I
had extremely low expectations for this game. I half expected the Xbox to just explode when
I put the disk in, actually. I’ve never played a game based on a TV show that was
anything better than absolute garbage, and although this is actually based on real events
with the History name on it, I was still worried. However, I’m actually really surprised.
Not only is this game not bad at all, it’s actually a breath of fresh air. This is History
Civil War: Secret Missions for the Xbox 360. History Civil War: Secret Missions has you
playing missions on both the Confederate and Union side of the Civil War. Instead of taking
part as a common foot soldier during some of the biggest battles in the most deadly
war for Americans in history, you’re in a small squad as you work to turn the tides
of various moments by moving behind enemy lines to gain intelligence and take out strategic
positions. The game mixes in some cool ideas, like including an operation to retrieve a
Gatling gun from the Union, that history fans will really enjoy. In my opinion, the Civil
War was the most interesting to look back on. Thinking about Americans having to fight
each other and the choices that were made is fascinating.
Secret Missions is a first-person shooter, but as your technology is what was available
in the 1860’s, it plays far differently than most of them on the market. Weapons lack
the same power that modern ones do, so a few shots is usually necessary to take down enemy
soldiers. They’re also not as accurate, so long range shots are going to be difficult.
In addition, the sidearm matters more than ever in a game like this. Remember, weapons
like the M4 and ACR used today are automatic, so close quarters combat with them isn’t
a problem, but the pump action rifles Secret Missions gives you means you have to be ready
to pull out your revolver to take out targets. In addition, you’ll have sections that let
you use weapons like cannons to soften up an enemy position before moving in, which
helped to keep the gameplay fresh. Now, I do have two main problems with the
game, however. The first is hit detection. Enemies, especially those hiding behind items
with holes in them, seem to sometimes not register getting shot, even as they hit you
like they’re the winner of Top Shot. It’s not that big of a problem, but it is worth
mentioning. The second issue is AI on both the enemy and allied side. Some enemies seem
to have no problem just standing in place and firing over and over again as you kill
their friends, and show no worry when a bomb kills everyone around them. The main problem
with allied AI is that they’ll keep shooting at targets they have absolutely no chance
of hitting, although this does let you know that you haven’t cleared an area yet.
It is pretty obvious that this title was not made on a very large budget if you look at
it. Along with pretty bland environments, characters and effects, it’s one of those
games with disappearing bodies. This kind of takes something out of the experience,
as the Civil War had tons of photographs showing the massive loss of life after battles. It
seems a little too politically correct to not show the player how horrible this war
was. Although History Civil War: Secret Missions
is not a great game, it isn’t a bad one, either. This might even be a good buy for
parents or grandparents who are interested in the Civil War.