FINAL FANTASY TACTICS - The Ivalice Chronicles
FINAL FANTASY TACTICS - The Ivalice Chronicles
Game
Game2006
688(I) Hunter/Killer
Developer Sonalysts
Jane's 688(i) Hunter/Killer is a 1997 submarine simulator video game, developed by Sonalysts Inc. and published by Electronic Arts and more recently by Strategy First for Windows 95 compatible operating systems. It is named after the 688 (Improved) Los Angeles class of United States (SSN) submarine, and was a successor to the earlier game 688 Attack Sub. It is part of the Jane's Combat Simulations series. From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
156 reactions from 2 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky) · newest Aug 20, 2026 · last updated Oct 8, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
83
LovedLoved
123 positive · 26 negative
95% range 76–88%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 123 | 26 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 0 | 0 | 0 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
7 newer reactions are still waiting for a label.
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
186 of 227 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What people are saying
Summary pending — the reactions are listed below.
Reactions
60 of 156 · most liked firstAt first I really wasnt sure if this was going to be a big waste of time and money but to my surprise it can deliver a really entertaining time killer. THE GOOD 1: very realistic .. well at least to a civilian. 2: complex game mechaincs to those of us who dont like our games dumbed down. 3: strong sense of acomplishment when missions are completed 4: good variety of operations consisting of single missions, campaign and training. 5: A good challenge but far from impossible once youve…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →688(I) HUNTER/KILLER is an excellent game. I've been playing it for years. However....BEWARE Steam's version of this game as it is now bugged/unplayable...as of June 13, 2019. As Steam has no true customer service; per se, and absolutely no person you could actually speak with, I now have a great game that can no longer be played....and zero Steam 'support' to remedy the problem. ALL of us whom purchased 688(I) HUNTER/KILLER are now unable to play the game, thanks to a Steam auto-update…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A classic in the submarine simulation genre. The missions may be canned - with no random variation aside from box patrols and units reacting to you - but the sim gameplay itself is great. When it came out, it pretty much blew the competition out of the water. You know, just like the ships in the game itself. The graphics and presentation are obviously dated, but still have a certain charm. You don't really play naval sims for the graphics, anyway. Just wait until it's on sale so you actually…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a game that comes from a time when one had to have skill to win. If you like 90s graphics for explosions, a necessity to read online forums to understand the game's mechanics, and an overall love for strategey at sea; this is the game to play. I've been playing it since 1999, and I don't see a reason to stop.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a great submarine simulation game. I felt right in the middle of the action, and there are definitely some tense moments, i.e. evading enemy torpedoes and stealthily sneaking up on an enemy submarine. The game has a steep learning curve at first if you've never played anything like it before. I recommend reading the captain's manual if you want some early pointers on how to learn the basics. Some of the missions take multiple hours to complete, and I found it easy to lose myself in…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you like submarins, this is a nice game to learn all about them. The drawback is TIME. Everything goes so slowly and, you are so blind that the game can be really frustrating. Maybe a good simulation but, a game needs something else to be attractive to the player. Buy if you like submarins and the price is a bargain
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is an extremely old game based on a submarine simulator in a war scenario. You are essentially taking control of a submarine in midst of combat. It is definitely not a game for everybody. It is a realistic simulator of what a person in a submarine needs to do in order to survive and fight. It isn't your casual arcade game where you're controlling a submarine from the outside swimming around blowing up battleships. It definitely takes a while to get used to because there's a lot that…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It lacks an in depth tutorial and there's not much to be found online regarding gameplay mechanics. Once you get the hang of it, it gets fun. Expect to spend 10 hours or so getting the hang of it, if not more. This game is fairly bug-free. It has a campaign which is 'ok'. The campaign debriefings are intentionally cheesy, I think it sort of loses some realism there but it's also a bit funny, so it's a wash. It could stand to use some extra features that were included with the sequel, Sub…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I don't know how I got this. I hope I didn't pay for it. I guess if you have nostalgia for it go right ahead but it's as intuitive as a 16 year old game and the graphics are fit for 1997. Steam overlay doesn't work which means you can't take screenshots or use any community features.