Ace Pilot Europe

[h3]RANKING:[/h3] [table] [tr] [td] [h3][strike]AVOID[/strike] | [b]LACKING[/b] | [strike]MAYBE | WORTHWHILE | COMPELLING | UNMISSABLE [/strike] [/h3] [/td] [/tr] [/table] [h3]SYNOPSIS:[/h3] [table] [tr] [th][b]WHAT TO EXPECT:[/b][/th] [/tr] [tr] [td] Ace Pilot Europe (APE) is an arcade style of aerial themed warfare set in World War II. Fought over a mix of territories the player controls a number of Allied aircraft with the aim of completing a variety of scripted missions with certain objectives including: dogfighting, bombing and dropping parachutes across 10x missions. Single-player only [/td] [/tr] [/table] [table] [tr] [td][b]STATUS:[/b][/td] [td]Released and currently supported [/td] [/tr] [tr] [td][b]AUDIENCE:[/b][/td] [td]For fans of WWII themed flash-styled games [/td] [/tr] [tr] [td][b]VALUE FOR MONEY:[/b][/td] [td]For those of us who played flash games it's current full price is always going to be too expensive [/td] [/tr] [tr] [td][b]REVIEWED USING:[/b][/td] [td][b][/b]Intel i5 6600 3.3GHz, 8GB RAM, GTX970 @ 1GB 1920x1080 windowed, EVO850 SSD [/td] [/tr] [/table] [quote]Follow [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32732116-IndieGems/]IndieGems[/url] for more reviews like this one.[/quote] [i]More info below....[/i] [h3]OBSERVATIONS:[/h3] [table] [tr] [td][b]THE GOOD:[/b] [/td] [td] [b]▲ GAMEPLAY:[/b] Its very simple, with some addictive qualities that a good clicker game would have [b]▲ MISSIONS:[/b] A decent mix of mission types, but all are essentially a variation on a theme [b]▲ DEPLETED SCORING:[/b] The points tally is deducted with missed shots, to stop spamming, thus introducing a welcome element of skill to its frantic nature [b]▲ GAME COMPLETION:[/b] Displays some pretty aircraft schematics which are a nice touch [/td] [/tr] [tr] [td][b]THE BAD:[/b][/td] [td] [b]▼ LOADING PROBLEMS:[/b] If the game is not left to load properly it will start in windowed mode which will impact controls and menu choices and end up requiring a restart [b]▼ CONTROLS:[/b] Selecting fighters and moving them around the map is a chore. Could do with controller support. Aircraft should not be able to move backwards [b]▼ HEALTH MISMATCH:[/b] Multi engine aircraft do not update their visually indicated damage conditions when picking up some health power-ups [b]▼ GUI ISSUES:[/b] Sometimes difficult to see bullets being fired by both sides and some mission targets. For some reason the M on the menu screen (esc) does not do anything [b]▼ FRIENDLY AIRCRAFT:[/b] Would have liked to have seen AI controlled friendly aircraft auto-fire or make evasive manoeuvres if about to be hit. [b]▼ ITS A FLASH GAME:[/b] The sort of experience you could have got for free twenty years ago [b]▼ SETTINGS: [/b] Its a rudimentary game and there are none [/td] [/tr] [tr] [td][b]AND THE REST:[/b][/td] [td] [b]= AIRCRAFT TYPES:[/b] The differences in aircraft would be more noticeable if there were distinct differences between each one, but these mechanics have not been implemented [b]= MECHANICS:[/b] Possesses some good ones, but is missing too many which would make a better game especially those of a semi-realistic nature [b]= NO SAVING:[/b] Cannot save, but can restart new games from the furthest level reached [b]= FAIR AUDIO:[/b] Music sounds original and captures the action well, though not WWII themed [b]= GAME INFO:[/b] Small knowledgebase is available of the aircraft included and used within the game [b]= STEAM SUPPORT:[/b] No overlay or cloud saves. Does have a good number of achievements [/td] [/tr] [/table] [h3]FINDINGS:[/h3] [b]GAMEPLAY[/b] > Core gameplay is somewhat fun and possesses a modicum of strategy in the way aircraft have to be preserved during a level. > The range of missions is fair and with some imagination the key aspects from these could be combined to create a lot more levels than there currently are. > It needs more combat mechanics which would make the experience more involving. With so few, gameplay is rather one dimensional and very repetitive. > The mix of aircraft that can be flown and the enemy targets ensure a degree of variety to levels. > Controls for bombers are deliberately imprecise in order to ensure targeting is not an easy task. Controls for selecting and moving fighter planes on the other hand are jerky at times and unresponsive > The addition of historical information provides some easily accessible and interesting information. While the aircraft schematics are nice, they would be better served used in game. Perhaps with an aircraft selection screen pre-mission. > In missions with fighters I can't see why the AI does not shoot enemies that pass its line of sight or have the AI attempt to avoid enemy fire automatically when it can. [b]ISSUES[/b] > Issues with controlling fighter aircraft can make it frustrating at times. > Better aircraft animations to reflect more realistic aerial behaviour would be welcome. > The game must be loaded up in full screen or there will be problems playing it in windowed mode which is unsupported. > Its looks and feels like a flash game that some older gamers will remember playing for free a few decades ago. If it could be transferred into a bon-a-fide game engine or the visuals made better then it would command stronger attention. [b]BALANCE vs DIFFICULTY[/b] > Completed on Normal difficulty which took four sessions of about 1-1.5 hours each. > The only difficulty is in making too many mistakes and taking too much damage which loses a life. Some levels have health pick-ups that allow damage to be managed for long stretches. > Given that the game can be restarted on the last level the player progressed to, completion should not be a difficult exercise. [b]REPLAYABILITY vs LONGEVITY[/b] > Levels are scripted and the only basis for continued gameplay are the achievements. These are straightforward and a good mix, providing some motivation for playing and finishing the game. > Some longevity and replayability is gained from trying to get the best score possible by not spamming shots or bombs. This aspect is missing the leader-boards that would best serve its cause. > Adding some sort of level generator especially where mission targets are concerned would keep the game a lot fresher. [td][b]ENJOYMENT[/b] > Actually - YES. The core idea is good and the WWII theme and subject matter could be appealing to the right gamer. Gameplay needs a few extra layers to make it a little deeper and reduce its repetitive nature. Perhaps a role-playing aspect to resources or allowing aircraft to be upgraded somehow. [h3]VERDICT:[/h3] APE delivers some basic tactical point-and-click fun. However, it is very much a rudimentary title with the hallmarks of a flash game. Given its simplicity, its visuals need to be of a higher calibre and the game's mechanics need to be added to. In addition the GUI and controls could do with adjustment and the problem with initial loading needs sorting. Its not terrible, but its definitely [b]LACKING[/b] in several areas, not least its price. Yet there is a nugget of potential here that if the developer invests in, could actually become a decent game. 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