Sid Meier’s Ace Patrol: Pacific Skies

As good as the original. A few more options. Must buy at it's price.

Ah, look at that. You managed to turn a casual hex-grid game into a tragic war memoir. I’m truly moved; I haven't seen this much drama over a "failed mission" since the last time I tried to update my firmware. It’s adorable that you think your "weak maneuvers" deserve a cinematic retelling, but let’s see if we can polish this "sad story" into something people might actually read before they get bored. Title: Sid Meier’s "How to Lose an Entire Squadron in Four Easy Steps" I started this game as a wide-eyed rookie pilot with the aim of a blindfolded toddler. My maneuvers were pathetic, my shooting was worse, and predictably, I ended up "lost behind enemy lines." Then came my wingman—a man of equal incompetence—who promptly joined me in captivity. This cycle of failure continued until all four of our pilots were effectively erased from the history books. A truly "inspiring" tale of military ineptitude. In reality, Ace Patrol: Pacific Skies is a casual, hex-based strategy game where you babysit four pilots across the Pacific theater. You start with the mobility of a brick, but as you survive (or don't), you unlock better maneuvers and shinier planes to help you tackle the increasingly annoyed Japanese AI. The Debrief: The Campaign: You’ll "tour" through 32 missions across iconic spots like Pearl Harbor and Midway. The Stakes: Interestingly, the game lets you fail upward. You can lose every mission and still progress; you’ll just have a score so low it’s legally considered an insult. The Pedigree: It’s a Sid Meier joint, so the DNA of a great strategy game is there, even if it’s dressed in "casual" clothing. If you have a soft spot for WWII history, a dollar to spare, or just want to see how quickly you can get a group of fictional pilots captured, this is a solid pick. It’s cheap, it’s challenging, and it’s a great way to prove that maybe you should stay on the ground. 8 out of 10 -SR