Review by Drakkenstrike

Contrary to the Final Review Score, the brief time spent with Blazing Angels was actually fairly enjoyable. Although much was left to be desired in terms of overall content, the basic flight controls and gameplay mechanics were quite solid. With expectations high for next generation console games, Blazing Angels simply does not have the legs needed for repeated visits.

Gameplay
Blazing Angels puts you in control of an American Pilot during several key moments of WWII, including Midway, D-Day, Bastogne and Pearl Harbor. During the course of the 18 mission single player campaign, players will participate in numerous bombing runs, aerial dogfights and reconnaissance missions along with the help of up to three other CPU controlled wingmen, all of which can be given rudimentary commands using the D-Pad. The controls definitely have a bit of a learning curve for novice airmen, but with about an hour of time and patience, most players should become at least moderately comfortable with the 360 degrees of space around ones fighter, as well as the lock on command that is essential to becoming a better pilot. One of the more glaring omissions from the title is the abscence of the widely used cockpit cam, removing all sense of realism that is accomplished by putting oneself behind the controls. To some, the third person chase view will suffice, but to those looking for a more encompassing experience and sensation of flight may be disappointed. Blazing Angels offers 5 different games types, including the aforementioned Campaign, as well as Multiplayer, Survivor, Ace Duels and finally a small bonus campaign that can only be unlocked once one has finished the main storyline.

Graphics
The graphics are at times brilliant, especially during the Paris and Midway/Pacific levels, where the city landscapes and aerial sun flares look spectacular from a distance. At other times, the game looks very akin to a first generation Playstation title with buildings and textures that look appalling up close , most notable during take offs where people are represented by Atari looking sprites. Blazing Angels definitely walks a fine line between the generations of consoles, yet when it does something well, it does it to an extreme.

Sound
The sound design is excellent as well, including thunderous explosions, consistent rattling of machine gun fire and the roar of squadrons zipping all around your fighter. The real drawback of the aureal experience comes with the in-game chatter done by your wingmen and opposing fighters, which technically sounds good, but has ridiculously childish dialogue that does not match well with the WWII setting. All other periphery sounds are uniform with what is expected in the tumultuous realm of WWII gaming material, resulting in a sound collection that rivals most in its genre.

Multiplayer
Multiplayer is very enjoyable, and offers just enough modes of play to really make this portion of the game its best aspect. Unfortunately, after three matches, and only finding two other players online, I was back to playing some of the more widely played Xbox Live titles available. One can only imagine that within a month’s time, the user base will be almost non-existent if you are looking for large scale aerial dogfights, let alone a simple head-to-head match with a random opponent. What can arguably be considered one of the games greatest strengths ultimately becomes one of its most overlooked opportunities.

Achievements
Although only seven achievements are available, they definitely represent a moderate challenge to those who do not spend time learning all the nuances of the flight controls. The game does force you to at least complete the game once before a single achievement is unlocked, something that may steer the casual gamer off course. Playing through some of the longer modes may also pose an issue to some, namely the “Survivor” achievement which forces you to fly each plane (thirty total) through three waves of fighters (with twelve fighters in each wave). That’s just over nine hundred planes you have to shoot down in one mode, which can take anywhere from about four hours plus to complete. Even a month since its release, only 131 people have finished all seven achievements, which is definitely a testament to the challenging nature of this game.

Lasting Appeal
Once all the achievements are accomplished, Blazing Angels presents almost zero replay value. Everything that could possibly draw a player back into its good graces is done so in ones route to accomplishing all the games achievements. Once completed, there is no replay value found outside its Multiplayer options. Unless this is your genre of game, Blazing Angels will most likely be played through once by the casual gamer then forgotten.

Final Score

• Moderately Challenging Achievements
• Excellent Eye Candy in Some Levels
• Some Enjoyable Multiplayer Modes

• Repetitive Gameplay
• Mediocre Graphics in Some Levels
• Tacked on Storyline
• Small Multiplayer User Base

Note: A rating scale of 0 - 10 is used, with 10 being the highest a game can score while 0 is the absolute worst. Each category has a point value associated with it and a final score is displayed at the end of the review. The opinions expressed in this review are not necessarily the opinions held by the owners of www.achieve360points.com.