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Eurofighter Typhoon

Score: 90%
ESRB: Everyone
Publisher: Take 2 Interactive
Developer: Rage
Media: CD/1
Players: 1 - 8
Genre: Miscellaneous

Graphics & Sound:

For a flight sim, Eurofighter Typhoon's graphics are well above par. Every object in the game is modeled with good detail, including the ground units that you hardly ever see. The water effects, though probably not suited for a boating game, do well here and don't hurt the eyes. The clouds look a little too picturesque at times, but all in all they're not bad.

The audio, on the other hand, could have used some work. Hearing voices over your radio is like listening to a scratched record, causing you to miss vital information sometimes. Your weapons sound alright, but they lack the loud roars that make the sounds of military weaponry so formidable. On the other hand, the music is not bad at all. At key moments of the action, it will come on and accentuate the current mood, which is usually during a hectic battle.


Gameplay:

Eurofighter Typhoon takes a step away from the direction of ordinary flight sims. You are given the task of taking six different Typhoon pilots and using them to defend the shores of Iceland from the invading Russians. Each pilot has their own skills and tactics, so stacking the deck with pilots who all have the same skills could hurt you later.

Your pilots are your lifeline in this game. If one gets shot down, depending on their survival skills and where they land will determine if they make it back or not. Needless to say, the cold waters off the Icelandic coast are pretty unforgiving. If they are even more unfortunate and land over enemy territory, you can only hope they survive the interrogation long enough for an SAS team to get them out.

Eurofighter Typhoon is completely done in real time. You have to defend the small island while a war rages on around you. This is where the game greatly differs from other flight sims. The campaign system generates missions for your pilots on the fly, in reaction to the events that go on around you. Though the world situation is scripted, the real time missions are not, and letting an invasion force land could determine if you lose the war or not.

The only other mode of play is Multiplayer, which allows up to eight people to take on a handful of missions, both co-op and deathmatch. The Multiplayer mode also doubles as a quick mission mode, as you don't have to have other people playing. Instead, you can take on the missions yourself if you so choose.


Difficulty:

Flight sims are flight sims, and Eurofighter Typhoon is not an easy one. Though all the actual ingredients of a basic flight sim are easier than most, the difficulty lies in trying to manage a small war on a remote island. Some missions are more important than others, and trying to figure out which one is worth your time while you're constantly switching back and forth between six airborne pilots isn't a simple task. Flight sim fans who are looking for something that offers a lot more than what they're used to will definitely want to check this out, and so will anyone else who is looking for a fresh new idea in the genre. Just hold on tight, because it won't be an easy ride.

Game Mechanics:

All the basics of a flight sim are present here. A joystick is well worth the money if you own this game, as it will better immerse you in the action than the keyboard. The hat trigger is a must, as it will give you complete control of your view forward of the cockpit. Even a joystick with only a few extra buttons will increase the value of this game exponentially.

Aside from actually flying the aircraft, you're going to have to manage the equipment of the planes and your pilots themselves. By using a map, you can move your pilots around to any of the many different airbases, depending on how you view their safety given the current situation. As the game progresses in real time, your pilots will be briefed on their missions. At the bottom of the screen is a panel with your six different pilots on it. Clicking on a pilot will give you access to whatever they are doing at the moment, whether it is sitting around in the mess hall or dog fighting at thirty thousand feet. And yes, at times you'll have to let your other pilots fight for themselves as you control the one you think needs help the most. This is where the characteristics of each pilot comes into play, as they will determine their actions when left alone.

The layout of the game might be slightly overwhelming to some at first, but it is all put together quite nicely, making it relatively easy to get used to. Eurofighter Typhoon breathes new life into an old genre that hasn't had a good makeover in a while. Jaded gamers take heed, as this game might be just what you're looking for.


-Snow Chainz, GameVortex Communications
AKA Andrew Horwitz

Minimum System Requirements:



266 MHz Processor, DirectX 7 Compatible 3D Graphics Card, 2X CD-Rom, 350 BM Hard Disk Space, Windows 95/98/ME/2K, 64 MB RAM
 

Test System:



Windows 98, 1.4GHz AMD Athlon, GeForce 2 mx 32MB video card, 40 gig hard drive, 56x CD-ROM, 256MB DDR Ram, Sound Blaster Live! sound card, T1 Internet connection

Windows Etherlords II Windows EVE Online

 
Game Vortex :: PSIllustrated