James and I had a sit to discuss Evil Twin’s upcoming Victory at Sea: Atlantic, the up-and-coming new entry on the venerable series of naval strategy titles. Read on his motivations and have a sneak peak at exclusive screenshots!

Who are you? And what’s the story behind Evil Twin Artworks?

I’m James Carroll, the Director at Evil Twin Artworks. Our story began with myself and my brother, we shared a love for both history and gaming. We love tabletop games (war games and board games) and love strategy PC games.
When we started Evil Twin we went into animation as we didn’t think we’d be able to compete against the big gaming companies, it wasn’t until the App Store that we saw a way into developing games. But to be honest they weren’t the games we wanted to make. We wanted to make grand strategy PC games so it wasn’t too long before we migrated to building games for PC.

Victory at Sea is a long-running series of your studio. What led you down the Naval Warfare route?

History, World War II and naval warfare have always fascinated us. The vastness of the oceans, the intricate strategies, and the historical significance of naval battles were captivating (We played a lot of Sid Meir’s Pirates! too on the Amiga, anything with naval battles in!). It was by chance we found Mongoose Publishing which it turned out is based locally to us! I had bought a copy of an RPG called Paranoia, which I had owned in the 80s and wanted a new version. When I saw it was published in our home town we decided to go look them up and see what they were doing.

We realized there was a gap in the gaming market for comprehensive naval warfare experiences, and Mongoose had created a tabletop game called Victory At Sea (Which is now published by Warlord) so the Victory at Sea series was born. We wanted to bring the drama and strategy of naval warfare to players in a way that had never been done before.

What led you and your brother to your love of history? Any particular medium? Books, video games, movies?

As I mentioned Pirates on the Amiga was a big one for us, tv wise I don’t think you could get a more detailed and moving account than the documentary series The World At War and we loved and still love the Axis & Allies board games as well. 

Both our grandfathers were in the Navy in World War Two. In fact, one of our Granddads was an officer aboard the HMS Clover, a Flower Class Corvette in WW2 and one of the first ships to arrive at Normandy on D-Day. The stories he would tell me would paint a very vivid picture. He described seeing the planes fly overhead and the ships coming up behind, he said it was the most awe-inspiring site he had ever seen and one he hoped we would never have to see. Always makes me emotional thinking about that.

What would you say makes the Victory at Sea series special?

The Victory at Sea series stands out because of its scale, we wanted to make large-scale war games that the player can sit in for hundreds of hours if they want but not be too overwhelmed by it. We are also dedicated to our community and try and engage with them regularly I think this constant conversation and looking at ways to implement their ideas (where possible!) sets our games apart.

Victory at Sea Pacific came out more than 5 years ago. Have you spent all this time working on Victory at Sea Atlantic?

While Victory at Sea Atlantic has been a significant focus, we haven’t spent the entire time on this project. We’ve actively engaged with our community, fine-tuning and expanding Victory at Sea Pacific, which is still cherished by our players as well as other games.

So, during these years, we’ve not only worked on Victory at Sea Atlantic but also enhanced the experience in our earlier games. Atlantic has always been in our minds though!

What can we expect from Victory at Sea Atlantic? What will differ from previous titles, and what will be the same?

Victory at Sea Atlantic takes the core elements of its predecessors and amplifies them. You can expect an even more immersive and strategic experience, thanks to an expanded weather system, revamped combat mechanics, and much more detailed ship interactions. What remains the same is our commitment to historical accuracy, deep strategic gameplay, and a strong connection with our community.

What revamped combat mechanics are you talking about? And the ship interactions?

In Victory At Sea Pacific it was very much “Click to attack “ and let the fleets sort themselves out for the most part. We thought that as this was set in the Atlantic the Submarine vs Sub Hunter was very important so it is very much more a game of cat and mouse. Even down to slowing the ship to take full advantage of Sonar has been added to this one, this has transferred over to all fleet mechanics, as well as a more detailed damage system. 

What specifics will you replicate to represent the nature of naval warfare in the Atlantic Ocean?

In Victory at Sea Atlantic, we’ve painstakingly recreated the unpredictability and challenges of naval warfare in the Atlantic. The dynamic weather system mirrors the real conditions faced by sailors. This includes the impact of weather on ship handling, visibility, and combat tactics, as well as the tension of submarine warfare. We’ve also added features like espionage to capture the espionage activities that played a crucial role in this theatre.

Is a strategic layer to be expected? How will it work?

The basic aim when playing as the Allies was to get supplies to Britain and prepare for the invasion of mainland Europe. The Axis want to disrupt that. On the Main Campaign map you’ll be able to command and set fleet patrols, order convoys as well and build infrastructure in Britain.

Researching Radar for instance is a game changer, but you’ll need to build Labs. The enemy will be conducting espionage and you can counter that, including researching and building Enigma machines and sending agents out to sabotage installations.

What’s the scope of the game?

Victory at Sea Atlantic is an expansive experience that takes players from the frozen Arctic to the U-boat-infested waters between North America and Great Britain. You’ll have access to a wide array of ships, planes, and submarines, each with its unique strengths and weaknesses. The game encompasses the management of resources, the construction and upgrading of territories, and espionage against enemy nations. Victory at Sea Atlantic offers a comprehensive and immersive portrayal of the Atlantic theatre during World War II.

And for how long will it last? 

That’s a big question, there will be custom battles where you can play quick combats, but the main campaign is huge and will last a very long time. It’s hard to say exactly I have played it so much!

Playing the main campaign and going into the combats is a big old endeavour, bigger than Victory At Sea Pacific. Through EA it’s only going to get bigger, we are looking at adding a much more detailed amphibious assault mechanic and want feedback from the players through EA on this.  

What are your favourite games? And what other gaming genres and franchises do you enjoy playing?

As game developers, we have a deep appreciation for various gaming genres. We find inspiration in titles like Total War for their intricate strategy, always been a fan of games like XCom, and I played the early 8-bit games like Rebelstar and Laser Squad, which birthed the turn-based genre. I personally as a palette cleanser also enjoy some Nintendo! We enjoy exploring a diverse range of games to gain insights into different aspects of game design.

You’re only allowed to pick 5 games to play forever. What games would you choose and why?

Choosing only five games to play forever is a challenging decision, but if I had to, I’d select Total War: Shogun 2 for its deep strategy, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim for its vast open world, Sid Meier’s Pirates! on my A500 Mini for the Golden Age of Piracy fix, Red Dead Redemption for its atmosphere, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild just because I can’t stop playing Zelda.

Any message for fans of the game or people on the fence about getting into the series?

To our dedicated fans, we want to express our sincere gratitude for your support. Your feedback has been invaluable in shaping Victory at Sea Atlantic so far, and we can’t wait for you to experience the game. For those on the fence, we encourage you to embark on this unique naval warfare journey, the game is coming out in Early Access on Steam and that is the point where all bets are off, we WANT constructive feedback, we want ideas where to go with the game, we want players to help shape it.

Hopefully, when Victory at Sea: Atlantic comes out, it will be a permanent feature on The Best World War II Videogames of All Time List.

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