Battleship
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
Critic Reviews for Battleship
Battleship is a game with fancy graphics and some innovative ideas, but it doesn't stand out in any aspect. A game for fans only.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Battleship is one of the original board games and has managed to stand the test of time over the years, and now Frima Studio has managed to reinvigorate its core gameplay by adding more strategy than ever.
Battleship is guaranteed entertainment, and this version has several features elevating it beyond a simple board game. My only concern when it comes to replayability and value is the big glitch I encountered. So, even with things to unlock, I have some real pause concerning a solo recommendation. But it's great in zippy multiplayer, and you don't need to worry about gathering up small pegs afterward. This isn't a "best-case scenario" digital version, but no matter how you play it, it's undeniable that Battleship is still one of the quintessential games.
At the end of the day, current-gen console Battleship feels like a weird fit. While it’s great to have the new Clash at Sea mode to spice things up, it just feels awkward on console. Playing against a human opponent will require either PlayStation Plus or Xbox Live Gold, unless you play local multiplayer – and how or why is that a thing? The entire point of Battleship is that you are face to face with your opponent and cannot see their ship layout. Relying on good sportsmanship not to peek is an unnecessary complication. In all honesty, I think this game makes more sense on a portable device or mobile phone, both for convenience and the basic logic of the game itself. Even at around $20 AUD, it doesn’t seem worth the expense for a new mode alone.
Battleship is exactly what you'd expect it to be and whilst Clash at Sea provides a bit more to the game than just playing straight up classic it falls short due to it being, well, rather boring. It's almost unforgivable that you can't skip the animations along with AI turns and with a seemingly minute player base the likelihood of getting an online match seems slim. If you really do have a hankering to play Battleship my best suggestion is to buy or recover the physical game and play that instead.
As a fan of board games I do like video games takes on them, as there's no cleanup, no cheating, and no people flipping the table in a tantrum. It's also nice to play against the AI when friends aren't around. This applies to Ubisoft's take on Battleship as well, and the new rules really add to the overall experience.
Time will fly as you play, as you’ll find yourself thinking “okay, that last game was fun. Maybe just one more.” I found myself playing until 2am after having started around 11pm
