If you take a look at combat helicopter sims, you have two fairly distinct categories. On the one hand, you have Longbow 2, a hard-core sim of the highest order that comes replete with excellent realism, top-notch graphics, and a relatively steep learning curve. On the other hand, you have games like Comanche 3 and Team Apache, which sacrifice varying degrees of realism in favor of fast-paced, easier gameplay and (in the case of Team Apache at least) multiplayer action. Now, along comes Apache Havoc, from Empire Interactive and Razorworks Studios. Where does this two-in-one sim fall along the spectrum of helicopter sims? Right smack in the middle.
Apache Havoc offers a great mix of realism and approachability, so that hard-core fans and novices alike should find a lot to like in the game. Not only do you get to fly either the AH-64D Apache Longbow or the Mil Mi-28 Havoc B, but you also get to take part in three different dynamic campaigns as well as some memorable multiplayer airborne deathmatches.
The game does not include an instant-action feature per se, but you can take off for free flights, dynamic missions, dynamic campaigns, or multiplayer missions (co-op or competitive). Free flight is a good place to start for novices, as the game's flight engine is reasonably accurate and therefore requires some practice to master. Most of the individual realism settings (wind, retreating blade stall, and ground effect, among others) can be dialed up or down to accommodate your skill and preference. Also, the game includes a basic three-level difficulty setting that affects the overall challenge of the missions and campaigns.
The campaigns in Apache Havoc take place in three global hot spots: Cuba, the former Russian state of Georgia, and the "Golden Triangle" of Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos. Each campaign is dynamic and somewhat reminiscent of EF-2000 and F-22 Total Air War. The unique twist to Apache Havoc's campaigns is that you begin with only one and a half hours on the campaign clock. That clock ticks down as you fly missions - you gain some time if you accomplish a mission, and you lose extra time when you fail (extra, meaning time beyond what you spent trying to accomplish the mission). When you run out of time, the campaign is over, and whichever side is closest to its objective goals wins. A clock may not be the most exciting of motivators, but it works well in Apache Havoc.
One thing I didn't much like about the early stages of each campaign (dynamic or not) was that the missions are all pretty dry. Recon, scout, and combat air patrol are the rule of the day, and for a while these missions tend to come up empty in terms of targets, let alone excitement of any kind. Even worse, when you complete some of the basic scout missions, the computer maps an insanely long return route to a base several map grids away. The result is not only a boring mission, but also a very, very long boring mission. The "skip ahead" feature from F-22 Total Air War would be welcome in Apache Havoc. Still, once the campaign heats up a bit and you complete some of the simpler hops, you'll have better missions to fly.
While the graphics in Apache Havoc are not quite up to the sheer beauty of Longbow 2 on all fronts, they are exceptionally good. The unit models in particular are excellent and highly detailed, and the weather and weapons effects border on spectacular. Also, the level of detail on the ground is fantastic - particularly on airfields, where you can see all the other aircraft and support equipment. The terrain can be a bit uninspiring at altitude, but you're not really supposed to be up that high anyway (this is an attack helicopter remember). Once you're down near the ground, following rivers and popping up over tree lines, the terrain quality becomes very immersive.
The trees themselves are a touch disappointing, though, since they're just blocks of space with treelike textures on them. And the colors can be a bit garish at times, but otherwise the game looks great. This is especially true at high resolution (the game runs as high as 1280x1024). Unfortunately, the developers created cockpit graphics for 640x480 only. For invisible cockpit fans like me, this is no big deal, but if you like to keep the cockpit graphics on while flying, the ridiculously small, floating 640x480 cockpit on your 1024x768 screen might prove annoying. Also, Apache Havoc can be a brutish resource hog - even on a Pentium II 450 with 128MB RAM and dual Voodoo2 cards, the game chugged whenever I flew over an area with lots of buildings or ships.
The music in Apache Havoc is techno-pop, which seems out of place but quickly fades to repetitive background noise after a few minutes. The sound effects, on the other hand, can be remarkable. Though the radio chatter is jerky and occasionally cryptic, the vehicle sounds are excellent. Flying low over a patch of trees looking for a column of enemy armor (which seemed to be actively trying to hide from me), I actually heard the tank treads below before I could spot the individual tanks. Can you really hear tanks from inside an Apache cockpit? I have no idea, but it was damn cool in the game.
Apache Havoc is a good all-around sim that impresses despite its odd assortment of quirks. While the game is unlikely to make Longbow 2 devotees drop the Jane's classic, it is a solid addition to the genre.
