Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII - T
Common Sense Note
Parents need to know this is a World War II aerial combat simulation that lets players shoot down enemy aircraft and drop bombs on bases and tanks. It's not graphic in nature, but violence is the core game-play component. Parents may prefer the kind of war-based conflict in this game over games played from a more immersive and graphic first-person perspective, such as Call of Duty 3.
Families can talk about how the events presented in this game took place in real life during World War II, where millions of soldiers and innocent civilians lost their lives. Does playing this game make history seem more real and immediate? Is there a negative side to this type of entertainment -- can a game like this trivialize the memory of this war? Why or why not? What can we get out of the study of history? How can studying WWII help us in conflicts today?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Marc Saltzman
Climb into the cockpit of more than 50 authentic World War II aircraft, including the famous P-51 Mustang and British Spitfire, in Ubisoft's BLAZING ANGELS: SQUADRONS OF WWII for the Sony PlayStation 3.
This intense historical action game -- which fuses arcade-like dogfighting with near photorealistic graphics -- fares better than the Microsoft Xbox 360 and other versions available last spring, but it still doesn't soar as high as it should.
Blazing Angels, named after the fictitious squadron you command, lets you assume the role of an ace pilot who must take on the Germans and Japanese in missions in Berlin, London, the North African desert, and Hawaii, and features the battles of Midway and Pearl Harbor. This PS3 version also includes two exclusive missions -- North Sea and New Georgia Island in the Pacific -- along with 11 new aircraft, such as the Boulton Paul Defiant and De Havilland Mosquito.
Mission objectives vary, but most involve listening to a briefing, assigning orders to your squad mates, locking onto targets in the unfriendly skies, and of course, blasting the enemy into oblivion. Other missions involve taking photographs of activity on the ground or bombing runs.
Supporting up to 16 players, multiplayer modes include: Onslaught (you must shoot down as many planes as possible in a predetermined time limit); Kamikaze (destroy wave after wave of kamikaze fighters before they hit your base); and Historical Battles, where you can play some of the solo campaign missions cooperatively with a friend online or beside you on the same TV (via split-screen). This PS3 version also contains a bonus squadron-based multiplayer game, dubbed Base Assault, not found in other versions of Blazing Angels.
The wireless PS3 controller is used to fly the various planes -- using traditional buttons as well as the built-in motion-sensing technology -- but simulator snobs may prefer a flight stick instead. And the rumble feature, which isn't in the PS3 controller, is sorely missed in this type of game.
The graphics are gorgeous, but suffer from poor frame rates, which cause the action to slow down whenever there are a lot of planes or tanks onscreen at the same time. This not only takes away from the suspension of disbelief, but those who shelled out up to $600 for a PS3 and its allegedly powerful new Cell processor will probably be disappointed in the occasionally choppy performance in this game.
Another problem with Blazing Angels is the somewhat repetitive and easy single-player missions. Despite the fact that you can play through more than 20 chapters in the main campaign -- and unlock three additional solo game modes -- the lack of variety in the objectives and simplified artificial intelligence mean you're likely to get bored after a couple of sittings.
It's too bad Blazing Angels suffers from these shortcomings, as its stellar graphics and many solo and multiplayer game modes barely lift this game up from hovering near mediocrity. That said, war buffs or flight enthusiasts may want to get their wings by renting this PS3 game for the weekend, or by picking up more impressive aerial combat games such as Namco's Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War for the PlayStation 2 or Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception for the PlayStation Portable.
For a simulation game about flying airplanes, check out Microsoft's Flight Simulator X.
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ViolenceYou can shoot down other planes or drop bombs on targets, such as tanks. |
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LanguageWhile nothing too profane, some words may offend, such as "damn" and "hell." |
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Social BehaviorYou are a soldier fighting in WWII. |
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Educational ValueWhile minor, each mission begins with some historical background information. |
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