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Why should you buy Jane's 688(i) Hunter/Killer: It was one amongst few modern submarine simulation available at the market and ofcourse one of the best, if not THE best. This sim is all about processing data which you receive from your various sonar sensors at your 688 improved Los-Angeles class attack submarine. You should really ignore the graphics in these kind of sims because of the fact that you sit inside a steel tube trying to listen for enemy surface threats, evading them in order to…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is one of those classic sim games that you can not go wrong with. If you grew up in the era of Jane's fleet games, and the good Electronic Arts games, this one is for you. This is well worth the price. Get it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →My grandfather got me this game on my birthday in 2006 on a CD-ROM after for so long when I was little sitting on his knee while he played. I was so happy to get my first CD Copy on my own to play on my Gateway Profile 5 PC. Now i'm 5 years away from thirty now as I play this on Steam. Thank you Grandpa Michael love you and miss you everyday. :)
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →... I think I sunk my battleship. I have no idea what I'm doing here. I'm sure it's a great retro game for those that want a sub sim. I just have no idea what I'm doing :)
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →What we have here is a great attempt at making a submarine simulator that was novel enough when it was made that the average player did not really notice its flaws, but over time these have become extremely noticeable. I tend to put "688 Hunter Killer" into a category of games with "L.A. Noire", "Tropico" and "Assassin's Creed" which I credit with reaching very high with a new concept, and almost making it. The problem is that most missions are either too easy or too hard. Any mission with…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →1: Spend a few hours reading the manual and doing tutorial missions. 2: Spend half an hour staring at sonar while trying to figure out what you're looking at- 3: Fire a torpedo and make evasive maneuvers. 4: Wait 15 minutes. 5: Realize you tried to sink a whale. 8/10, very slow but also very satisfying in the end.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I have been waiting to play this game for the last 10 years. I one time played this game when I was about 10. I didn't know how to play or what to do. Now finally I can play this game on my computer again. It is just as I remembered, a hard core submarine simulator. Very accurate to how to actually use sonar and ship manuvers. I have had my navy friends help me in this game learn how to use the sonar and launch torpedoes. This is a great game and a lot of fun. You just have to be patient and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Don't buy it all of the servers are offline permanently and the game DOES NOT RUN!
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Man I bought this game as a meme but I have never seen such realism in naval games. 250 PAGES OF MANUAL MAN. This game ain't no joke fr.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I played Sub Command during my undergraduate years and was hooked to it. Played it all night long every Saturday at my dorm. I then bought Dangerous Waters which improved upon it. I never tried 688(I) Hunter/Killer although I heard it was an excellent game. That is until today. On my first try I fell in love with it. The gameplay feels better than both Sub Command and Dangerous Waters primarily due to the better interface design. They even put 3D layout of the submarine interior and a 3D view…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It is fun but do not expect high end graphics, This game does not utilize the high end graphics displays of todays systems. Do no expect full screeen displays or incredible displays.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Au programme de ce premier samedi du mois d'août, trois jeux non-abandonwares : ⚓688(I) Hunter/Killer (1997) 🕵️Covert Action (1990) 👑Wizard's Crown (1987) Bon week-end ! www.abandonware-france.org/ltf_abandon/...
