There are 16 scenarios in the single-player campaign, and you also have the option of co-op, which is great if you know someone hardcore enough to accompany you. Herein lies Apache ’s main appeal: the quality simulation elements that require skill, attention and above all else, patience.
The Realistic setting, as you might expect, alters the controls and doesn’t make things quite so easy, which means you need an even defter touch on the stick to succeed.
Also, if you wish to switch the controls to Realistic after completing the first mission (where your only option is Training difficulty), I suggest returning to Free Flight to familiarize yourself once more. You can also fiddle around with different helicopters, see various maps, and try to satisfy diverse objectives. It’s not “free” in the literal sense of the term you will have objectives to fulfill but at the same time, it’s not part of the campaign. When you first start, it’s very much recommended to try the Free Flight mode, which allows you to get accustomed to the tricky controls. Still, the balance is decent – and it can be tough to balance the music with the effects in such a game – and each helicopter sounds exactly as it should. These last two issues are my biggest complaints just because they tend to detract from the overall experience, which is indeed enjoyable. The classical soundtrack fits the action but is a touch too repetitive in all modes, and the voices over the radio are hit or miss. When battling for air supremacy with enemy fliers, the sound really takes the necessary steps to immerse the player: for instance, getting nailed with a missile is a very unpleasant experience, and much of that is due to the sickening crash. I’m not certain that a 30mm cannon sounds quite so tinny and some of the impact effects sounded a tad underwhelming but for the most part, the combat effects hit the mark throughout. The effects, almost everything about the helicopters, and the attention paid to realism is most appreciated.Īs you might expect, the sound effects go stride for stride with the graphics in terms of authenticity, with a few minor stumbles. The view from either inside or outside your complicated war machine is actually quite fitting – visibility is appropriately limited from inside the cockpit – and while the animations of the ground soldiers and the cut-and-pasted grass from 1995 might be jarring, the good stuff comes to the forefront. On the other hand, what we see on the ground often fails to impress and the drab, washed-out landscape can’t really be called “eye candy.” This dichotomy confused me at first, but then I realized that despite the rather bland backdrops and environments, you don’t think much about it when playing. On the one hand, the helicopters are meticulously defined and even refined in presentation, and some of the special effects are both authentic and fulfilling. We also get a co-op mode that greatly adds to the experience as well as a campaign that, while almost entirely devoid of story, delivers on depth and intricacy. The most surprising part of Apache is the featured realism, which is both demanding and satisfying. In fact, they’re big-time pluses and exactly what they desire. But then again, such complaints – with the exception of the lackluster backdrops just mentioned – are often associated with simulators, and really aren’t drawbacks for the fans. Developed by Gaijin Entertainment and specifically catering towards flight aficionados, this is a game that boasts a steep learning curve, a few disappointing environments, and a lot of “oh what the hell did I do wrong now ?!” moments.
The other is the under-the-radar yet still worthy of attention Apache: Air Assault.
Gran Turismo 5 isn’t the only simulator that arrives this month.