Lethal Skies Elite Pilot: Team SW

Having been a fan of combat flight simulators since I was introduced to them in the arcades, Lethal Skies had caught my attention and within a few seconds of playing it gamers will notice the same thing I have--this is not your usual combat flight simulator.

First of all, I highly recommend that gamers begin with the Training mode first before launching into Campaign mostly because the controls will definitely seem complex to those that aren’t use to flight simulators.  Making full use of all the controller’s buttons, flying is a bit tricky--but easy to get use to after a few flights.  Yet landing, for example, can be so frustrating that you’ll thank the designers for being merciful enough to offer a GIVE UP option in the pause menu at the end of a mission.

After feeling comfortable enough to try the Campaign mode, gamers will be engrossed in a rather strange story.  It seems that because of Global Warming, the Siberian ice caps have melted and started a chain reaction that literally drowned the world.  The survivors then attempted to rebuild new cities and formed the World Alliance to stand together as one people instead of several different countries.  However, a new political movement turned away from the World Alliance and formed the World Reorganization Front (WORF).  It’s militant ways and plans to conquer what is left of the world forces the World Alliance to send a special elite fighter squadron (known as Team SW) to fight WORF and bring final peace to what is left of the planet.   

The missions in Campaign mode--and there are twenty of them--are actually quite interesting and some manage to hook the gamer in . . . although they unfortunately stick with the same formula.  One mission has the squad escort a fleet of tanker ships as they make their way toward an island while another has you destroying a tanker trying to reach a destination.  There are many missions that have you destroying satellite stations or nearly hidden labs.  The mission briefing also warns you that these missions won’t be easy, not with WORF enemies on land, sea and ground shooting at you.

Almost immediately, you and your squad will meet resistance and combat is inevitable.  Enemies come in all shapes and sizes and in this case they come as other fighter jets, battle ships or small tanks.  With the Vulcan cannon and a dozen or so different kinds of missiles, combat is a matter of carefully locking-on to an enemy fighter and either unleashing a burst of bullets or a Sidewinder missile.  Thankfully you can even select the missile load before a flight (you can go heavy or light depending on you).

Gamers will love the realism of the combat--as well as the G-Force effect that shakes your controller--and the satisfaction of seeing enemies get shot down by your missile.  When an enemy locks-on to you, however, an alarm quickly sounds off and you have to shake it off before it damages a part of your fighter . . . and the damage can be specific (for example, it might blow near a wing and damage it).  You also run low on fuel and refueling consists of aerial refueling by way of attempting to latch on to a fuel nozzle of the fuel plane.

While the skies and the shimmering sea can be rather plain to look at, the graphic details of the fighter jets are among the best.  There are four different views to choose from (two third-person views, a cockpit view and full screen first-person view, however the third-person views are the best since it showcases the wonderful detail of each craft.  And the landscape below is quite a sight since the story revolves around a completely altered world.  Here, New York is submerged in water with a few buildings and landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty poking out.  It’s quite a brilliant sight to behold.

Aside from the stunning visual work, Lethal Skies has extraordinary sound effects that add to the realism factor.  Taking off from an aircraft carrier brings to mind movies like Top Gun with the ear shattering booster engine suddenly exploding with noise as it speeds up toward the skies.  Vulcan cannons whine as you fire long bursts and missiles swoosh past you as you dodge them when they’re fired upon your fighter.  You can also hear the wingmen that accompany you on your missions, but they do tend to recycle their flat and slightly muffled expressions over and over again.

Combat flight simulator fans will certainly enjoy this title and the uniqueness of its premise, so this is a game worth checking out if you’re a fan of the genre.  While some impatient gamers might be just a little turned off by the control issue, those that give the game the opportunity will not be sorry at all.

Gameplay: 7.5
Ripe with all the good things that make an excellent combat flight simulator, the game makes the flying experience as realistic as possible.  However, this realism comes at a price, which comes in the form of complex controls.  Like flying a real fighter jet, gamers have to manage the controls of a jet that reacts to everything around it.  Turns can be lethal during dives and gamers can easily loose control during bombing runs or even landings.  Still, with some practice, gamers will soon grow accustomed to the controls and will just as quickly learn a few air tricks.

Combat, the heart of this game, has been seen before in games like Top Gun and Ace Combat 04.  Still, it is always fun trying to lock-on to a particularly stubborn enemy fighter during a massive air battle. The fighting mechanics are made up of dodging enemy missiles and targeting (locking-on in this case) enemies using Vulcan cannons and a wide variety of missiles.  There are also a number of air tricks--such as deploying flares to ward off incoming tracking missiles--to work to your advantage.  

Graphics: 8.5
Lethal Skies is also quite a beauty to behold and gamers will no doubt be impressed with the level of detail of each aircraft during the game and especially in replays (which you can also watch in the Theater option in five different views).  Landscapes are also the center-point of the graphics and in this game the landscape are made up of dusty ranges of Nazca, Peru to the lush tropical density of Samoa.

The skies, although realistically plain to look at (with the exception of scattered cumulus clouds), do give the game it’s touch of realism.  You’ll see trails of smoke left behind by enemy fighters that you can pass through like a thick fog.  When the enemy is destroyed, a quick fiery ball of flame lights the sky and that is soon followed by a lingering puff of black smoke.

Sound: 8.0
Although the soundtrack consists of the usual heavy guitar licks found in most combat air sims, it actually does work for it here.  However, there is no real diversity of tunes and the music does not change to set the mood of the campaign missions. 

Still it’s the quality of the game’s sound effects that more than make up for the absence of a real soundtrack.  The sounds of the fighter jet warming up on the ground, it’s boaster growing louder and louder as it prepares to jet off into the blue is truly authentic.  Lethal Skies was designed with authenticity in mind and it is present throughout the game.  Fans of this genre will love the combat sound effects and the exploding missiles all around them.

Difficulty: Medium
The designers of Lethal Skies were thoughtful enough to have a difficulty settings option in the beginning of each campaign or training mission.  Gamers can switch the difficulty level (which includes Easy, Normal and Hard) on the fly without any trouble.  This also allows gamers that are experienced enough to go back to favorite missions and go through them again on the Hard setting.  Since all the missions vary in difficulty, gamers can set the level to their liking.

Concept: 8.6
With one of the most original and bizarre storylines seen in a game, Lethal Skies breaks from the traditional to mix a little science fiction with it’s reality based action.  Not only are familiar surrounds reduced to nightmarish landscapes, but also a New World order threatens to dominate what’s left of civilization.  This puts gamers in the role of a Team SW squadron pilot and has them flying to different corners of the world to stop this threat.

Interestingly odd story aside, the game tries to genuinely capture the combat flight experience with its realistic features such as specific aircraft damage, refueling procedures and G-Force.  The twenty missions are also quite diverse and range from escorting to launching an assault on a base or a satellite station.  All of this makes for some interesting flights.

Overall: 7.4
Lethal Skies has what it takes to capture the attention of combat air simulator fans with its unusual story, worthwhile missions and outstanding graphics.  And although the game’s controls can seem a bit complex and sometimes even a tad frustrating, gamers will have a good time learning as they play.