The naval gaming Task Force Admiral, focused on aircraft carrier battles during the Pacific theatre, is setting course for a quarter one release as the developer starts to put the pieces in place for a release. Developed by Drydock Dreams Games and published by MicroProse, this 3D command simulation looks set to offer some interesting Pacific WWII gameplay. Here’s the latest!

Demo now ready

Focused on Pacific theatre World War II carrier naval battles, Task Force Admiral is more strategy game than flight simulator but it looks to bridge that gap as well with more direct control over individual aircraft as well as playing a part in the battle planning.

The sim’s demo is once again available on Steam so people can try it out and see what the latest changes are like to the interface. The demo includes the following features:

• Two single scenarios (one historical, one variant with a new guest).
• A functional Battle Generator using the scenarios’ assets.
• Take control of your friendly fighters in 1st- and 3rd-person view to defend the skies over your Task Force!
• Compatibility with Tacview to review and assess your accomplishments.
• Updated gameplay and graphics.

Early access coming Q1

Meanwhile, efforts are now aimed at an early access release for Task Force Admiral Vol 1: American Carrier Battles on January 27 (according to Steam) or slightly thereafter (according to the developer diary).

The news of an early access release acknowledges players are sometimes reluctant to try out a new title while its in early access but also points to other recent sim releases like Sea Power where the early access period has been a generally positive experience with the game building up its capabilities and developing a dedicated following ahead of a full release.

Pricing is not set yet but is likely to follow in the footsteps of other titles with an early access discount and with pricing gradually increasing as the title reaches closer to completion.

Read the latest developer updates here and check out both the demo and full product information on the Steam store, here.