GAMESCOM 09: While GamesCom 2009 is still yet to fully kick-off Ubisoft has already announced a new game in the long-running Silent Hunter series and confirmed that the new title will be a hardcore PC exclusive.

Silent Hunter 5 is currently being worked on by Ubisoft's Romanian studio and is set for a release in early 2010, promising dozens of hours of realistic submarine combat simulations. Silent Hunter 4 was a game loved by hardcore sim fans (including our own James Gorbold), and in this new version, players will be able to take control of both German U-Boats and Allied submarines in the World War II setting, with conflicts being set in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea.

For the first time it'll also be possible to play the game from a first person perspective too, viewing the action exactly as submarine captain would do... though we have to say we can't imagine that as being a hugely exciting prospect in the long term.

The focus for the fifth instalment in the Silent Hunter series seems to be on simulation life aboard the vessels though, not just on honing the nuances of sub-aquatic combat. According to the first announcements players will be able to interact directly with many of their crew members and watch them perform daily duties as you plan the large-scale tactics which could win you the underwater war.

That said, the game will still be very much a strategy title by the sounds of it - with a lot of attention going into designing new locations and supply lines. In order to open the game up to newcomers though there'll be two different interfaces, one for beginners and one that's stacked high with statistics for the hardcore stalwarts of the series.

A lot of effort has gone in to improving the graphics too by the sounds of things and Ubisoft Romania is promising that it'll be the most cinematic submarine game yet. Let us know your thoughts in the forums.