unlabelledView post →The fact I got so much enjoyment out of this hardcore nuclear submarine simulator is how I know I'm getting older. Reading of the beefy manual is mandatory if you want to so much as submerge this thing. It'll be a while before you get comfortable with the controls, and even then it's a good idea to keep the manual handy. It's a game from 97 so the 3D graphics are very quaint, which does not mean they skimmed on the details. Moreover, the immersive audio design is doing most of the legwork in…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Buy if you want to play a submarine game that no ♥♥♥♥, was used to train officers for submarines in the United States Navy. My dad can confirm this as he was a nuke onboard those long tubes filled with seamen
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I have played this game for way more hours that I accredited for. I played this game before Steam, and I Loved it. I know it is an older game, but it has some great attributes.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →playing this game is like driving an old car. sometimes things work, sometimes they don't. back when this game first came out i thought about getting it but knew i didn't have the time to play a subsim, so i passed. started playing it a while ago and though i don't mind the old-school graphics, the glitchy performance is annoying. random things in the game stop working for no reason. some times you can pan, sometimes you can't. sometimes your sonar works, sometimes it doesn't. not because of…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Calling 688(I) a game is unfair; this is a true simulator. As such, it's definitely not for everybody. There are very few accommodations made for the sake of gameplay here. This isn't a sub game where it's blazing action at all times, with subs that behave like speedboat/fighter jet hybrids. No. Submarine combat is a matter of skulking around in the dark, moving cautiously, listening, and above all, patience. About the only "gimme" for the sake of gameplay is the inclusion of a "speed up"…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Honestly, I didn't understand the game mechanics all that much so I dropped it.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →An old favorite of mine. Harpoon style gameplay, real time. Great modern sub simulator.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →handicapped cretin now owns Strategy First Collectionhandicapped cretin now owns Strategy First Collectionhandicapped cretin now owns Strategy First Collectionhandicapped cretin now owns Strategy First Collectionhandicapped cretin now owns Strategy First Collectionhandicapped cretin now owns Strategy First Collectionhandicapped cretin now owns Strategy First Collectionhandicapped cretin now owns Strategy First Collectionhandicapped cretin now owns Strategy First Collectionhandicapped cretin now…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a simulator sub marine game which is kind of outdated in graphic and gameplay. Its hard to just pick up and learn this type of gameplay right away but after time you might get a hang of it. Its a game were you pretty much find the enemy and try to kill them before they kill you. The graphics are old and kind of blocky. The music I had to turn off because it was kind of getting annoying. Its an alright game. If you get it in a pack then that's the best way to obtain a game like this.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Although old, 1997, it is the most authentic submarine game ever. You need to be patient and willing to learn a lot of info and how to act upon it. If your looking for a submarine shooter game, this is not for you. If you want to learn a lot about commanding a sub, learning sonar, TMA and fire control this is the game. Be prepared for a long game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's a beginning to a sub. genre game. Needs to be familiarised before developing into more complex games.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a classic! Even after 24 years it is one of the most engaging naval sims due it's detail. It doesn't feel dumbed down, and you have to put some effort into mastering it. Well worth it!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a submarine simulator, where you play as the Captain of an Improved 688 attack sub (Los Angeles-class). Move silently, strike deadly. Your opponents can be a number of enemy platforms from the late 90’s. At least, as far as I can tell, since there seem to be some missing Soviet/Russian naval units, which might have been retired at that time. Controls are not intuitive, and will take some getting used to. Suggest buying in the bundle, since there are quite a few decent games within.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Steep learning curve (doubly if you don't know your Navy shorthand), but with buttons that actually do stuff, and a way of controlling that can't be mapped strictly to a gamepad (moving to different "posts")...they don't make games like this anymore. I miss this. Though it's slow paced as an experience (and crashed once for me), I absolutely admire the 90s graphics and the soundtrack (we need more like that, with this kind of "tension" and "intensity"). Also I swear the map is both bigger and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Immerse yourself in the life-and-death pressure of an authentic 688(i) Los Angeles class nuclear attack sub. Developed by actual U.S. Navy Defense contractors, Jane's dead-on combat sim pulls you deep into the depths of intensity. Critical operating systems include weapons control, sonar suite and target motion analysis. With multiplayer capabilities the only question is, how long can you hold your breath?
