In the first run of the demo, we were spotted and shelled while some of the other aspects of the game were demonstrated, which lead to a slowly sinking U-boat scenario, making the rest of the mission somewhat hard to complete (a damage control system and game mechanic is coming, we were told, but wasn't in this build).

Submerging means they can't see you, but you also can't see them, meaning there's a lot of skill in the infiltration as you close to torpedo range. I'm not a submarine commander by trade, but the approach that was demonstrated to us seemed pretty viable - the new, improved user interface shows the perception range of enemy ships based on three main factors: visual (ie, dudes with binoculars on the decks looking for telltale signs of periscopes), hydrophone, and active sonar.ĭepending on what you're doing at the time, you'll register differently on these devices, so you need to tailor your approach to take these into account - going slower means there's less chance they'll hear you, but it'll take you longer. The mission we saw involved sneaking up on a massive battleship to get within torpedo range.

We were treated to a level of the game set in Narvik Harbour in Norway, showing off the new terrain engine which creates a very realistic and impressive environment - perfect for a spot of naval warfare. A new graphical engine powers Silent Hunter 5, boasting a three times increase in view distance - leading to some spectacular panoramic views of ocean scenes with warships everywhere.

Silent hunter 5 demo