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AirStrike II: Gulf Thunder

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Developer: Divogames
Publisher: Divogames
Genre: Action > Shooter
Released: Feb 14, 2005
Players: 2

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- Airstirke 2: Gulf Thunder Review

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Only two words need to describe this game: Awesome quality. Divogames has put together one of the most fun, top quality, 3D scrolling shooters to hit the market. The story is fairly simple; you�€™re a helicopter pilot with some of the most hi-tech and deadly armory under your wing, and you have to use them to stop evil terrorists at all costs. Small cut-scenes are used to describe a little of the story, but they�€™re only there to introduce the chaotic action. There are 24 levels in all, a two-player cooperative mode, and a handful of un-lockable helicopters in the game.

Air Strike II: Gulf Thunder�€™s meat and potatoes rest in its large cache of weapons and devastating power-ups. Machine guns, Impulse guns, Plasma cannons, Lasers, Wave rifles, small missiles, large missiles, and a variety of heat-seeking missiles are just a few of the weapons available. Added to this, each weapon can also be upgraded a number of times, to deal even more damage to enemies. In fact, the weapon selection and upgrades are so vast, there�€™s at least one weapon in Air Strike II to suit the taste of any player. If there is such a thing, this game might have too many weapons. There are so many that at times I forgot I even had some of them. Yet in a game like this, I guess it�€™s best to have more guns at your disposal, than too few to be fun.

The power-up items are also very snazzy. There are energy shields, repair tools, maneuverability specials, air strikes, satellite detonators, cluster bombs and much more. The real prize among the power-ups lies in a devastating beast called The Nuke. All the weapon effects look really cool in this game, but the real winner is in the screen-filled explosion that takes place when dropping The Nuke, what a sight. Although, it�€™s not just in the special effect of the weapons that look good, but it�€™s also reiterated through the terrain and surrounding environments that take damage as well. Taking out an enemy�€™s base leaves a satisfying crater deep in the ground where several M.A.D missiles were aimed.

The game can easily be played with a keyboard, mouse or joystick, and offers players a great sense of control during the actual game. Like Hyperspace Invader, the view can be altered to suit overhead, side-scrolling, or 3D-follow camera angles. In either view, everything seems well suited even for two-players who must share the same screen, simultaneously.

Graphics:
This game looks amazing. The helicopter designs are rocking! The enemies are also adequately modeled and very, very well animated. The physics for all the vehicles are entirely arcade oriented with some amazing weapon effects. The lighting is superb, with adjusting shadows and excellent use of independent glowing sources. The environments are also modeled very well, with multiple terrain designs, tree movements from wind effects, semi-realistic buildings, and structural elements that really capture civilization in a desert atmosphere. This game has a lot of innovation behind it and offers players top-tier visuals.

Sound:
Air Strike II Gulf Thunder has really good special effects both visually and audibly. While the music is ear-marked at mediocre, the sound effects are quite immersive. Explosions and gunfire come off with appeasing clarity. And special items like the nuke and satellite ray relay fantastic audio effects, especially with the addition of 3D audio support.

Gameplay:
The way the AI adjusts to the ground indentations, as well as the visual effects that compliments the on-screen action, really makes this game stand out with top-notch qualities. The boss battles are very fun and gives players hard-hitting, unique encounters with larger-than-life foes. The weapons, the power-ups, and the stages are very addictive and give players very engaging gameplay.

Concept:
Some gamers might be thinking this is another 3D clone shooter, when it fact it is not. While it appears this game is running on a similar engine with other 3D rail-shooters, the design concepts couldn�€™t be further apart. Air Strike II gives players a whole lot of in-your-face, non-stop, gut-busting action. The inclusion of terrain effects and individual AI behavior really adds a lot of flavor to this game.

Value:
This game is almost under-priced. Seriously, Air Strike II: Gulf Thunder gives players all the 3D action they crave in this helicopter blast-fest. The weapons are a high-point of enjoyment for the gameplay and the destructible environments are an added bonus. The game is simple enough to hold a player�€™s interest for hours, and yet at the same time gives enough gameplay depth to keep the replay factors high. The two-player mode is also really fun on the high-difficulty setting and adds even more flavor to Air Strike II.

Recommendation:
It�€™s quite simple: This game is a must-buy. The graphics are superb, the action is fast, the two-player mode is great, the sound is fantastic and the difficulty is suited to the taste of any gamer�€™s skill. This game is a definite must-buy.

By: William Usher
Posted: Friday June 23, 2006