If you know your history, you’ll know that chaos of World War II brought about the most fearsome weapons ever invented by mankind. in the pursuit for the ultimate tool of war, rocketry, jet-propulsion, and nuclear reactions were developed and implemented. History has recorded these instances where science yielded great destruction, but deep in the annals of military history lies secret weapons that never saw the light of day. As a matter of fact, Nazi Germany attempted to develop their own nuclear weapons program, through a production process called “Heavy Water.” It was through the bravery of British Commandos and the Office of Strategic Services that the program never came to full fruition.
Make no mistake that, if Germany developed a nuclear weapon, it would have changed the course of history forever. We have often fictionalized a haunting reality of how an occupying power would invade, conquer, and claim the United States and that is where Aces Of The Luftwaffe: Squadron finds itself. A sequel to the side-scrolling shmup, Aces Of the Luftwaffe, Aces of The Luftwaffe: Squadron greatly expands about the shooting mechanics established in the first game, introducing a leveling-up system, new weapons, new planes, and special abilities. The result is a fantastic action-shooting experience that is great for all players.
Aces Of The Luftwaffe has you staring down the venomous eyes of Nazi Germany’s elite air force, the Luftwaffe. The Luftwaffe developed special aerial weapons in secret, and have now been unleashed upon the allies. New York City is under siege and it is up to a special allied squadron to defeat these aerial foes. The enemy is aggressive, with battle-hardened pilots flying mechanical contraptions. But with some skills and perseverance, you will succeed in bringing down the deadly Luftwaffe.
Aces of the Luftwaffe: Squadron is a shoot’-’em up, or shmup, where players will be shooting seemingly endless waves of enemies from top-to-bottom. Players will go through five battlefields, each with several levels. Each level will involve various objectives and special objectives, from delivering supplies to performing escort missions. The goal is to survive and shoot down every possible enemy on-screen. To do this, players will use their basic machine-gun fire, which can be powered up to fire flame-shots, missiles, and so-on. The task won’t be easy, especially for completionists hoping to achieve the special mission objectives. However, for those that persist, they will have a great time unlocking all that the game has to offer.
Where its predecessor features basic autofire, Aces of the Luftwaffe: Squadron features special powers and attack abilities for each of the four pilots. Players can select a secondary item, like electric explosives, to fire at the enemy, but they can also use their special attack. Each pilot has a different attack. One pilot launches screen-clearing fire that wipes out enemies and the other will repair the whole squadron. Over time, players can also upgrade their pilots and their craft, adding points for increased bullet speed and cooldown for abilities. There is a solid amount of depth for those wishing to fully complete the game.
The gameplay in Aces of the Luftwaffe: Squadron is fantastic, and it gets even better when you add other players. The game supports local couch co-op for up to three additional players, making a total of four. When you have another player, there is a sense of great excitement, and even teamwork, working together to slay the mass hordes of enemies and the titanic boss fights. Each act ends with a mammoth boss fight, which ranges from German ufos to flying trains. As absurd as this all sounds, it flows well with the style and atmosphere of Aces Of The Luftwaffe: Squadron. Shooting, dodging, and using the special attacks is a good time to be had.
IIf there is any drawback, Aces of the Luftwaffe: Squadron only has five acts, when I feel it could have easily had ten. The levels are incredibly fun and the boss fights are great challenges, but more levels would have benefitted the overall games length. After completing the five acts, players will have to replay levels to unlock everything. There is no online multiplayer or co-op with the game, leaving players to replay each level to attain the necessary accomplishments. This makes Aces of the Luftwaffe; Squadron a great game to play but in short bursts.
Aces Of The Luftwaffe: Squadron is a fantastic action and shooting experience that, while short, is great fun to be had with. The action is incredible, the gameplay is sharp, and the representation is entertaining. Whether alone or with a friend, players will have a black paving the skies for freedom and democracy. Aces of the Luftwaffe: Squadron is a very good game.
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