Game Reviews

Consoles see few flight simulators; it's a genre that enjoyed its heyday on the PC years ago but has only managed a few standout titles since then on any platform. Even so, what games there were rarely included helicopters, much less featured them. As a dedicated helicopter flight sim, Apache: Air Assault enters virtually uncontested skies.

The game's developer, Gaijin Entertainment (not to be confused with Gaijin Games, developers of the WiiWare BIT.TRIP series), proved its talent for making flight sims work on consoles with the well-received IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey. Nevertheless, many potential problems stand in the way of making such a technical game accessible for a broad audience. One of the more difficult ones to avoid trips up Apache: Air Assault. The difficult to master controls mean the hardest part of the game isn't trying to take down rogue helicopters; it's making sure you don't barrel into a mountain.

Gaijin does everything right as far as trying to reach out to newer players. The main Campaign mode has three different difficulty settings, including a Training mode specifically crafted for new players. There is also a Free Flight mode which allows players the opportunity to refine their flight skills in an open world. All of that, however, isn't enough to overcome the punishing flight mechanic.Basic flight controls for the helicopter fall on the left and right analog sticks. Getting airborne may be the easiest part of the game, but once there, things spiral out of control quickly. Trying to aim the helicopter can be a messy affair.