Task Force Admiral Demo – Exclusive Early Preview

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From our very first conversation with Admiral Crab many years ago, I had a feeling that Task Force Admiral was destined for greatness. We conducted an extensive three-part interview delving into the origins of the game and its development process. Fast forward to 2023, a playable demo, or “vertical slice,” left everyone in awe due to its meticulous portrayal of World War II carrier battles and visually stunning graphics.


As a die-hard enthusiast, I couldn’t contain my excitement when I received an invitation straight to my inbox, offering me the chance to experience Task Force Admiral (TFA) for the very first time with a hands-on approach. Immersed in the game for a solid six hours, I’ve got plenty to share about this eagerly anticipated title.

Though only one mission is currently available, it takes some time to complete, giving me a solid understanding of how the game will feel when it officially launches. For those unfamiliar with TFA, let me fill you in on what it’s all about.

“Task Force Admiral: A Solo Strategy/War Game Set in World War II, Year 1942”

In this game, you assume the role of a Task Force Admiral and are tasked with guiding American carrier task forces towards victory. The action unfolds during the tumultuous year of 1942. This real-time strategy (RTS) game allows for pauses, making it an engaging experience similar to popular RTS titles.

After glancing over the TFA team’s quick-start guide, I dived into the game with a hint of apprehension about managing all the chaos. However, my worries quickly faded as TFA excels at keeping things straightforward and manageable. Navigating the fleet is effortless with just a few clicks, setting up plane patrols is as easy as selecting them and adjusting some settings, and deploying strike forces is equally hassle-free. Remember, you’re the Task Force commander, so once your orders have been given to your strike forces, you won’t be able to control or micro-manage them in any way. I find this lack of control enjoyable since it lets me relax and watch my strategies play out, whether they succeed or fail, and even admire the stunning visuals.

Instead of suggesting that there’s little action happening, let me clarify that my afternoon was filled with intense gameplay of the single mission offered, with rare instances of downtime. The persistent suspense of not knowing the enemy’s location keeps you alert throughout the experience. In the initial stages of a battle, you’ll scrutinize your forces and the map, comparing it to the briefing in an attempt to anticipate the enemy’s position. Following this, you prepare your flight decks to send out reconnaissance planes, designating specific areas for them to scan, and await their feedback. A positive contact will reveal the enemy’s last known location on the map. At this point, it’s your decision whether to reposition or initiate an attack, organizing your strike forces accordingly. The process of planning these strikes is straightforward; you simply determine the composition of each strike party and assign them their units. If desired, you can also set a departure time to synchronize with other carriers’ actions.

The time I’ve invested in playing Task Force Admiral has taught me the immense importance of timing. Sending your units individually leaves them vulnerable to enemy fighters and anti-aircraft guns. It’s essential to synchronize actions to assemble a force robust enough to overpower the enemy air defenses, but achieving this isn’t simple. The challenge lies in the fact that while you’re building your strength, the enemy is doing the same. If all your aircraft are deployed when they strike, it spells trouble for you. Replaying the mission, I pondered over when the enemy had detected my forces. My scouts were busy gathering information about this. The enemy fighters were quickly dispatched to intercept and managed to bring down most of the attacking forces, with many others falling victim to anti-air fire. As soon as the enemy’s attack subsided for a while, I prepared my forces and launched a counterattack with all the strength I could gather, overpowering their ships and zeroes to destroy a carrier. Timing remains crucial in this game.

Instead of focusing solely on management matters, let’s discuss air combat now. I must say, these digital fighter pilots show remarkable skill. They execute maneuvers realistically, dodge incoming threats, and choose targets strategically. However, this demo isn’t without its quirks. Plane collisions occur a bit too frequently, leading to amusing yet disastrous results. Once, I lost all my torpedo bombers because they flew so close to the water that each one hit a larger wave and crashed – it was quite humorous at the time. There appears to be some physics involved, as I’ve observed two planes colliding without exploding, allowing the American pilot to regain control after a freefall. Impressive! As for the bombers, while I haven’t delved deeply into dive-bombing tactics, they seem well-coordinated and authentic.

The AI appears capable, yet I require additional time and varied situations to fully evaluate its skills. Similarly, the damage model needs further observation, as I haven’t witnessed a sufficient number of pilots attempting to return a damaged aircraft nor ships struggling to stay afloat in various types of damage scenarios. It’s unlikely that this aspect lacks detail, but I am eager to see more. One aspect I am yet to witness is ship-on-ship combat, unfortunately, I haven’t had the chance to do so thus far.

As a gamer, I’ve got to give it up to Admiral and his tight-knit team for crafting such an intricate strategy game, complete with jaw-dropping visuals. Task Force Admiral is nothing short of impressive. The air skirmishes and bombing runs are absolutely breathtaking, with the ship and plane models looking nothing less than grandiose. The lighting in this game is downright majestic, and when you view it in 3D, the sheer scale of it all leaves you feeling humbled. While most of the sea-related effects look fantastic, I think the explosion effects could benefit from a bit of color correction to make them a touch darker and less flat. It’d be great if they added crews to the ships, but I understand that might be a stretch goal for their Kickstarter campaign.

In summary, I’d like to highlight the genuine and expansive feel of this game, along with the vast opportunities it offers for exploring unconventional strategies that deviate significantly from their historical counterparts. It’s one of the aspects I appreciate most about Task Force Admiral. What I admire is its ability to avoid the trap of restricting players to historically accurate tactics alone. By the way, Task Force Admiral operates in real-time (with the option to pause and adjust speed), so if you’re daring enough, you can immerse yourself deeply and potentially play for extended periods, much like a dedicated admiral would.

I was truly amazed by Task Force Admiral, as it seems to be the future of strategic war games, if such a concept exists.

I’m not sure about the release date for Task Force Admiral, but let me tell you, it’s been a long time since I felt this thrilled about returning to combat on the Pacific, like I did when I piloted an FA2 in IL-2: Sturmovik 1946 back in 2007. That was when I was just a teenager. It feels great – it truly does.

The Admiral’s Task Force Kickstarter campaign starts next week, offering gamers a nostalgic 90’s gaming experience with an expansive physical edition. If this sounds appealing to you, be sure to check it out. In the meantime, I’ll return to the Task Force Admiral project.

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2025-02-19 00:42