However, missions themselves are rather dynamic. I suppose it’ll get the job done, but let’s admit it, no one will be playing this game for the plot. While flight simulators don’t exactly offer in-depth plots, Apache: Air Assault tells the story of three different Apache crews working for a fictional UN military organization fighting insurgents across the world. However, certain parts, like the rotor blades, cannot be taken out without bad things happening. One impressive feature is how the helicopters handle variations of damage, such as flying with a damaged engine at the expense of mobility. There is a lot of flexibility with these vehicles, and it’s going to require a minor learning curve even for those players who are comfortable with flight simulators. Dodging missiles is as easy as dropping altitude, yet to gain speed, the player must dive the Apache downward then swing up, much like a glider. These abilities range from hovering to shooting techniques. Helicopters unsurprisingly have special abilities, and Apache pilots will be able to maneuver these machines vertically and nearly upside down, for example.
Compared to airplanes, these machines need a wider turning radius, can obviously hover, and generally function in a manner very different from other flight simulators. While only major helicopter nerds will know the variations by name alone, players will find that each one controls and functions differently. The helicopters themselves are all Apache brand choppers: the Apache AH-64D Longbow, Apache AH-1, Apache AH-64X Experimental Prototype, MQ-8B Fire Scout, and Mi-35 Hind. For players who really love helicopter action, there is finally Veteran Mode, offering only one life and finite ammo. For a greater challenge, there is Realistic Mode, in which players have only three lives. While it restricts you from performing certain helicopter actions, it does let players go through the entire campaign without too much difficulty. Thankfully, publisher Activision and Gaijin Entertainment have added variations of difficulty to make the game more enjoyable to different audiences.įor those who would rather get in the chopper and not worry about technical maneuvers or careful flight techniques, there is the Training Mode. While military simulations are always popular, they have a tendency to alienate more casual users by not offering the right sort of experience to appeal to everyone. To be clear, usually these sorts of titles appeal to a specific fanbase. Hit the jump for my impressions.Īpache: Air Assault (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360) Helicopters offer a whole bundle of dynamic options over jet planes and dog fighting, so there has to be a little special attention placed upon the game before it launches November 16.ĭoes the team behind IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey (as well as the maligned X-Blades) offer enough to mix things up and bring Apache combat to gamers? There is certainly enough compelling content to make fans of the genre pay attention, and there might be enough to surprise the rest.
While it might be considered a helicopter version of Gaijin Entertainment’s IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey, a military aerial simulator released in 2009, it is clearly a different approach to aerial combat entirely.