| History Civil War: Secret Missions | |
|---|---|
 Xbox 360 cover art | |
| Developer | Cauldron Ltd |
| Publisher | Activision Value |
| Composer | Juraj Karkuš |
| Engine | CloakNT3 withHavok Physics |
| Platforms | Microsoft Windows,PlayStation 2,PlayStation 3,Xbox 360 |
| Release |
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| Genre | First-person shooter |
| Mode | Single-player |
History Civil War: Secret Missions is a historicalfirst-person shooter video game developed byCauldron Ltd and released on November 4, 2008 byActivision Value and theHistory Channel forMicrosoft Windows,PlayStation 2,PlayStation 3 andXbox 360. It is a sequel toThe History Channel: Civil War – A Nation Divided.
The player assumes the role of bothUnion andConfederate soldiers fighting behind enemy lines in legendary battles that took place during theAmerican Civil War.
The player's goal is to disrupt the armies of both the North and South by any means necessary, including stopping enemy supply lines, stealingironclad ships and sabotaging enemy strongholds. Engaging in some of the Civil War's most famous battles, such asThe Great Train Raid of 1861 andthe fall of Vicksburg in utilizing classic weapons of the era, including thepepperbox revolver and thecoffee mill gun.
All missions are based on the actions of famous partisans, scouts and rangers – fighting as a member ofMosby's Rangers, Sheridan's Scouts and Grant's Secret Service and receiving mission commands from famous generals likeRobert E. Lee,"Stonewall" Jackson, andUlysses S. Grant.
This game takes the player through secret missions that took place on both sides of the war. The player has to battle enemy forces and protect his fellow soldiers. Melee is a large part of the game, as it was in the prequel. Reload times vary from weapon to weapon, withmuskets taking a long time to reload, andrepeating rifles taking a relatively short time.
Missions include being a part of a secret sniper mission at theBattle of Gettysburg, conducting a covert train raid on theB&O Railroad, sabotage artillery outposts during theBattle of Lewisburg, etc. Players get to use a variety of weaponry from the era – such as repeating rifles, grenades, sabers, artillery, and shotguns.
The game features intense, tactical combat. It is based on authentic Civil War combat methods, artillery barrages, urban assaults, sniping, and stealth. Set charges, place explosives, sabotage enemy strongholds, and destroy enemy buildings to complete objectives.
Each level begins with a short History Chanel documentary video, which describes the historical events depicted and their significance in the Civil War. Players encounter bonus objectives from mission to mission such as savingP.O.W.s and destroying crates. Players can ignore or accept these bonus objectives.
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| GameRankings | 50.50% (6 reviews)[1] |
| Metacritic | 51% (6 reviews)[2] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| GameSpot | 5.0 of 10[3] |
| GameTrailers | 8.0/10[4] |
| GameZone | 5.5/10[5] |
| IGN | 5.5 of 10[6] |
| Official Xbox Magazine (UK) | 5.5/10[7] |
| X-Play |   [8] |
The game received mixed reviews from critics.IGN praised the graphics but panned the length of the game.[9]GameRankings criticizes the small glitches, but praised the game in portraying "something to skip WWII shooters".
Many critics did however noted the game to be one of the best of its genre, noting how special it was due to its unique setting.GameFaqs included the game on its list "Top 10 American Civil War Games".[10] Daniel Martinez fromThe Gamer listed it at #5 in his "10 Games Based On The American Civil War", praising its accuracy of the time period and its uniqueness.[11]