688 Attack Sub
System: Genesis
Release Date: July 1991
Developer: MicroProse
Publisher: Sega
Genre: Simulation
The Cold War is heating up again, so you’re going to need to master your 688 Attack Sub! Master maneuvers and prowl the seas for either America or the Soviets through 16 missions. I used to rent this game a lot when I was a kid. Try to save the seven seas from my enemies. Once you go in the boat and slip below the surface, it’s going to be a long time before you come back up. Do you have what it takes to be locked in an enclosed space with a crew of other guys and a limit on fresh air?
All missions are available to you right away. For most of them, you can choose to play as the titular 688 Attack Sub for the Americans or the Soviet Alfa submarine. Each boat has the same controls available to them, but on the Alfa, all the controls are in Russian! You’ll figure it out as you go, but it certainly adds a challenge. Each mission has an objective that you have to meet. In the Torpex ‘89 mission, for example, you have to sink three warships without being detected. The secret of the submarine is to run silently. Far enough underwater, you’re technically blind, as sunlight doesn’t really penetrate past 200 meters. Therefore, to see underwater, you have to listen. If you’re looking for an enemy, you’re trying to hear any noise they make and they are doing the same to you. Being in a submarine is a waiting game, hoping someone else makes a noise, and that translates here. Things have to be taken at a slow pace because speed is loud.
There are a number of stations that you move among by holding Button B and pressing a direction. You’ll spend most of your time on the Navigation Board plotting your moves and on the Sub Control Panel altering your depth and speed. If you engage the auto pilot, the ship will automatically go from one point to another, but bringing up the ocean contour view will help you avoid running aground on the sea floor. If you’re at surface depth, you can raise the periscope to get a visual on your surroundings, but be careful, because if you can see them, they can see you.
If you’re trying to get a bead on other surface ships and submerged crafts, you will spend time in the Sonar Room. Deploying the towed array takes some time and caps your speed, but this cable of microphones is invaluable to finding the locations of your targets and other possible hostiles. Just don’t try to speed up without towing it back in or you’ll have to cut the line. If you get wind of an unknown craft, you can analyze it to get an idea of what it might be. You can also play it super dangerously and do an active sonar ping, but that will alert everyone to your location and possibly lead to a game over… unless the objective is to scare someone off by pinging them.
If you need to take out a target, the Weapons Room allows you to load the torpedo tubes. These explosive armaments are launched and then use their on board systems to track their target. Getting them to target what you want can sometimes be hard and then waiting for the torpedo to hit is nerve-racking. It’s more waiting. Really, that’s what most of this game is. Waiting. Playing as the Soviets is an extra challenge. The controls are all in Russian. My Cyrillic alphabet knowledge isn’t great, but sometimes I can figure out what something is supposed to be based on the look of the letters. There seem to be a couple options missing from the Alfa, as well, but like I said, being a Soviet is a challenge.
Graphics: 2.0
You have a little window that shows whatever is active. Maps are numbers and letters on different colors. They work for what you need, but aren’t impressive.
Sound: 1.0
You have to run silently, so only the occasional voice appears.
Gameplay: 1.5
Things are very rarely made clear and apparent to the player, many times you can’t do something because another system is stopping you.
Difficulty: 2.0
If you understand the tactics of submarine warfare, you should be able to complete your missions properly.
Fun Factor: 1.0
There’s not enough action or excitement. It’s a lot of long travel times between waypoints.
Overall Rating: 1.5
688 Attack Sub earns a C-. Upon further inspection, heading into this submarine feels like a steel coffin. Unless you really love war simulations, stay away.