The dynamic campaign that held up release of SH3 for eight months and assured its loving acceptance by rivetcounters everywhere is back with Silent Hunter 4, enhanced with special mission objectives such as inserting a spy or commando team into enemy territory, rescuing downed pilots, and being assigned area observation duties. Of course, there's always the standing order of unrestricted submarine warfare to gleefully participate in. A Silent Hunter 4 skipper may decide to achieve the objectives given to him by COMSUBPAC or he can exercise his seasoned judgment and go after reported ship and convoy sightings. You are free to range all over the Pacific and you will find historically accurate shipping throughout the region.

Part of the allure of a subsim is the dynamic campaign and the sense of adventure, not knowing what is over the horizon, and Silent Hunter 4 admirably achieves this. Another major element of a submarine simulation, as opposed to a naval game, is the actual mechanics the player may use during gameplay. Silent Hunter 4 does a pretty good job in this department, too. The game has a commendable set of realism options that allow the player to decide if he wants to play Silent Hunter 4 as an action-oriented game or a highly detailed simulation, requiring (and rewarding) patience.

Silent Hunter 4 comes packaged in a variety of ways; there is the US version with bonus materials (large Pacific theater map, perfect for framing), a ship recognition map (make room on the wall for this, too!), a keyboard foldout, historical DVD, and a slim manual (more on this later). There is also a European version and a UK Collector's Edition, a fantastic ensemble of, as Drebbel put it, "goodies you don't really need but they are nice to have". This version is packed in a weathered intel folder with a patch (a cloth patch, let me assure you), pen, coin, journal, spiral-bound ship recognition booklet, and historical footage. Finally, there's the Deluxe Collector's Edition, which was limited to 3000 copies and came in a neat little tin box, raised rivets and all. It's nice to see a simulation receive this kind of treatment.



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