And who would have thought that the PC version of the "next-gen flight simulator"Call of Duty in the air" and just an Xbox 360 blockbuster Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII it will turn out so bad? After the legitimate success of the game on the “round” console, we had the right to expect a continuation of the banquet from its computer edition. But apparently something went wrong.
"Angels of Death: Aces of World War II"(evaluate the pathos of Akell’s localizers: in the original the name of the game was interpreted as "Shining Angels") – an arcade simulator of combat operations on aircraft from the Second World War. With small claims to realism. Is it good or bad? Most likely bad. Veterans of historical flight sims a la "IL-2: Sturmovik“they will turn their noses up in disgust, because everything here is toy-like and not like adults, and casuals will start whining about the excessive complexity (it must be said that the missions in the game are really very difficult, and sometimes even impassable). It’s also bad because “personalists”, by definition, prefer the good old keyboard and mouse duo to ergonomic controllers. And management in Blazing Angels, to put it mildly, not the easiest. Connecting a joypad partly improves the situation, but not completely, and the process of setting up the manipulator only causes an irresistible desire to pack the device back into the box, until better times. By the way, in November"Angels"will also visit PS3 and Wii. It seems that in the versions for these gaming platforms the control will be implemented in a very, very interesting way. No matter what anyone says, joysticks with built-in motion sensors are a powerful thing.
But, putting aside “managerial” problems, let’s move on directly to the analysis of the game itself. As it turned out, the DVD edition (also on sale in a four-disc edition) contains a single campaign of 18 missions, multiplayer and three additional game modes: “mini-campaign”, “arcade” and “air duel”, which are worth dwelling on in a little more detail. The first opens only after completing all the main story missions, which in itself is very, very difficult to do, and provides the opportunity to test your aviation skill in a series of short missions, divided into two types: fighter and bomber. The arcade branch is a very interesting sight. Over a certain period of time, the player will be required to destroy several groups of aircraft – each successfully shot down aircraft slightly extends the time allotted for the task. And finally, a “duel” is nothing more than a single battle with a virtuoso pilot, as well as an excellent opportunity to once again test your gameplay capabilities and nerves, coping not only with a skilled enemy, but also with unruly controls. Each successful match brings one type of alternative “painting” for the plane to the bonus box.
The main mode, of course, should be considered the “campaign”, during which you will take part in the largest battles for the airspace of Europe, the Pacific Ocean and even Africa. All missions are quite long. Their “bloat” is achieved due to a large number of internal tasks. For example, in one of the missions you will be required, first, to destroy a squadron of bombers preparing to destroy a strategically important bridge, then eliminate several columns of armored vehicles, independently bomb the crossing and, finally, give the German ace a hard time. As you progress, the number of targets per mission will rapidly increase.
Control of air vehicles, among which there was even a place for the museum Gloster Gladiator biplane, can be carried out both in the view from the tail and, in fact, from the cockpit. The first camera position allows you to watch a more spectacular action than from behind the helm of a fighter, however, the latter feels more “simulatory”. Sitting comfortably in the pilot’s seat, you can turn your head up, down, right, left and look at the speedometer and roll indicators on the instrument panel. In the arcade form they are completely absent.
Every plane handles differently. In https://superbcasino.uk/ total, the game features 38 variations on the theme of fighters and bombers from the 40s of the last century: Gloster Gladiator, Spitfire, Spitfire V, Seafire, P-40C Warhawk, Hurricane II, Devastator, Dauntless, F4F Wildcat, Avenger, Typhoon, Tempest, Fairey Swordfish, Gloster Meteor, P-39 Airacobra, P-47 Thunderbolt, P-51 Mustang, F4U1 Corsair, F6F Hellcat, Devastator, B-17 Flying Fortress, Me 109E, Me 109G, Me 109K, Me 110C, Me 110E, Me 110G, FW 190A, FW 190D9, Me 262, Ju 87B Stuka, Ju 88, He 111, A6M2 "Zero", Ki-43 Hayabusa, N1KJ Shiden, J2M Raiden, Nakajima Kikka, B5N2 "Kate", D3A "Val".
