[3] In the career mode, the player undertakes a number of consecutive patrols in the submarine, meeting other ships or convoys in unscripted encounters generated by the game.

The length of each patrol is limited by the submarine's available fuel, but a typical war career can still take several hours of play time to complete.

[citation needed] Several different viewpoints are available, including the bridge, the periscope (usable either submerged or surfaced), the navigation area with the map, and internal status displays.

[citation needed] Computer Gaming World praised Silent Service II, citing its excellent graphics, "amazing" sound card audio, and seven accurate submarine types.

It concluded that the game "teaches historical lessons worthy of a graduate seminar in modern American history" while exciting as "a mammoth roller-coaster".