textfiles/games/REVIEWS/rsrising.rev

 RED STORM RISING

 RED STORM RISING is a tactical-combat submarine simulation designed by Sid
Meier and Arnold Hendrick and published by MicroProse. This heavy-duty high-tech
program offers excellent graphics, animation, and sound; four difficulty levels;
two training scenarios; eight battle scenarios; a campaign game; keyboard
control; save option; hard drive support; and key-disk copy protection. 


 In 1989, the Cold War melted and the Berlin Wall crumbled. Although these two
stunning and outrageous events render Mr. Clancy's highly plausible chronicle of
a nuke-free World War III an anachronism, if you keep in mind that both book and
game appeared before the events, you'll be in for a mesmerizing experience. In
fact, reality becomes this game: You'll be "submerged" in more than one way. Sid
Meier, who also designed PIRATES! and SILENT SERVICE, is one of the top software
engineers working today, and this package further enhances his reputation (not
that it needed it). RED STORM RISING is one of the best packages of 1990, and as
such, deserves a prominent spot on your software shelf.

 RSR the novel is based on a hypothetical, yet all too believable, conflict
between the nations of NATO and the Warsaw Pact. Although the fictional events
of this No-Nuke World War take place on several fronts (land battles, sea
battles, dogfights), RSR the game involves only those operations in the
Norwegian Sea Theater. Believe me, the Norwegian Sea Theater is more than
enough.

 There are four time frames: 1984 relies on a specific level of submarine
technology, with new and improved technologies being introduced in 1988, 1992,
and 1996. There are four difficulty levels: Introductory, Normal, Serious, and
Ultimate, which takes a really dim view of how long a submarine might last in an
underwater battle, notwithstanding the skill of its commander. The two training
scenarios give you the chance to climb RSR's steep learning curve. You'll be up
against either a Soviet November-class submarine or Kashin-class destroyer; your
sub will not suffer damage in either scenario, and you can mess around with the
myriad systems of your ship.

 Once you feel comfortable with the ship's controls, you can fine tune your
tactical talents in one of the eight battle simulations: Duel (a one-on-one
underwater fight); Cruise Missile Sub (seek and engage a Russian sub that
carries cruise missiles); Wolfpack; Boomer Bastion; Convoy (destroy the escorts
and have fun with the supply ships); Strike Group; ASW Group; Carrier Task
Force; and Chance Engagement (random selection from one of the previous
scenarios). Red Storm Rising is the campaign game, which means World War III. It
starts at the beginning of the war, lasts until one side wins it, and there's no
backing out. A campaign game set at Ultimate difficulty is the toughest
challenge RSR offers, and it's not a scenario you'll want to rush into.

 Scenario selection and game setup take place from the Main Options screen.
Should you bypass training and instead choose a battle simulation or the
campaign game, there'll be a "Warship Identification Test" (a documentation
check). Entering the wrong ship ID restricts you to training scenarios.

 The ST graphics screen is threefold: the Navigation Display (which is always
available), the Primary Display, and the Secondary Display. Also on the main
screen are verbal reports, currently operating sensor (sonar, radar, or towed
array), and acoustic volume, which measures the underwater noise your sub makes.

 The Nav Display is a small window in the upper left corner; it indicates your
current heading, speed, depth, and the angle of the diving planes. Course,
depth, and speed can be set, as well as emergency turns (as opposed to a basic
course setting), and silent running (which turns off all sensors); the changes
will be reflected in the Nav window.

 The Secondary Display has five levels and occupies a window in the lower left
corner. It provides information about contacts made with the ship's sensors:
type, bearing, course, speed, range (in thousands of yards), and the accuracy of
the contact. Other displays handled by this window are the loading of weapons,
control of torpedos, incoming threats, and damage reports.

 The Primary Display has eight levels, and it occupies the remainder of the
screen. There is a tactical map; there are sea conditions, sonar, weapon
control, and defense displays; periscope operation; acoustic signature
identification; and a ship database. The tactical map uses symbols and color
codes to indicate enemy vessels and their courses and positions, the tracks made
by weapons, sonobuoys, decoys, noisemakers, and five depths of underwater pack
ice.

 The tactical map is an overlay that can be toggled even when other displays
(such as weapon control) occupy the Primary screen; the map can also be zoomed
and unzoomed. The database provides detailed intelligence reports (type,
displacement, maximum speed, weapons, sonar, and sound level) about any Primary
Display contact.

 The sensors are passive sonar, which is always on; an array of passive sonar
hydrophones that are "streamed" behind your ship; and active sonar, the device
that makes the "ping" noise that's so atmospheric (and so detectable).

 In the campaign game, an onscreen strategic transit map is available. Strategic
transit means you must maneuver your ship around the Norwegian Sea Theater,
avoid enemy patrols, and seek and destroy enemy forces. While the transit map is
displayed, your ship, enemy ships, aircraft, and reconnaissance satellites move
at an accelerated rate: This "accelerated rate" is well beyond a mere
understatement.

 RSR is controlled via the keyboard, and the package comes with a cardboard
overlay (covered with both words and icons) that eliminates the need to thumb
through a reference guide or instruction manual. The entire keyboard is not
used, but it might as well be, because there are a lot of keystrokes. A mouse or
a joystick substitutes for keystrokes when selecting options. If either device
were available to control the game, I wouldn't recommend them: RSR is a
simulator and, as with any other simulator, the keyboard works best. The Atari
ST version runs on any ST (including the Mega) with 512K and a color monitor.

 The RED STORM RISING package comes with two disks that can be copied or
installed on a hard drive; you'll need master Disk A (the "key" disk) when you
boot. There's the keyboard overlay; a technical supplement for the ST version,
which provides everything you need to know to play the game (including
explanations of all keystrokes, map symbols, and color codes); a four-color map
of the Norwegian Sea Theater; and a hundred-page manual (with a preface by Tom
Clancy) that's divided into three sections: Operations, Captain's, and Reference
manuals.

 I found RED STORM RISING (the book) a much better read than Clancy's THE HUNT
FOR RED OCTOBER, which (despite its hokeyness) Datasoft computerized into a
tense underwater chase. RED STORM RISING (the game) is at least as exciting as
RED OCTOBER, and far more complicated, involved, and technical. High-tech
military marvels are basically what Tom Clancy writes about, and so much from
the book is in this game that it's almost _too_ much -- which is the only
possible criticism I can even imagine.

 The opening of the game is a mini-movie that visually duplicates the beginning
of the book, and it's one of the better designed and executed computer sequences
around. RED STORM RISING is an epic piece of work that is so worthy of your time
and attention that MicroProse should send you the package whether you want it or
not. It's technically difficult, extremely complicated, and the learning curve
will definitely consume large chunks of time, which might make for some
frustration. But it's also outstanding in all respects: as entertainment, as a
simulation, and as a game.

 RED STORM RISING is published and distributed by MicroProse Simulation
Software.

*****DOWNLOADED FROM P-80 SYSTEMS (304) 744-2253