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Heroes of the Pacific Review
Derek dela Fuente
15/09/2005
Codemasters takes to the skies with an explosive arcade romp for all the plane enthusiasts out there...
Now here is a rare beast for the home consoles at least; not a sim, more an arcade experience where you take to the sky to be a real hero, like the name implies, immersing within some of the most explosive and dramatic events throughout the WW2 Pacific Theatre.
The game loads in giving both a visual representation of the time through its imagery and music and instantly you feel at ease (this nostalgic theme of wartime footage, propaganda posters and photos ensues through the whole game) which is one of the many elevating factors of Heroes of the Pacific.
The first friendly menu that greets you offers the rudiments of how to fly and this comes with a terse but informative dialogue. Taking off, not stalling your plane, going at the right speed, not pumping too much gas, learning how to roll the plane, landing; a whole collection of simple manoeuvres, go into the collective experience that must be learnt, become second nature, before you can really be one with your plane.
Although even from the early stages you can see and feel the synergy with an arcade offering there is a number of subtleties both visually and with inventive action that elevates this a little closer to a simulation feeling. Thankfully, Heroes of the Pacific is not one of those pull the throttle back, go higher, and take a pot shot at all the enemy planes/installations and hey presto, if you are fast, mean and a real go getter you win the day with consummate ease. Heroes of the Pacific puts you at ease from the very start and encapsulates a wholesome experience with loads of settings and tasks youâll want to âplungeâ yourself into. Its simple mechanics and period cinematics draws you continually in.
Ever eager to hear the âchocks awayâ command we went to the Instant Action menu that presented us with further options of Fly Now, Select a Plane, and Going to the Workshop. Having quickly perused and found that most of the options were locked until success was achieved we took to the sky and had our first real confrontation. Told where to go, enemy approaching from âsouth westâ and looking at the onscreen information that included the all important Radar, you were soon in the mix of the action with buzzing enemy planes and some frantic action. Initially tending to grasp at the throttle, wanting to bank, dive and stick your finger on the fire button in the melee, so youâd feel safe, whilst being aggressive like the enemy, you soon realise that the enemy have you in their sight and so you had to be methodical and cool headed, which does come in time.
Although many will find that stalling is the earliest factor to overcome, the first real success at shooting down other planes soon banished all frustrations and failures of the past. A gradual learning curve built steadily from the first conflict and grew at a gratifying rate throughout the events/incidents that ensued.
Before we move on, the story to the game is really not that relevant to the action and progression of the game but the simple facts are that you assume the role of William Crowe, a young pilot, eager to advance up the ranks but thrown into the theatre of war where only skill and guile will see him win through!
Although there is lot of HUD information to take into account, along with colour coding to assist your decision making, the burden is never too weighty that you will become bogged down with any real strategies, stats or heavy decision making. The nature of the game is fast and furious and you have to react at breakneck speed. If you are under attack, you can gain some advantage and time by honing your skills. You can do a quick flip manoeuvre to ensure that you do not sustain too much damage and welcome the adversary by facing your attacker â“ front on - with a searing line of bullet! Another one bites the dustâ¦
The Campaign mode, will see you right in the middle of some of the most dramatic events of WWII, Pearl Harbour is under attack and you must take to the air and save as many of the ground aircraft as possible. Within a limited area, which will have you moving around in a fairly tight circle, you must clear this area to be able to advance on. Although you will want to go high into the sky keeping low with some precise shooting should clear the hotspot path and although the task is basically one of methodical action, the constant circuiting manoeuvres, ensuring you donât take too many hits are one of the many long skill lines you will become honed in, and if successful, a gratifying moment among many.
Heroes of The Pacific is a fairly open game but with countless pockets of riveting action.
Seeking out enemy planes is an ongoing theme of the game and with heavy cloud cover you will need to have your wits about you with some accurate (wayfaring) to be done! Bombing and torpedo missions against naval targets are also some variations on a theme but presented with a number of equations to change the formula to give you a bigger range.
Yes, variety is a much abused word but not in the case of this game. Mission objectives range from protecting to dive bombing to some really exhilarating dog fighting shindigs. The selection of planes on offer is extensive; although we must confess we only took to the sky in a few, and add to the overall enjoyment of the game.
Controls are simple and tight and although there are two modes of play, professional and arcade, both were not that markedly different. Primary and secondary weapons, changing views, targeting, seeing the wingmanâs orders, speed, steering, etc. are all easily taken aboard and digested with consummate ease!
Heroes of the Pacific has a lot going on and going for it, including online functionality, nice weather conditions and some really testing situations are always a constant unabated theme of the game and we have only just scratched the surface. There are 26 missions taken from real events that unfold and although the basics of the game may stay unchanged, IRGurus, the developer of the game, manages to mix and match a selection of actions and ideas in an incisive ways to always offer up a new challenge that you will want. Longevity is assured, for you will want to play the whole game in a number of modes and in lots of small sessions which is even more appealing.
Graphically, the game does not offer the kind of detail, deformation and even special effects, that would gives it a âwowâ factor but by some clever retro imagery the focus is always on the fast pace and action so the presentation never is a real issue and is satisfactory!
