Battlestations: Midway (Xbox 360, Windows)

Take command over boats, submarines, and fighter planes in BATTLESTATIONS: MIDWAY, a World War II-themed action/simulation game for the Xbox 360 and Windows PC. It begins with the attack on Pearl Harbor. You play as Henry Walker, a gunner on a PT boat who must stay alive through this Japanese assault, but then must soar over the Pacific as a pilot to take down enemy aircraft and their carriers. An hour later, you're manning a submarine using torpedoes to sink enemy ships.

These intense battles in the skies and in or under the water continue through the Philippines and other parts of Asia Pacific, climaxing at the epic Battle of Midway. While the initial gameplay is arcade-style -- aiming crosshairs, firing upon enemies, and adjusting the speed and direction of your plane or boat -- soon you switch to more strategic gameplay that includes issuing orders while viewing an overhead map, cycling through objectives, and choosing to repair damaged watercraft (except PT boats).

This polished and highly enjoyable game offers 60 historically accurate warships, planes, and submarines. The main U.S. campaign mode includes 11 lengthy missions and 12 bonus missions. Other modes include Naval Academy (11 tutorial missions); Ship Challenge (increasingly challenging watercraft missions); Plane Challenge (dog-fighting missions); Submarine Challenge (hunt transports and evade destroyers); and online head-to-head or cooperative modes playable over the Xbox Live service ($50 a year).

Despite some minor inconveniences, such as lengthy load times between some missions, Battlestations: Midway is a worthy war game with plenty of gripping gameplay.