This is one of those games that comes out once a decade or so, one of those that scratches an itch or a moment of pause reflecting on "why don't they make a game that _____".

What you came here for, though, is to see if this game scratches that itch well, if its worth its pricetag for the enjoyment you'll get out of it. Let me see if I can provide that for you more concisely than this intro:

Yea. It's Navy: The Simulator. Little thought is given to "game-ifying" elements, in deference to realistic simulation. This was a big one for me: the AIM-54 Phoenix on the F-14 Tomcat is not "fair" it can and will hit targets 60+ miles out.

Yea. It's Early Access. The most troubling bug as of writing is the 'stuck' carrier, where a single plane bugs on the flight deck and this renders the CV unusable, as the game currently does not support mid-mission saving, that's game-breaking and the game must be exited, it's a dark shadow over every carrier-mission, more of a 'when will this happen' than an 'if this happens'. As this is such a major bug, I feel confident it will be addressed and addressed quickly. The devs interacted heavily with content creators in the space, Wolfpack345, Enigma and the venerable Stealth17 - these are probably names you know if you're here, looking at this game.

TL;DR:

It's a bit buggy, formations are an offense to sane-minded people, BUT:
The game delivers on its promises, the whole world is playable, units are rendered with care and research, which really shines through, mod support is absolute and most of all: the devs really seem to care about this title.

If you want a polished 'AAA' experience, maybe wait a bit, circle back.
If you don't mind some bugs on your way to Naval Power Fantasy: its time to go nuts for donuts.

Fair Tides + Following Seas

This is one of those games that comes out once a decade or so, one of those that scratches an itch or a moment of pause reflecting on "why don't they make a game that _____". What you came here for, though, is to see if this game scratches that itch well, if its worth its pricetag for the enjoyment you'll get out of it. Let me see if I can provide that for you more concisely than this intro: Yea. It's Navy: The Simulator. Little thought is given to "game-ifying" elements, in deference to realistic simulation. This was a big one for me: the AIM-54 Phoenix on the F-14 Tomcat is not "fair" it can and will hit targets 60+ miles out. Yea. It's Early Access. The most troubling bug as of writing is the 'stuck' carrier, where a single plane bugs on the flight deck and this renders the CV unusable, as the game currently does not support mid-mission saving, that's game-breaking and the game must be exited, it's a dark shadow over every carrier-mission, more of a 'when will this happen' than an 'if this happens'. As this is such a major bug, I feel confident it will be addressed and addressed quickly. The devs interacted heavily with content creators in the space, Wolfpack345, Enigma and the venerable Stealth17 - these are probably names you know if you're here, looking at this game. TL;DR: It's a bit buggy, formations are an offense to sane-minded people, BUT: The game delivers on its promises, the whole world is playable, units are rendered with care and research, which really shines through, mod support is absolute and most of all: the devs really seem to care about this title. If you want a polished 'AAA' experience, maybe wait a bit, circle back. If you don't mind some bugs on your way to Naval Power Fantasy: its time to go nuts for donuts. Fair Tides + Following Seas