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Such an old game - but still runs on Win10 without issues. Graphics are obviously extremely outdated, but the gameplay hasn't changed. It's still a great sub sim, if you like those stealth games that don't work with just visual input. Unlike many modern sub games, it's not just an underwater "flight sim", but a game mostly about staying undetected. Still recommended. If you know what to expect.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →My periscope is flooded with nostalgia.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a very relaxing game that you can just switch on in the background while you're going through some boring documents, etc... just switching back to the game every 10-15 minutes or so to make sure everything's going good with your sub.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Still one of the best submarine simulations of all time. Too bad content was limited back when it was made but they've patched it up enough to run smoothly even on Windows 11.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Not Cold Waters, not Command Modern Operations, not Modern Naval Warfare (which never came out) nor Sea Power... only this game makes you THE LORD beneath the waves. Thank God and General Dynamics Electric Boat. ※ライトノベル『フルメタル・パニック！Family』で能登麻美子声のおっさんことさべさべが実況してたゲームでもあります。
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's an old game, but makes for an interesting experience.... You have some sensors... It's intense because it's not a visual sim at all... There is a learning curve but I recommend it...
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →the soundtrack in this game is an absolute killer
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →good simulator if you can get past the older graphics, and the 2 ish hours of reading the manual to actually learn how to play.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Good but needs updating
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Printed the manual during a computer course in 10th grade (late 90s) because my teacher was an old IT soldier from Bundeswehr and private legacy gamer :) and he knew this game =) and I was a good pupil :3 I read about the instruments and tactics - and the physical handbook (should have printed it duplex -.-) was essential for me to complete the tutorial with relative luxury on the old operating system back then. The graphics may be "bad" but they are sufficient to depict everything that is…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →688I was a revelation when it first launched in 1997... a submarine simulation SO authentic, it was allegedly used by REAL navies to train their submarine sailors. Indeed, it came with a 300-page manual printed on thick glossy paper and spiral binding, a real collector's item nowadays. And it was also allegedly reviewed by US Navy to make sure it did not reveal any secrets. And it was an EXTREMELY difficult game to play, but simulation nerds loved that. Virtual fleets formed and played…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Seems to be derived from a virtual trainer and while the graphics are shpoopty...it is very a fun and engrossing game, I am a sub junkie and this the game for those like myself.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A message for developers. I have a game running in a small screen. Please release the patch. Or tell me what to do?
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Excellent game for hardcore simulation fans - a lot of depth. However, there is a considerable amount you need to learn in order to play the game. If you are looking for an arcade game to pick up and have a quick blast with, then this is not for you.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →this is a great game ifyou like sub sims
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Bring submarine warfare to the surface
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game woke up the sleeping younger me and made me feel like a kid again who was figuring out how to play a game without using the manual. The gameplay is so immersive and the story is so deep I can promise that you won't regret buying and playing this game. After all, it's made by the best sim company, Jane's. They make REAL intelligence stuff for the REAL military organizations so the game's definitely realistic; unquestionable, undeniable. There is one catch with their games though, they…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game when it came out was the best... now its a bit dated.. but cool!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is dated and not in a cute Minecraft way. The links to the manual and FAQs in the game menu are broken and now lead to "content is not here" generic Microsoft pages. The controls are not intuitive. I spent an hour watching a You Tube video of doing the into video which is pretty much "how to dive and remain undetected". The sub movement is pretty much close to real time, you can speed it up but it's pretty monotonous. The voiceovers are bad. Like really bad. I felt like someone was…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Big ramp up and really slow.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →As a former RN submariner some features remind me of using the trafalgar class systems. A great game to play
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →very realistic, take time to learn controlls and you will do well.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →One of the finest Nuclear Submarine simulations in the world Based off the original code of Sub Command, the game/simulator started the submarine game genre along with Silent Hunter 1. Both came out around the same time and were both epic in their own right. Looking at 688(I) while playing it's stations, you get the feeling that the US Navy may come to your house and confiscate your PC because of the classified systems that this game and Sub Command revealed. 10 stars for this game still in 2026
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It looks different but reminds me of a mission editor of Jane's 688(i) Hunter/Killer, a 1997 submarine sim I played as a kid. I may still have the CD somewhere.😁 Oh, or the SU-27 Flanker mission editor. There are probably quite a lot of them but these two are the ones I remember rn for some reason.😭
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