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Heroes of the Pacific
Score: 86%
ESRB: Teen
Publisher: Ubisoft Entertainment
Developer: IR Gurus Interactive
Media: DVD/1
Players: 1 - 2
Genre: Flight/ Action/ Simulation

Graphics & Sound:
Heroes of the Pacific is brought to us from flight sim experts Ubisoft ( of IL-2 Sturmovik fame) and the accomplished IR Gurus. This title blends arcade flight elements with historical WWII locations and planes. The PS2 library doesn’t have too many of these games (the Ace Combat series comes to mind), and it’s a welcome addition indeed.

Graphically, nothing will blow you away. However, the aircraft really look dead on and do a great job of showing the flair of the designs of the time like the twin-engine Lighting to the stubby, yet deadly, Mustang. Also, the various art jobs, such as the classic jagged teeth look, add some character to your reliable aircraft. The terrain, like most flight games, isn’t the most detailed, but at least they included the actual island chains we fought over. This really isn’t so bad, as you’re flying thousands of feet above it anyways. Thankfully, the devs took this into consideration and really made some sexy Cumulous-nimbus clouds to zip in and around. Also worthy of mention is the motion-blur effect as you initiate your “burst” maneuver, sort of like an airborne version of hitting the nitro. Lastly, the war movie menus and other memorabilia really help to show the huge propaganda machine of the WWII era.

The sound department is also pretty solid, especially in regards to the musical score which is a sweeping, resounding collection of orchestral work. This is matched up with constant radio chatter, as your wing mates get blitzed from every angle or when you too have a bogey on your six. Balancing out the growing crescendo of sound are the hearty amount of engine whines, explosions, clatter of machine guns, and so on.


Gameplay:
You take to the skies as Lieutenant Crowe, who is thrust into war after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Much like Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault, your baptism-by-fire comes on this tragic Sunday morning as you frantically try and defend the naval base against overwhelming odds. Not only is the fleet crippled, but your brother has also died in the attack, making your purpose tinted with revenge.

From here, you can follow Crowe through a Campaign mode, along the way outfitting your collection of planes, from massive bombers to nimble fighters. Each aircraft is ideally suited for a particular mission, and it’s up to you to choose correctly. Thankfully, IR Gurus included a nifty crosshairs that turns red when you’re aligned with your guns on enemies, taking a bit of the guesswork out of adjusting for speed, range, etc. One thing I really love is the fact you can pilot the big ‘ol bombers of the day and have your A.I. control the guns bristling all over the craft. The thing may handle like a pig, but it can do some serious damage – and take it too. This helped to change up the dogfight-intensive gameplay, as it’s all about getting lined up for the bombing runs. You peer through the little telescope/crosshairs at your target below, not unlike the real thing, albeit vastly simplified. Best of all, you won’t run out of stuff to drop... or shoot for that matter. Not to mention the fact you auto-land and seem to have an invisible re-supply line of fuel, so check those off the list as well. Unlimited everything rawks! Your HUD displays all manner of important details like radar, objectives, wingmen, friendly units, all color coded to help out a bit in the ensuing chaos, exacerbated by many a timed mission.

There are also Instant Action and Historical modes for the gamer lacking a serious time commitment. Adding to the single-player elements is a dash of multiplayer action. Team Deathmatch, Deathmatch, and Capture the Flag are all here, even a mode where you have to blow up the other team’s carrier.


Difficulty:
Since Heroes of the Pacific is an arcade game through and through, it’s pretty easy to get into, master the controls, and whoop some tail in no time. Couple that with unlimited ammo, fuel, a simplified aiming/bombing system, four difficulty levels, and five training missions, and it’s a snap to play. However, there are a few hectic moments. When you are tasked to take out a certain target in a limited amount of time, all the while enemy planes are circling you like sharks smelling blood in the water, and flack tears apart the heavens, things can get a bit dicey.

Game Mechanics:
The default controls are actually more of a simulation, or realistic approach, requiring more dexterity in the fingers and a bit more awareness. You can do some nifty maneuvers after awhile, something that comes in handier than streamlined controls. For those looking for even simpler controls, you can set it to Arcade where only one analog stick is needed for most of the action, but I advise against it. The controls are pretty responsive and the camera never really presents an issue; all around some excellent mechanics.

Heroes of the Pacific is a solid combination of harrowing action, historical depth (read: 35 planes/historic battles), and flexible playability, something not seen much these days. Ubisoft once again pulls together a top-notch crew and product for Xbox, PS2, and PC owners. While it may not please the most hard-core of sim fans, this title will more than make an ace of the casual gamer.


-Tybo, GameVortex Communications
AKA Tyler Whitney

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