Heroes of the Pacific is a challenging WWII aerial combat game, good for hours of solo play leading to online dogfights.

User Rating: 9.3 | Heroes of the Pacific PC
By RMcSlash | Review Date:
I thoroughly enjoyed Heroes of the Pacific. In fact, I said to myself, "This is the game I have been waiting for". More of an arcade game than a technical simulation, the designers have taken some liberties with aviation theory. Still better pilots will win out, as there are enough of the laws of physics still in force. There is also a back story, involving the players character, William Crowe, a young Naval Lieutenant, who gets into the skies to defend Pearl Harbor during the Day of Infamy. Crowe is helpless to save his brother, a crewman aboard the USS Arizona, and the tone of the game is set.
Patriotic propaganda posters, combined with the back story, and the Naval Aviators salty language give a sense of the different times those where.
The solo game is built around the "Campaign"; vastly out numbered at Pearl, you struggle to save whatever you are ordered to; on to Wake island to stave off the invasion for as long as possible, then evacuate key personal. On through the Marshall Islands, the Coral Sea, of course Midway, and ending up at Iwo Jima. There are ten island campaigns total, all but Pearl Harbor having at least two and up to four battles. The Marianas "Turkey Shoot" is represented as you dogfight with what must be over 100 planes twisting and turning and exploding on all sides.
I was intrigued with how the designers managed to set winnable objectives in the first two campaigns, which were defeats for the United States. Your not going to win, just save these few things, and move on.
There are objectives that can seem totally frustrating to the novice, they did to me, but when I go back and play them now, they are challenging, but not at all unsurmountable.
Another frustrating catch for the less patient among us, while there are some 36 flyable planes in this game, when you open the box and start with Pearl Harbor, you can only fly the earliest version of the P-40. Totally outclassed by the Japanese Zero. As soon as you complete Pearl you get to fly the Warhawk, a bit of an improvement. When you get ot the end of the game as an "Ace" you own a very cool, small air force.
What is the "catch". The planes you have unlocked in the solo game are the planes you can use online.
So for the Eager Beaver who wants to jump right to online play in a P-40, and forgo all the step by step missions, go ahead. But I'm waiting there with a P-51 Mustang, or a Bearcat, or maybe even an Me-262, the German jet on loan to the Japanese. Also the experience gained in playing the whole solo game makes you a much better online combatant.
This definitely a download the trial first game as it is difficult, and some like a challenging more than others. There is a fairly active forum started by the games designers at http://www.heroesofthepacific.com/forum/, where gamers can help you through any difficulties.
A challenging game, with great graphics, wrapped in historical tales of a war whose warriors are quickly fading into the past.





Other Helpful Reviews for Heroes of the Pacific

  • Rating:8.6

    arcade-style WW2 flight action game? hell yes! this game is just heaps and heaps of pure fun!

    By spec440 | Review Date: Feb 08, 2006 | PC

    jump in the cockpit of your favorite antique warbird (and god, does this game have heaps of warbirds to choose from), throttle up and take off to the burning skies of the pacific theater during world war 2! this game is... Read Full Review

    6 of 6 users found the following review helpful
  • Rating:9.4

    A WWII sim? awesome!

    By Zim909 | Review Date: Feb 05, 2006 | PC

    I remember the old days, when I would read about history and whatnot in my days of boredom. One day I remember coming across a book called "defeat in the pacific" it was about the very same thing that Heroes of the Pacif... Read Full Review

    8 of 9 users found the following review helpful
Load Comments (0)