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Wings of War

Score: 72%
ESRB: Teen
Publisher: Gathering
Developer: Southpeak Interactive
Media: DVD/1
Players: 1
Genre: Flight/ Simulation/ Arcade

Graphics & Sound:

Artistically, Silver Wish Games’ Wings of War is a mixed bag of candy. Everything present in the game is extremely low-poly, which gives the game a bit of an unfinished feel. But when viewing from high in the sky, the terrain and the graphics that make it up really look nice. Unfortunately, one major concern I had was that the text that appears on-screen could have used some sort of background, because it was very hard to read at times. This was especially true for the subtitles.

And speaking of subtitles, it’s a good thing they are present, because trying to understand the voiceover work is next to impossible. The developer was going for a radio-transmitted feel, but unfortunately ended up with inaudible garble. Even with the sound effects turned completely off, this voiceover work is horrendously delivered. Fortunately, the sound effects come through shining, even if they are your basic gunplay and propeller noises.


Gameplay:

Wings of War puts you in the pilot seat of many World War I aircraft, but this isn’t exactly a simulation by any means. You see, each plane is equipped with unlimited rounds of bullets, and a ridiculous amount of bombs and missiles/rockets. Oh, and don’t forget the power-ups! Think of Wings of War as a hybrid between real-world history and present-day warfare, with a twist of video game elements that add to the fun. In fact, the game almost has a Toy Commander (Dreamcast) feel to it, only based on outdoor worlds with full-sized planes.

Wings of War is a relatively straightforward game. Everything in the game is skin deep, so don’t look for much in the way of extras. The meat and potatoes of Wings of War lies within the Campaign Mode, which consists of many mission-based objectives. If missions aren’t your cup of tea, you can get into the Instant Action that is Death Match or Team Death Match. While these modes can be fun (but very hard!), it’s lacking one very important thing... multiplayer! Wings of War is strictly a single-player game, which is very unfortunate. The only other mode really isn’t a mode at all; instead, it is more like a gallery. Choosing Hanger will allow you to view all of the aircraft that you’ve come across in Campaign Mode. The cool part is that it is here where you choose which aircraft you will use within the Instant Action Mode.

Campaign Mode consists of 70 missions divided into 13 different levels. What this means is that gamers will have hours of combat ahead of them within Wings of War. The length of the missions is dependant on the mission itself, but with all of the missions combined, playing the levels will likely take a couple of hours each. The main reason for this is that some missions require you to find certain places within the landscape; others have the enemy A.I. shooting you down somewhat easily. Either way, expect to re-play a lot of missions because there is also a time limit to keep in mind.


Difficulty:

Like its graphics, Wings of War has a huge range in the difficulty department. Within the Campaign, accomplishing missions gets harder and harder as you progress. But, as soon as you attempt to play either of the Death Matches, prepare to get a lesson in flight school. Overall, however, the hardest thing to overcome is just finding good routes to get to your goals.

Game Mechanics:

Wings of War’s controller layout is accomplished, but at times can get a bit hairy. Since the game allows you to pilot the aircraft, zoom in on a target, or switch to a gunner’s or bomber’s/photographer’s view, sometimes hitting the correct buttons at the correct time can be confusing. With a little practice, however, this becomes second nature. I only wish that when switching from normal to a bomber’s view, the weapon of choice would also switch from rockets to bombs.

With a $20 price tag (USD), Wings of War is a pretty solid game, but a bit repetitive as well. For those that are seeking a historical simulator, turn the other cheek. But gamers looking for another take on a shooting gallery for planes may just want to check out Wings of War. It is definitely worth a rent at your local video store.

PLEASE NOTE: There is an apparent problem with currently shipped discs of Wings of War. Both the copy we received to review, and a replacement rented from a video store, were damaged and caused a Dirty Disc error on the Xbox. If your disc has a cloudy, damaged look to its data side, you may want to exchange it at the store where it was purchased before your timeframe to do so runs out.


-Woody, GameVortex Communications
AKA Shane Wodele

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