Salvo!

Salvo! is a journey into the past. You’re the admiral of a navy, powered by wind and grit. The large number of scenarios and branching campaigns are vignettes of a time when rum and the lash pushed men to feats of glory. It’s also time travel to the era when computer games had eccentric interfaces, too small display windows, and manuals with nowhere near enough pictures. The ships aren’t the only old-school thing here.
As fascinating as the subject matter is, the naval battles are presented in such a manner that each conflict is nearly identical to the others. Yes, there is only so much you can do with vast expanses of ocean, but the larger battles turn into three-hour tours of tedium as you click on ships or squadrons and maneuver them into firing range.
You can speed the turns along, but there is so little real estate on the screen that you fear missing something if you don’t thoroughly scan the horizon. The display pans very slowly, adding to the feeling that you’re playing chess more than fighting for your life. You can only get a good view of the whole battlefield by going to the battle map screen. It is difficult to be certain when your ships are in range without referring to yet a third screen.
This trip to 1790 via 1990 is well planned, but dry. The campaigns aren’t quite dynamic or linear, and are the highlight of the game. Battles all play out in a similar fashion, but at least there are lots of them. You opponents are pretty dimwitted. Capturing ships is often easier than sinking them, which may be accurate, if less satisfying.
Salvo! is a fair game that is almost completely undone by an interface as archaic as the warfare it presents. No rollover tips, no minimap, no isometric view, and limited resolutions. Prepare for a long voyage.

This article originally appeared in Computer Games Magazine #180