle of Corregidor
The Battle for Corregidor was the culmination of the Japanese campaign for the conquest of the Philippines. The fall of Bataan on 9 April 1942 ended all organized opposition by the U.S...
.
Gameplay
Battle for the Pacific features a single player campaign and a multiplayer mode with a decent number of weapons to choose from, ranging from the American Thompson submachine gunThompson submachine gun
The Thompson is an American submachine gun, invented by John T. Thompson in 1919, that became infamous during the Prohibition era. It was a common sight in the media of the time, being used by both law enforcement officers and criminals...
and M1 Garand rifle to the Japanese Type 100 submachine gun
Type 100 submachine gun
The was a Japanese submachine gun used during World War II, and the only submachine gun produced by Japan in any quantity. It was made in two basic variants referred to by American and British observers as the Type 100/40 and the Type 100/44, the latter also known as the Type 100...
and Type 38 carbine.
The first person shooter style of gameplay that Battle for the Pacific incorporates allows for gameplay that is similar to the 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...
and Call of Duty
Call of Duty
Call of Duty is a first-person shooter video game developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision in 2003. It is the first game in a series with the same name. The game simulates the infantry and combined arms warfare of World War II. The game is based on the Quake III: Team Arena engine...
series.
Single Player
The game features fighting in some of the most historic battles in the Pacific campaign, from the Battle of CorregidorBattle of Corregidor
The Battle for Corregidor was the culmination of the Japanese campaign for the conquest of the Philippines. The fall of Bataan on 9 April 1942 ended all organized opposition by the U.S...
and Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...
to the closing days of Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...
. While the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
and Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
versions have the player by his lonesome, similar to the early 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...
games, 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...
, PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, and PC version features more squad-based missions, with most all of the missions having two soldiers and an NCO
Non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...
by your side, with other soldiers helping out as well. The game seems to have large, lush environments, from the beaches to the jungle, However one noticeable aspect in the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC version is that the player can not wander too far off from the commanding soldier, or else the mission will be terminated. This limits free roaming and creates a more linear single player experience
Reception
Upon release, History Channel: Battle for the Pacific received mediocre to poor reception.On Game Rankings it ranges from 30 to 50% and on Metric the Xbox 360 version received 38 out of a 100
On IGN the Xbox 360 and PC versions got 4.5 and 4.9 respectively, on a scale from 1 to 10, citing its lack of story, repetitious gameplay and short game length, while the Wii and PS2 version suffered even more with scores of 2.5 and 3 due to bad graphics, bad narration, and over all being worse than the Xbox 360 and PC versions.
Gamespot has also given the game a bad review, with the Xbox 360 version receiving a 2 on a scale from 1 to 10, the Wii version receiving a 4 and the PS2 version with 4.5, mainly due to many factors including short game length and derivative gameplay for the Xbox 360, while the PS2 and Wii version had bad graphics, inconsistency with the framerate, and poor artificial intelligence.
Screwattacks' "The Scoop" said that the game had "horrible graphics, poor online multiplayer, bad music, and a lack of a sprint feature."