Sep 09, 2:56 pm
I never really got into Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII. Every few years I’ll really get into a flight sim/action game (like F-22 Interceptor on the Megadrive), but it’s not a genre I actively seek out. However, I figured I’d give the Blazing Angels sequel - Secret Missions of World War II - a go.
And I’m glad I did. Now, first of all, this is not a flight simulator, nor a walking history book of World War II. It’s a fun, action flight game where a group of four elite pilots take on the kind of secret missions you won’t read about in the history books (unless you consider the likes of Hunt For Zero Point to be history books). And I think it uses its freedom for creativity well. The developers have clearly tried to make each single player mission as varied as possible - sometimes you’ll be escorting a train through enemy territory, other times you’ll be navigating tiny ravines avoiding search lights, and another you’re taking out missiles and submarines before landing on a narrow stretch of runway. I finished the game today (after about a week’s play) and can honestly say that no two missions have been the same.
For each enemy you or your wingmen take out, and each objective you complete, you earn points. Points go towards purchasing technological advancements for your planes. These advances can range to anything from improving your stall flaps (meaning you can fly slower - useful when trying to get behind enemy planes) to giving yourself capacity for more ammunition. Some of these advancements can be pretty important (I highly recommend a purchasing as many as possible before you attempt Red Square!) Others just make cruising through a sky of gunfire just that tiny bit easier. Sure, it’s never going to match the highly-detailed tweaking of Forza Motorsport 2, but it is a nice addition.
The epic music reminds me of Brothers in Arms, and the graphics are certainly a big improvement over BA1 - with a real sense of scale and style. BA1’s lead format was the old Xbox, whereas BA2 was developed purely for next-gen. Some of the levels are rather beautiful - Burma where you steal a couple of experimental planes in the midst of Rangoon’s evactuation, zipping around the Shwedagon Pagoda and so on, or China where you’re skimming through a network of twisting river valleys under radar-range taking out factories - particularly stand out.
My favourite part of Blazing Angels 2 however, is the story. BA2 has made a far bigger effort to make the player involved in the story this time around, and for the most part it suceeds. Sure, some of the dubbing is still a little excessive, but I genuinely began to care about my character and his crew - including the handy engineer Milo, the headstrong Cowboy, and the reliable Teach. There’s also a bunch of side characters who pop in and out, such as the sexy-but-stern lady spy Emily and her German squeeze Max. These characters often shape key events within the game itself, but they also pop up in quirky comic-book style cut-scenes that play out between missions. I’d love to see what the Blazing Angels 2 development team look like, because - going by the hairstyles - I swear it’s them running around with over-sized sunglasses and silly hats. It’s like Amped 3 all over again!
Sure, there are a couple of issues that haven’t been totally ironed out from the first installment - the controls could still do with a little tweaking, and the less patient player could become agitated by the occasional lack of guidance in a tricky mission. However, overall I think number two has come on in leaps and bounds. There’s also multiplayer and co-op modes to sink your teeth into - I’ve given this a brief try and the modes seem solid and well thought through.
So if you weren’t impressing by BA1 or weren’t set aflight by the BA2 demo (do you see what I did there?), I really encourage you to give the game a try ... If only so I can gloat when you come to me begging for help on defending Red Square. Ha ha!
If you haven’t got time to rush out and buy it, why not try out the Girls of Blazing Angels 2 mini game? The longer you keep in your plane in the air, the more the girls of Blazing Angels will, er, strip! Yes, I kid you not. I reached 75 seconds and got a girl down to her knickers, but sadly I was rather distracted after that point and got myself killed. Hmm…
