outlet

Secret Weapons Over Normandy is a combination of flight simulator and historical recreation of WW2. I had high hopes for this game, but it seems a bit outdated.

You start out with some simple target practice - balloons, bombers and barrels. Soon you're moving against a variety of targets in the air, land and sea. There are 30 missions in all, plus the option for multiplayer combat.

I've always been a huge fan of flight simulators and space combat simulators. So I was all ready for this fresh release to have great graphics and gameplay. I just wasn't impressed at all in either case. Yes, I suppose if you compare the graphics against the early flight simulators, it's amazing how far we've come. The plane has the details of the flaps and wing segments, the landscape has trees and roads. The radar display sweeps around. But nothing is up to the standards of current day productions.

The same is true for the planes themselves, how they fly and how the AI flies against you. Your plane's controls are extremely simplistic. Yes, you stall if you fly straight up, as you would expect to! And yes if you plow head-first into a structure you crash. But there are many other cases where the game plays more like an arcade version set on "very easy" than a modern day WW2 combat game.

This might be a good game for someone who has never played flight simulators before and who wants a very simple entry into that area before dealing with something more complex. But any advanced gamer, or a gamer who has played any style of airplane / spacecraft flying game, will want to rent this one first to see how they personally enjoy what it offers.

I don't know WHY this game only rates three stars. No, it's not a straight-on flight sim. No, the graphics aren't the best on XBox. Graphics should take a backseat to gameplay at any rate, and SWON has fantastic gameplay. Easily the best arcade flyer LucasArts has come up with, outstripping the Rogue Squadron series. The vast collection of planes you earn should send any WWII historian and aviation buff into ecstasy (no Corsair, though, sigh).

The plane models are extremely detailed, no problems there. The landscape is a bit bland at times, but specific locations (i.e., the Cliffs of Dover) are instantly recognizable. Other details (explosions, ground vehicles) are simple, but you'll be too busy (and moving too fast) to notice.

The gameplay, as before, is great. Again, it's not a flight sim, so don't judge it as such. Although it is a bit embarrassing to plow into the ground when you're trying to whip around to take out an enemy fighter (whoops). The game's most interesting feature is the time control. You can slow or speed up the flow of time to gain the advantage in a dogfight or to cut down on travel time between target areas. The targeting system helps you lead shots properly, though that can be turned off to see if you're as good as the guys that did this for a living.

The sound and dialogue are all way above par. Every plane has a distinct engine sound, which was actually recorded at an air museum in California. The voice acting is lively but not melodramatic, and helps immerse you in the game. Where the sound really shines, though, is the phenomenal music. I rarely buy game soundtracks, but when I saw SWON's was available, I snatched it up.

The game feels a bit short, though 36 stages is still impressive, and there are several two-player scenarios. (Live subscribers can get even more planes and missions.) The difficulty is above average, also a plus for us older gamers. The replay value is a bit low, but there are always hidden objectives in any given mission. Still, you'll pick it up again after a while because it's just that good. LucasArts and Totally Games, keep up the good work, and hopefully give us another Secret Weapons game sometime soon!

This game could be a whole lot better with rudder controls. If this game wishes to capture WWII combat it needs the barrel rolls and arial stunts, as it is the planes all the planes fly like rockets, not like hawks. Despite this major flaw, I like the target system, and the lanscapes are not bad. However for all around game play SWON should seek some advice from her bueatiful cousin Crimson Skies. Better dogfighting next time, secret weopons of the cold war? I'd love to fly a spyplane.