Ever since I was capable of coherent thought and action I have dreamt of being a soldier, and not some sorry case infantryman, but a wielder of the mightiest machines that war has to offer. When I think of mighty war-machines, tanks, fighter jets and helicopters are the first three that spring to mind. Of these three, realistic helicopter simulations are the most neglected in our arsenal of combat simulators.
Introducing Apache: Air Assault, created by Gaijin Entertainment of IL-2 Sturmovik fame. Apache puts you in the seat of (you guessed it) several variations of the Apache Attack Helicopter. Your mission will be to attack, defend and support across three brilliantly disguised theatres of modern warfare: Tazirstan (incinerating insurgents), Lualia (hunting down pirates) and Salcedo (blasting the hell out of drug lords). There is no meaningful storyline running through the campaign mode, and each mission is self-contained with its own set of objectives and pilots serving in different armed forces. All the background you will be given prior to take off is provided in a pre-mission blurb on the loading screen and bits of information can be gathered via radio chatter throughout the mission, and the system works fine.
Gaijin was aiming for a realistic presentation of the life and rigours of Apache combat pilots, and has done a sterling job. This game does not have a COD movie script underlying your every action as you ‘save the world’ in one unbelievable way or another. Each mission will be presented as an individual assignment to aid the on-going war effort in each of the theatres, as would be the role of an Apache pilot in a real world situation. This presentation is refreshing for me and helped me to put myself in the pilot’s shoes, which I believe was Gaijin’s intention.
Even without a storyline, Apache is extremely immersive. There are three difficulty settings available to would be pilots in the game’s campaign: training, realistic and veteran. Training is the arcade mode where your ability to wield your chopper is limited to go forward, stop, turn left/right and point your nose up/down. Not to say that this mode is child’s play, but in comparison to realistic mode, life is extremely care free. Realistic is a different kettle of fish all together. As the name suggests, this mode will give the best feel of how an Apache actually handles in the field (quoted from an ex-US Airforce pilot). WARNING: You are going to crash a lot. Yes, you will be able to execute rolls and jink left and right and do all sorts of cool things, but you will go down in a ball of flaming debris often. I would not recommend this mode for those who are unwilling to put in many hours of practice to master the Apache’s complex and sensitive flight controls. Veteran mode is unlocked after you have clocked the game’s 16 missions once and throws in the added complication of returning to base or finding helipads to regularly refuel and rearm your chopper. Landing is not for wimps and is arguably the most difficult manoeuvre to execute. There is also a local co-op option that will have one player piloting the chopper and firing the missiles while the other controls an obscure manoeuvrable reticule for firing the 30mm auto-cannon. Unfortunately the local co-op is pointless and will add very little to the overall gameplay.
The sound and graphical presentation of Apache is pleasant in some aspects but lacklustre in others. The choppers themselves (in the default third-person view) are intricately detailed and expertly presented; little is more satisfying than the sound of your blades spinning and the camera shaking as you hurtle at full speed between objectives. The scenery, as is the case with every flight sim that I have ever played, is generally drab and boring acting as little more than a backdrop for your chopper to fly around in. Weapon sounds, from your 30mm auto-cannon to your Hellfire laser-guided missiles, are pleasing and help to keep you immersed in the combat experience.
Apache offers a decent variety of game modes for those who wish to extend their career beyond the campaign. There is a Free Flight mode which allows players to design their own mission on any of the campaign maps, manipulating parameters such as time of day, number of enemies/allies, skill level of enemies/allies, and the like. Free Flight is a great way to get in some training which the game’s actual training mission doesn’t really afford. Squad Operations is the online multiplayer component of the game which has up to four players teaming up to complete squad based objectives. It is fun, but I can see it getting old rather quickly.
As a final comment, Apache: Air Assault is not for everyone largely due to its steep learning curve and corresponding high level of difficulty. If you do have the patience and the time to invest into mastering the fine art of flying the Apache, then this game will be extremely rewarding and immersive. Free Flight mode should also help to extend the gameplay experience for those who want to turn up the difficulty.
Loading ...
