Enigma: Rising Tide

Originally designed as a massively multiplayer online 3D naval combat simulator, Enigma: Rising Tide proved so popular with those who saw it during its development that Tesseraction Games decided to convert its code into a singleplayer game. And here it is...

Set in a continuously evolving offline world, Enigma's main campaign boasts 60 distinct missions - well, sort of. If you know the difference between a destroyer, a torpedo boat, a corvette and a bunch of other tin buckets that bob around the ocean then yes, Enigma may well strike you as being an encyclopedic naval experience.

But if all WW2 ships look the same to you, then Enigma is nothing more than a fairly decent-looking arcade shooter where you relentlessly pound one ship after another until it sinks into the murky depths.

True, there's the added complication of having to shoot down aircraft, and there are five different vessels to sail (including a submarine), not to mention three sides to fight for. In fairness, Enigma's accessibility cannot be doubted, and that's an appealing thought for those who have an inkling for naval combat but couldn't necessarily reel off the tonnage of a Flower Class corvette.

Sadly though, Enigma's shallowness and lack of true theatre of war tactical gameplay means its limited charm is unlikely to sustain anyone's interest for more than a few days. By all means try it if you're after some novel naval nihilism, but be prepared for a short campaign.