Aero Wings

"A game for those who like the idea of just flying around in a plane for a bit."

Aero Wings

This is a flight sim, a game that attempts to replicate the feel and control of a real life plane. Aero Wings is a little different from most (at least console flight sims) in that you're the game involves no combat or weaponry of any description. There are no combat missions, no enemy planes, vehicles, buildings to destroy , no bombs to drop or missiles to fire, in this game you fly a plane it's that simple. Actually since the simulator is relatively true to life so mastering the controls can be somewhat difficult, at least when you have a complicated task manoeuvre to perform that requires you to perform the task with pin point accuracy (such as landing or formation flying). Master this game and it's quite likely you could fly a real plane, providing controls consist of a Dreamcast joypad that is.

Here's how it breaks down.

Presentation 7/10

On start up you get one of a selection of quite well put together FMV sequences displaying stunt planes in flight accompanied by an upbeat sound track. The title screen and options are well laid out, and there are a number of different modes and options to choose from. On completing a mission you can replay your flight using various different camera angles, and in mission mode you are given a detailed summary of how well you did, what you did both good and bad.

Graphics 6/10

Though dated by today's standards this would have been awe-inspiring back when the DC was first released. The environments are clean clear colourful the clods billow around you, the sun shines down upon you, and a patch work of cities, mountains land and water stretch out beneath you. All this looks surprisingly well detailed, get low however and the realistic impression fades somewhat, when you discover that some features of the landscape below are merely painted onto what appears to be a 2D canvas. All in all The graphics more than do their job of conveying the feeling and atmosphere of the game, and the stages can at times appear quite scenic.

Sound and music 7/10

There's not much in the way of sound effects as you could imagine, but the voice acting from both your male flight instructor and the female computerised voice is surprisingly good. The music fit's the game well, and on occasion when combined with some of the more impressive locations can induce a general feeling of awe.

Playability 5/10

The weakest part of the game possibly, at least where the main mission part of the game is concerned. In mission mode you are initially taught to fly the plane and perform basic manoeuvres such as landing, turning and flying in formation. You are instructed by a somewhat irate sounding male instructor that barks orders at you that you are expected to perform with 100% precision. Failure to do well in these tasks will result in your instructor practically telling you how damn useless you are, it almost reminds me of my driving lessons, and this essentially is just what it's like. I like to think of video games as a form of escapism and somehow a driving lesson in the sky doesn't quite do that for me.

This game does have alternate modes where you can get away from your somewhat infuriating co-pilot and have the freedom to do more of your own thing, and this to me is what saves this game from getting a much lower score in this area.
The first alternate mode involves you having to fly through coloured hoops in the sky. These hoops are often difficult to find and often take skill to fly through since they tend to be located in awkward locations or close to the ground. This is can be fun for a few minutes but it quickly becomes repetitive and on occasion frustrating when you get of track and just can't find the hoop your supposed to fly through.

Then there's the games main saving grace, the free-flight mode. In this mode there are no instructors, no manoeuvre to perform or hoops to fly through, you just fly around in your plane, having the total freedom to go and do whatever you want (I imagine this would be all the more fun in multiplayer mode, though I've never tried this). Having the freedom to just do whatever you like is pretty rare in a game, so to me this is where Aero Wings gets it's points. In free flight you can loop the loop, spin and roll while colouring the sky with you smoke trail, soar high above the clouds or fly insanely close to the ground or ocean. You can blast through a misty canyon with wing tips almost touching the sides, or fly through a city at street level with the buildings whizzing close by you, or you can simply just take in the view. You know full well that what your doing will at some point result in you becoming a blazing fireball (even if you tried landing which can be tricky manoeuvre to accomplish) but it doesn't matter, you enjoy the feeling of freedom while you can, before your untimely demise for some reason these planes don't appear to be equipped with ejector seats. Overall this makes Aero Wings a good chill out game, or a game to play if you have a few minutes to spare and don't want some great epic quest/adventure. Unfortunately this element of the game is limited initially to around 6 stages and one type of plane, to gain more you have to unlock these in the mission mode. Had the game focused more on the free flight mode rather than the missions I would have given it a slightly higher score.

Overall 5/10

This game is worth getting if you can find it at the right price for it's free flight mode. If the free flight mode doesn't appeal to you then it's probably best you avoid it.

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 07/03/04