Aircraft Evolution is a prime example of how games should be done. Without any storyline,the object of the game is by far,very,very simple…
Take on missions in your very basic wooden bomber aircraft,blow up and kill everything and STAY ALIVE to earn Xp,coin,next mission unlock and upgrade,kill again,upgrade !!
The UI is a little confusing on startup. Originally a PC title,the movement of the pointer around the various screens,can seem rather small and fiddly and it’s very unclear at times,to see what’s highlighted.
Still,several missions in and things start to settle.
At the very beginning,you are given just one aircraft from a possible unlockable collection of 10 aircraft from different eras in aviation history. There’s your default World War One wooden bomber,World War Two fighters right up to the present day Jet fighters. What’s apparently clear is that there are no distinctive and famous aircraft like the Sopwith Camel,Spitfire or even the Tornado or Strike Eagle. It’s evident that developers have made the right decision in not putting aircraft in the game for any kind of notoriety but aircraft that are used for their ability to just get the job done,and it’s a perfect choice.
Completing missions gains experience,and coin that will get you purchasing several upgrades for each bomber and fighter you unlock and buy. You can upgrade the speed,manoeuvrability,fuel usage,armour and bombing speed,damage and machine gun if it’s an aircraft with it attached.
A shop screen also allows you to buy fuel and repair kits and once you gain enough experience to unlock them,the ability to purchase various bomb types such as cluster bombs,napalm and super big bomb!
The missions are selected from various wheels with each wheel a certain time era,with the final wheel even exceeding the present and into the future. This presents some interesting gaming options…Can you take your rickety old wooden bomber through present day enemy resistance avoiding today’s super rockets and the laser fire of the future? If you want to try,it’s here!
Naturally,it’s the missions where you spend most of your time and I’m pleased to say,it all plays out very well indeed.
You take your chosen aircraft on a side scrolling raid through various landscapes filled with enemy buildings,towers,foot soldiers,tanks,gun placements and sometimes enemy aircraft. Your aircraft is manoeuvred totally with the left stick.At the end of the screen you hold the left stick to twist your plane around then attack from the opposite way.
Bombs hit their targets with some satisfying effects.Explosions in balls of flame with each target having a specific damage bar highlighted,that needs to be totally empty for it to be totally destroyed.
With a timer for each mission,there’s a certain amount of strategy involved with choosing the right bomb for optimum damage and clearing the area before the timer ends the mission.
In between full on bombing raids,there are a few variations in mission types. There is a mission to take out 10 fighters or fly across the screen to a finishing line,whilst avoiding balloons with hanging mines,in an allotted time.
Graphically and soundwise,there’s some satisfying explosions,(especially with napalm)with each aircraft nicely rendered and scenery that’s clear to identify as you fly across the landscape.The whistle of bombs and the screams as foot soldiers are blown off the ground,appeals to the masochistic pilot in all of us,as we try to cause as much mass destruction,whilst avoiding masses of enemy fire.
So in summary,Aircraft Evolution is a marvellously fun game that’s simple to pick up and play but pretty tricky to master,as missions get bigger and more intense.It’s clear it’s origins in PC show in the fiddly interface and selection screens,and that’s it’s only fault.
It doesn’t need to graphically impress or swamp players with masses of upgrade options. Just simply,unlock and load and bombs away !
A refreshing title,that’s just a BLAST !
Thanks to Sometimes You for the code
https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/aircraft-evolution-switch/
