Act: Airstrike 2 [by Divo Games]
Game Review: Airstrike II
Release: April 14, 2004
Genre: Action
Developer:
Divo Games
System Requirements: Windows 95/98/ME/NT4/2000/XP, Pentium II 400 MHz, 128Mb
RAM
Players: 1
Price: $19.95
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In 2003 Divo Games blew the lid of the arcade action genre with the release of Airstrike 3D and basically shamed the competition by delivering polished game play and gorgeous graphics far beyond the standard of the time. One year later it’s clear that the developers haven’t been resting on their success but rather working hard on its sequel, Airstrike 2. And for once a sequel is just as good as the original!
For the uninitiated, the Airstrike games are basically “scrolling shooters” on steroids. You control your helicopter’s horizontal motion (and to a lesser extent, forward and back) as it flies along a preset path through each level and blast wave after wave of enemies. There are plenty of power-ups and weapons to collect and you can unlock more powerful helicopters as you progress, each with varying armor and speed values.
It’s not the most original concept - after all, the genre has been around almost since the dawn of video games - but the presentation is what really sets Airstrike 2 apart. Not only do the graphics still outshine the majority of independent action games but they also give the “pro” developers a run for their money. I would stack Airstrike 2 against any of the meager shooters you can find on the PS2 or Game Cube in terms of graphics quality.
Graphics aside, the minor control and difficulty issues found in the first Airstrike game have been improved upon although they are still present to some degree in this sequel. The game play is skewed a little too heavily towards the overwhelming enemy firepower and it seems no one has been able to truly recreate the balancing act that was done so well in classic shooters of yesteryear.
The key is that there should always be an opportunity to dodge enemy fire. If the player has no choice but the get hit repeatedly because there are just too many missiles and enemies on the screen then the game balance is skewed. It can be really hard to dodge enemy fire but it shouldn’t be impossible and there are times in Airstrike 2 where you have no choice but to soak waves of incoming missiles because there is nowhere to go.
That said, the difficulty level is challenging enough to make you shake your fists at the monitor in frustration, but never so high as to make you want to stop playing. In that sense Airstrike 2 has succeeded in creating an addictive and absolutely gorgeous shooter in a genre that has many wannabe competitors but few (if any) that standout this well.
Graphics: 10
Visually, the graphics in Airstrike 2 don’t stray very far from the original and that is to say, they’re gorgeous! The player scrolls through lush 3D environments that feature interactive lighting and effects, dodging wave after wave of expertly modeled and textured enemies. The weapons and environmental effects can be visually overwhelming at times but that’s like saying “the graphics are too pretty”. It’s a fairly weak complaint.
Overall, I’m amazed at how much power the developers have squeezed out of their game engine without requiring a huge processor overhead - the minimum system requirement is a measly PII 400 with 128 megabytes of RAM. I hope those aspiring developers who keep trying to wedge the latest shaders and technology into their games will take notice that Airstrike 2 looks better than many of the “next gen” technology showpieces! All the shader tech in the world won’t cover for lackluster art and game play.
Sound: 9
The sound in Airstrike 2 is of good quality with plenty of variety. Unlike other entries to the genre you aren’t forced to listen to the exact same bullet and explosion effect over and over.
The sound effects do well to give an accurate representation of what is going on in the game. But this means that when you are overwhelmed with enemies and explosions on screen so too does the audio become an overwhelming wall of noise. Depending on the mood you are in that can be a good or bad thing. I found the game is best if you just crank the subwoofers and go nuts - there’s no subtlety in the presentation of Airstrike 2, so why be subtle when you play?
The in-game music seems to be a mix of techno-style beats with hints of orchestration, just enough to put it above the standard so that you notice the quality, but it doesn’t overpower the game audio. In fact the music complements the game play very well.
Game play: 8
Like its predecessor, Airstrike 2 is a smooth, bug-free experience and a testament to the quality of product that can be produced by a small, dedicated team with a great game engine.
I noticed very little difference between the high, low and default camera angles. The top-down perspective (old school vertical scroller) was a neat addition but made the game play feel…strange. I guess the option is included for genre die-hards but it makes you miss out on a lot of the beauty of the game environments.
As previously mentioned, the same challenges and overwhelming odds present in Airstrike 3D are still here in its sequel. It doesn’t really bring down the play value of the game but it can serve as a barrier for those not already veterans of the genre.
Options: 9
Carrying on the standard set by Airstrike 3D, virtually everything in the presentation and control of Airstrike 2 is customizable to the player’s preference. I especially like the fact that once a level is beaten or a bonus helicopter unlocked it remains that way even if you die later. That means that you can always pick up your game where you left off and are never forced to start back at the first level.
Value: 8
I don’t know that Airstrike 2 has much in the way of replay value. Once you have beaten a level there is no real reason to go back and play it again unless you’re one of those obsessive compulsive gamers who absolutely has to kill every creature and collect every bonus. If so, I recommend you seek psychiatric help ;) Sure, you can unlock new choppers and “bonus” levels during the game but once you have beaten Airstrike 2 there is little point in playing any more.
So, why then does this game still score a “7” for value? To put it simply, this is one of the best scrolling shooters you can buy for the PC and is top notch in terms graphics, sound and fun. I don’t think “unlimited replayability” is necessary for this genre or even desirable and while there has been some discussion lately as to whether shareware games are worth the prices they are charging you can be assured that here you will get your $20 bucks worth. As a mindless time-waster (and I mean that in a positive way) Airstrike 2 is a good value.
Fun: 8
It may be wise to set aside some money for a replacement keyboard or game controller because if the manic button mashing doesn’t kill your peripherals then certainly whipping them against the wall in frustration will. And on any setting higher than “normal” you will be frustrated. But what would expect from a game that proclaims itself to be “120% pure ACTION”?
If action games are your “thing” then you should already be familiar with the challenge level ahead of you. If you are new to the genre then you can take heart that Airstrike 2 seems to have ramped up the challenge level more gradually than in the original and even novice players should be able to reach the first boss battle (level 5) on “normal” without too much difficulty.
Overall: 9
From the ground up it seems Divo Games has taken the player’s experience in mind with this series and Airstrike 2 offers more of the same high caliber action of its predecessor, delivering a top-notch arcade experience on your home PC.
While the game play is completely linear it is still a good value for your entertainment dollar. In the future I hope to see more open-ness to the design of the levels, with branching pathways (even River Raid had those back in the 80s) to bring up the replay value.
If you are at all a fan of scrolling shooters with amazing visuals then what are you doing still reading this review?! Airstrike 2 is highly recommended as a benchmark for both the quality that shareware games can achieve and eminent playability of classically designed arcade shooters. Download it now!
Added: June 1st 2004
Reviewer: Kyle Nau
Score: 
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