Blazing Angels

[PeteJ]

I'm so far beyond losing the will to live that I may just actually enjoy going to work tomorrow.

Ubisoft's WW2 flying arcade title is just god-almighty tedious. The main campaign can be completed quite quickly - about 4 hours - and it fairly enjoyable. On top of that you have two mini-campaigns (six missions each), 32 1v1 dogfights and 32 arcade challenges.

This is where it gets tedious. In order to finish the game completely, you need to finish every challenge, as well as get a perfect rating on each of the 18 main campaign missions.

To unlock the 360 Achievements, you need to fight three waves of twelve enemies against a strict time limit thirty two times (thats 1152 kills in this mode alone). You have to fight thirty two tough 'Ace' pilots. You need to replay 20 minute-long campaign missions many many times in order to shoot down enough planes and reach the required time to record a perfect

Honestly, this is the most repetitive god-damned frustrating dull dreadful game I've ever played...

...and yet I can't get enough of it. WHY!?!?

There is something about the mechanics that are enjoyable, the missions structure is actually pretty good - the objects can change at an instant and watching ground troops move up and fight against tanks and machine-gun posts is actually quite a sight. The graphics are pretty tremendous in places, there can be around fifty planes on the screen at once, not to mention tens of tanks, troops, boats etc. The smoke that covers the battlefield slowly gets thicker, and soon each battle takes place in a well-realised war-torn envrionment.

I wouldn't recommend this game to anyone, nobody deserves to go through this....but I will get the 1000 points. I will!

[buster_broon]

i like it

just a fun arcade shooter

nothing better than letting go a torpedo and tracking it until it hits its target, even better if its a Japanese Carrier

even landing on a carrier is fun or actually changing aircraft so you can bomb a fleet of ships

and its true about so much happening on screen, but that can hinder the game because there is so much happening you dont know where to begin

[Bassman]

I am currently a little stuck on the first main mission (hides head in shame!). I just can't seem to kill off the line of troops near the bridge quick enough. I expect it is down to correctly lining up with them to kill as many as possible on the first run.

I had a go online and fortunately my dinner was ready after being shot down 29 times!! I had to leave... at least I shot him down once (there were 3 of us initially but 1 left after a few minutes... probably got fed up with being shot down! I lasted about 25 minutes or so).

I need more practice (at the very least).

I bought the Asian version which managed to arrive in 6 days. It was definitely worth the ?25 delivered that it cost, especially as everything (packaging, manual and game) is in English.

[PeteJ]

I'm so far beyond losing the will to live that I may just actually enjoy going to work tomorrow.

Just wanted to make a quick correction to this: I'd actually rather be playing Blazing Angels.

Work sucks already.

Bassman - just line up and pull back on the right stick. Need to go as slow as possible. Don't expect to do it all on the first pass.

[buster_broon]

i'm stuck as well

i need to take out an airport and it all ends in misery after about 5 minutes as my bombers get destroyed

no matter what i do its never enough

[Paulos G]

I had trouble with that one too buster_broon (if it's the mission I'm thinking of). I eventually did it by stopping firing rockets at the airport once any enemy planes took off. I then concentrated on the airborne planes.

When attacking the airport I made my priority the AA guns as well as the planes that hadn't yet taken off. Rinse and repeat as necessary!

I agree with PeteJ that there are some frustrating bits but that it also keeps you coming back for more. It's also much better than going to work.

If anyone's interested in some online multiplayer (co-op or otherwise) I started a thread here (which so far hasn't shown a great deal of interest).

P

[buster_broon]

i dont have xbox live or i would be shooting you out of the sky

or flying around in circles trying to run away

[Bassman]

I already figured the pull the stick back to put the "brakes" on and I still made a pigs ear of the mission. I was pretty much in flames as well at the last attempt which didn't really help an awful lot.

[PeteJ]

I already figured the pull the stick back to put the "brakes" on and I still made a pigs ear of the mission. I was pretty much in flames as well at the last attempt which didn't really help an awful lot.

You are using the bombs\ rockets I assume?

Can't remember which you get for that mission, but they are essential. Each bomb can take out five or ten ground targets, and each rocket about three to five.

[Anpanman]

I had trouble with that one too buster_broon (if it's the mission I'm thinking of). I eventually did it by stopping firing rockets at the airport once any enemy planes took off. I then concentrated on the airborne planes.

When attacking the airport I made my priority the AA guns as well as the planes that hadn't yet taken off. Rinse and repeat as necessary!

I agree with PeteJ that there are some frustrating bits but that it also keeps you coming back for more. It's also much better than going to work.

If anyone's interested in some online multiplayer (co-op or otherwise) I started a thread here (which so far hasn't shown a great deal of interest).

P

Although I don't have the 360 version I imagine that the XB version is similar, I did that mission by hitting the red target markers on the airport and also watching ofor waves of aircraft to take off then attack those.

I think trying to 'kill' aircraft on the ground is a waste of time as you still find waves taking of at preset levels

I really do enjoy the game but my only whinge is that you have to 'pimp' up your aircraft to stand any chance on live, otherwise you will find yourself pumping loads of bullets into the other guys with no effect yet they shoot you once and you are down.
I think Ubi should have left that side alone and just left the aircraft as they were and let talent dictate whether you were any good or not.

[PeteJ]

Finally finished this game 100%, about 18 hours of pure tedium with a little bit of enjoyment thrown in.

The Arcade mode (32 runs of killing 36 enemies each time) is simply the most drawn-out dull gaming experience that I can remember. I almost lost my mind it was so boring!

Quite enjoyed going for the Ace ranking on all the missions, though there were a few tough ones - the last in particular is difficult as you are required to kill 40 enemies, which you need to do so very quickly. It is frustrating knowing that if you slip up and only get a 4-star award, you have to play through another 15 minutes of exactly the same thing, but it is satisfying once it is completed.

1000 points, never playing this game again. Joy in the world at last