Platform: PC, PS2, XB
Genre: Flight Action / Sim
Publisher: Encore Software
Developer: IR Gurus
ETA: Q4 2004

Related Links:

Feature: Heroes of the Pacific Q&A

Review: Secret Weapons Over Normandy (XB)

Review: Crimson Skies - Highroad to Revenge (XB)

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Heroes of the Pacific

Heroes of the Pacific (HOTP) is another World War II-based game. But thankfully, it isn’t another first-person shooter joining the glut of WWII FPS titles already available (and still coming). Instead, it’s a flight combat title that allows you to relive a WWII pilot’s life during actual fights that proved so vital to the eventual Allied victory and pilot a huge selection of authentic planes from the many Pacific conflicts. HOTP will be strikingly familiar to anybody who played last year’s good WWII flight simulator (on the PS2 and Xbox) from LucasArts, Secret Weapons over Normandy (SWON).

But HOTP has one key feature that SWON didn’t have: online play on both the PC and the console versions. It will be especially welcome by the Xbox online community, where the sci-fi based Crimson Skies is still the only Xbox Live flight combat game.

Flying in from the high Encore Software skies is the official game info:

Beginning with the attack on Pearl Harbor, this flight combat game puts players in the middle of some of the most intense naval conflict in WWII’s Pacific Theater. This epic story unfolds through 30 missions taken from real events of the U.S. Navy’s campaign in the Pacific, in hotspots like Midway Island, the Coral Sea, Wake Island, Iwo Jima and Guadalcanal. Throughout the game, players will pilot a variety of aircraft that were integral to the war effort in the Pacific, including the Grumman F4F Wildcat and F6F Hellcat, the Douglas SBD Dauntless, the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk and the Chance-Vought F4U Corsair.

HOTP boasts an impressive core engine, with some battles featuring over 300 planes on screen, each with full AI and dogfighting physics. Planes, ships and environments are fantastically detailed, with some models comprised of as many as 30,000 polygons, in addition to realistic and dynamic 3D water effects. In the single-player game, missions can include up to 32 wingmen, all controllable through an innovative, fast-access menu system.

The single player campaign is complemented by split-screen multiplayer as well as online multiplayer on console (including Xbox Live) and online and LAN multiplayer for the PC.

Features:
25 actual WWII aircraft available plus hidden planes, including the Japanese Zero.

Over 350 planes on-screen each with full AI and dog-fighting physics.

Incredible graphical detail on plane and ship models (15,000-30,000 polygons) with multiple complex lighting effects.

Realistic environments, including dynamic 3D water.

Up to eight wingmen, all controllable through an innovative, fast-access menu system.

Over 30 missions taken from real events of the Pacific Theatre campaign – the Battle of Midway, Wake Island, Pearl Harbor, the Marianas and Iwo Jima.

An engrossing storyline featuring rich character development against the backdrop of the intense naval conflict in WWII’s Pacific Theatre.

Multiplayer allows the player to take part in Split Screen, Link Up, or Online multiplayer battles: Dogfight, Team Dogfight, Capture the Flag, Fox and Hounds (hold the flag the longest).

Multiplayer Missions – cooperative mode.

The graphical detail of the game is impressive as is the sheer amount of planes that will be dogfighting at once: over 300 planes will be in the air during battles. What’s more, up to 32 wingmen can be under your command. That’s simply amazing if the final version of the game delivers on these numbers without infringing on the gameplay. Online play, particularly on the PS2 and Xbox will also enhance the HOTP experience significantly. Expect to see HOTP fly into stores in time for Christmas 2004 shopping season.

- Lee Cieniawa
lcieniawa@armchairempire.com

(June 6, 2004)