Uboat is precisely the kind of game I love to see doing well on Steam. It’s committed, its creators clearly love the subject matter, and after five years in early access, it deserves a successful launch. A realistic submarine simulation game set during WWII, Uboat threads the line between believability and accessibility – unlike some milsims, where everything is recreated 1:1, in Uboat, the aesthetic and tone are very grounded, but mechanically, there’s a way in for everyone. Tense and tough, despite its niche premise, the underwater strategy shooter with hints of War Thunder and Command and Conquer is currently thriving on Steam, and deservedly so.
It’s the height of WWII and you are the captain of the titular Uboat. Everything needs your attention. As new missions arrive from Kriegsmarine headquarters, your job is to seek out enemy convoys, maintain your vessel, and also manage the lifestyles and morale of your men. This is a simulation game covering every angle.
At times, Uboat feels like FTL: Faster Than Light. Unnecessary systems must be deactivated to conserve power, and you need to research and install upgrades if you’re going to remain afloat. On other occasions, the murky, oppressive atmosphere begs comparison to This War of Mine – your crew must remain in their bunks so they don’t consume too much oxygen, and if their spirits get low, it’s your job to rouse them with ship-wide celebrations.
Essentially, you need to maintain the health of both your ship and its occupants. Hitting a full 1.0 launch on Friday August 2, Uboat has already earned high acclaim and lots of attention from Steam players. Both the recent and lifetime reviews are ‘very positive’ – the number of favorable responses has also spiked significantly since release day. Likewise, Uboat has leapt to its highest ever concurrent player count, pulling in 7,201 simultaneous users in the last 24 hours.
Realistic but approachable, atmospheric but fun, if you want to play Uboat yourself, it’s available now via a huge 70% discount, meaning you can get the whole game for $8.99 / £7.49. Just head here.
Otherwise, try some of the other best WW2 games, or maybe the best new PC games available right now.
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