There are lots of first person shooters out there so we have all play them , from WWII games like Call of Duty, Medal of Honor to modern first person shooters like Call of Duty 4 and Battlefield to first person shooters set in the future like Halo and Gears of War. But we have never play a first person shooter in a console based of the American civil war. In 2006 the first ever first person shooter based on the Civil war came out it was title The History Channel Civil War a Nation Divided.

 

The game did not do as good as they wanted to but in 2008 a new game based on the History Channel franchise came out with History Channel Civil War Secret Missions and hoping to fix the problems that the first Civil War game had the question is did they fix the problems? Lets start by saying this game is not bad but not perfect lets start by saying that this game did had some good moments but also had bad moments while I was playing. Civil War Secret Missions is basically about well secret missions during the civil war there were small groups of men who disrupt the armies, including conducting train raids, stealing ironclad ships, stopping enemy supply lines, destroying enemy artillery and more. And all events were based on real events.

 

You get to play as both Union and Confederate soldiers there are 11 missions which are pretty good some are long and other are not long enough. You don’t get to choose what side you want to fight for so you will have to play as both Union and Confederate soldiers which is great because each side feels different from weapons to you A.I uniforms and to there voice’s and speaking of voice the voice acting is surprising good they are a lot better voice acting then the first civil war game.

 

The game play is not bad but not much improvement from the first game and same goes for the graphics. I don’t understand why they don’t just use a different engine I don’t blame the developers I blame Activision they have money why don’t they give it to there developers.

 

The cool thing about a Civil War game is the new weapons they have to offer yeah I know what your thinking don’t the civil war guns take for ever to reload? Well some do but some don’t If you want a strong weapon it might take a while to reload but if you want a not so powerful weapon then you will reload you weapon fast. The controls are great there just like Call of Duty controls.

 

There are three difficulty levels. There also a ranking system but there is not much rewards for ranking just achievements and skills. Skills are like perks its new to the game and it’s a good idea but there only 4 skills to choose from there ammo it gives you more ammo there a damage skill which makes more damage to you enemies there health which is like call of duty juggernaut and there Regeneration which it recovers you health faster like I said it’s a great idea but it would be better if there where more skill like some from call of duty like slight of hand from call of duty which can make your gun reload fast it’s a civil war game it would be a good idea or have a bayonet on your rifle but for some reason the developers did not make enough skills(perks).

 

The best part of a civil war game is the new guns you have never played we all have played a lancer, M1 Grand, and a AK-47 but not civil war guns there are 10 real civil war guns 2 knifes there are also grenades and yes they do kill people unlike the first civil war game that made grenades useless you also get to use cannons and the famous Gatling gun.

The story is great because it’s a history channel game you get to learn something and the missions are fun for the most part but the thing that hurt the most was no online play what’s so ever which is strange because the History Channel last game The History Channel: Battle for the Pacific had online play so don’t expect to play online which would have been fun because on the guns and maybe perks.

 

When this game first came out late last year it cost $50 which would made this game not worth buying but now its $30 brand new is it worth it? Well if you a fan of History and Civil War or like to get easy achievements or just want to play a new first person shooter then yes its worth it but you should wait until the price drops to $20 or rent the game but if you are looking for the next best first person shooter well keep looking. The developers did a decent job on this game but I know they can do better but who to blame the developers or the Activision the publishers.

 

So what next a new civil war game? An American revelation game? A WWI game? Lets hope because lets face it we have all play WWII, Modern and future fist person shooters it time for something new and Civil War Secret Missions is a start.