Contrary to realism and all common sense, all “air fortresses” are equipped with an endless supply of ammunition. And if you can somehow come to terms with endless cartridges for an onboard machine gun, then the process of incessant bombing causes, to put it mildly, a misunderstanding. However, that’s why in the “genre” column Blazing Angels and it says all-permissive "arcade". The bombing itself is also cut out according to pseudo-real patterns – a red sight drags along the ground, slightly ahead of the plane, which you need to focus on. Launching torpedoes looks a little more realistic. Here restrictions on height and distance to the target are already taken into account. In light of these events, it is quite surprising that the game completely lacks a “lifebar” strip – you have to navigate by the appearance of your winged “friend”.
True, the death of a fighter at hand is quite a rare occurrence. Much more often the screen is blocked by the inscription “Game Over” due to the banal lack of time allotted to complete the task. The thing is that the main character, that is, you, is assigned three assistant pilots. Brave Tom – the main defender. His special abilities include the function of calling fire on himself – the character distracts opponents and they attack him for some time, and not their targets, and certainly not you. Frank is a natural hunter of enemy aircraft. Obeys one single order "attack"!", during which he recklessly enters into battle with the specified enemy and his unit. Last on the list of friends and comrades is mechanic Joe. This handy pilot can fix your shabby plane at any time. It tells you a specific sequence of keys that need to be pressed at the right time. Each button used correctly corrects a little mechanical failure. Tapped out the entire combination – you get a completely new unit! Easy and pleasant.
All aircraft in the game are characterized by five parameters: speed, acceleration, maneuverability, weapons, strength. For successfully completing a mission, you receive fresh cars, and the better the level is completed, the nicer the final gifts. However, no one will let you try out bonus planes in single player. Please move to additional modes.
The only thing for Blazing Angels you can gently pat your messy bangs, this is graphics. Still, the Xbox 360 today is capable of generating a breathtakingly beautiful picture. Almost perfect water with a sunny path, amazing effects of smoke, fire, fog, the highest detail of everything and incredibly well-designed cities and towns – a good advertisement for the technical capabilities of “next-gen platforms”. On top of everything else, all this indescribable beauty does not turn into a dreary slide show even with a significant number of objects in the frame. Engine optimization is excellent.
The developers paid a lot of attention to the multiplayer part of the game. Multiplayer is divided into three categories: “solo” – each participant plays for himself, trying to destroy the others; “cooperative mode” – a group of players fights against computer opponents; "group mode" – users unite in teams to confront each other.
Each category, in turn, consists of several modes. In "solo" this is an "aerial battle" – a classic of the genre, a "defmatch" in the air: the player who destroys the largest number of enemies in the allotted time wins; “aces in the sky” – the first player to shoot down an enemy receives the transferable title of ace: in the end, only the planes shot down by the ace are taken into account, and “search and destroy” – here the player needs to destroy as many different enemies as possible: an opponent shot down twice counts for one point, but if a player is incapacitated, then the last destroyed enemy is deducted from his total points.
The cooperative mode features "air combat", "air assault", "bombing", "kamikaze" and "historical missions". "Air Combat" – a simple battle against superior enemy forces. Points here are awarded for the time that a group of players manages to hold out and for downed enemy planes. “Air assault” – within a certain amount of time, players will have to destroy as many enemy aircraft as possible, which are heavy bombers covered by flights of fighters. "Bombardment" – players must destroy enemy bases. Some of the participants are transferred to the cockpits of bombers, and the rest of the pilots cover them at the controls of attack aircraft. "Kamikaze" – players need to protect the base from a wave of suicide pilots. Victory is awarded if, after the allotted time, it is possible to maintain the base. "Historical Quests" – an original campaign that can be played together with other players.
Squadron (group) mode allows you to try your hand at "air combat", "base capture", "bombing" and "kamikaze". Particularly interesting ones worth noting are “base capture” and “kamikaze”. In the first mode, a team of players needs to capture enemy bases (airfields or aircraft carriers). The base is considered captured if the player can hold out on it for ten seconds. In the second, you simply need to destroy the enemy base by crashing your plane into its base.
What do we end up with?? A very good action game with modern graphics, a dull campaign, an arcade physical model and a whole scattering of annoying bugs and shortcomings. PC edition Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII – turned out completely different from what we had the right to expect after the applause of the console version. Typical average guy.
Pros: excellent graphics; vigorous action; interesting multiplayer.
Cons: boring gameplay; inconvenient controls; Dumb AI.