Preview: HMS Marulken

Introduction:

I was rather unaware of HMS Marulken, until an email came through from Subsim.com. Usually when things say "coop multiplayer" it's an instant no-go for me due to my massive dislike of people, but this game actually got me excited! A massive part of the appeal of submarine titles for me, is the depth of atmosphere (hurr hurr submarine pun) created from being chased by destroyers; the sonar ringing off the hull and the last minutes manoeuvres to avoid the depth charges.

If the game can pull it off, it promises very tense gameplay, with an exceptionally strong reliance on actual co-operation to even just stay alive! Having one person on each station, cut off from the works of the other crew members, means you are really reliant on everyone doing their jobs effectively and relying on communication skills so much, you could probably put a successful game down on your CV (disclaimer: don't actually do this)!

So, can the game live up to expectation?

Gameplay

Obviously, the operation of a real submarine is a complicated affair that require a crew of at least several dozen sailors to manage. Trying to wittle this down so that it can be managed by just 4 individuals, is a non-trivial task, that the developers have actually pulled very well: providing just enough to do in each role to keep everyone constantly busy, without overwhelming the player.

I am biased, have spent too many hours on submarine sims in the past, but I tried playing with a crew made up of my friends that have never touched a sub sim in their life. They we're quite anxious after watching the tutorials that there was too much to take in, but after a quick shakedown run in the sub, they remarked that everything is sensibly placed to allow everyone to do their jobs effectively, and once you've got used to what you need to do, the immersion kicks in and it's all about communication and cooperation to get on with the job!

For us, the immersion kicked in when, during the shakedown run (which you can see off to the right), a German destroyer was bearing down on us just as I finished giving my little spiel about all the roles on the submarine. We just rolled with it, and got to work dodging the

depth charges that were fired our way. It was a crash course in submarine warfare, which my friends found interesting, getting to understand actually why the things they've seen in submarine films actually happen!

So, the answer is yes: the game really can pull off the intense atmosphere that comes with submarine warfare, with myself and my friends having a good time, and enjoying a game where "communication and cooperation" is actually a thing that needs to be done, not like in most coop games where "coop" means that you just play solo, but on the same team, like a lot of the games we play. Where the game breaks down, in this stage of it's development (Build 144 at the time of writing), is in the alpha issues.

Alpha Issues

The biggest issue in the Alpha thus far is definitely the connection issues. I should say, the developers are aware of the issue and are working on fixing it. They've posted a workaround for the time being, involving getting a program called Evolve (like Hamachi, except it works) to connect players together. However, despite getting everything set up correctly, we found ourselves getting kicked frequently. We got one viable game out of 5 attempts, and even then, we started getting kicked after about half an hour of gameplay. I'm told that is quite uncommon, but this is what happened to us doing our night with HMS Marulken.

The connection issues are by far the biggest thing wrong with the current build of the game, but that's not the only issue. I'm pleased to report, however, the rest of the bugs I  encountered were not game breaking. I even had one of the funniest moments in my gaming

career come up from a bug. You can see the video of that clip off to the right! Despite some bugs (which, let's be honest, you'd expect from a game in development), the game is perfectly playable, and the user interface has been through through and quite polished even at this early stage!

Summary

HMS Marulken is a very interesting take on the submarine simulator genre, that promises - and delivers - exciting and atmospheric gameplay that forces you and your crew to cooperate and communicate effectively to survive the icy waters off the coast of Sweden. The alternative history story will likely deliver a refreshing look at an already well used period in military history.

Although bugs are present, the developers are very keen to hear from the community and are determined to act on them to deliver the best possible gameplay (I've spoke to them myself). This is an alpha, so some issues are to be expected, but I'm confident that with due diligence, Skvader Studios will deliver an excellent game!

An interesting take on the submarine genre, delivered with well thought out gameplay mechanics and brilliant graphics!

Kickstarter

I really enjoyed my time with HMS Marulken, and both myself and my friends are keen to get back to our stations in more videos. As such, I have decided to back the project on Kickstarter. The game still needs funding to ensure the resources are in place to develop the game, so if you like the sound of the game, then please take the time to back the project at the Kickstarter link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1655728789/hms-marulken-reboot