Gaming Target - Xbox: Secret Weapons Over Normandy

Written by Nick Doukas on December 12, 2003

Full Review: Strong enough for the Axis, but made for the AlliesЕ

By May of 1940, the Allied leaders of Great Britain and the United States had witnessed the awesome power of Germany's resurrected war machine. Undermanned and under equipped, the Allies moved quickly to slow the Nazi military juggernaut. Pilots from war-ravaged Europe, and even the United States, came to England to volunteer their services. This is their storyЕ

LucasArts, the creators of the critically acclaimed Tie-Fighter and X-Wing titles, are now trying their hand at a more realistic (yet still arcade-like) flight combat game. Secret Weapons Over Normandy puts you into the role of an American pilot named James Chase. Joining up with Britain's Royal Air Force, and more specifically, a secret Уbest of the bestФ squadron called the Black Hawks, you'll take on missions in both the European and Pacific theaters.

The game eschews hardcore flight physics for a more action-oriented experience. Controls are simplified, though you still have plenty of control over your aircraft. Power-dives, barrel rolls and all other manner of dog-fighting maneuvers are at your fingertips. You'll fly both fighter and bomber missions, though more often than not you'll find yourself in a dogfight. You'll be able to issue orders to your squad-mates using the directional pad (such as: target at will/defend me/attack my target). You also have the option of making an automatic landing, or actually dropping the gear and doing it yourself.

SWON allows you to fly some pretty cool WW II era warbirds. Everything from the Hawker Hurricane Mk.1, to the P-51D Mustang are available for you to pilot, and the weapon payloads for each are pretty impressive. Cannons, rockets, bombs and even torpedoes rain down destruction on your enemies, and there are even some very cool secret weapons to discover (hence the name Secret Weapons Over Normandy, as if you didn't figure that one out for yourself). As you complete missions, you'll be rewarded with upgrade requisitions, which you can use to enhance your aircraft's armor and firepower.

Your HUD (heads up display) shows you all the necessary critical information. Altitude gauge, speed-throttle gauge, target distance, target health and a damage level indicator. The game even supplies you with a situational awareness map, which displays priority targets, friendly aircraft and the nearest airfield. Good stuff to know when you're in the thick of things.

Visually the game looks good, if not exceptional. All of the environments look solid, and the draw distance, textures and lighting perform ably. The planes are all well modeled, and feature nice detailing and authentic insignia. The environmental effects are quite good, and the weapons fire and explosions lend aural and visual realism to the proceedings. Enemy planes break apart satisfyingly when you land the killing blow, and spiral to the ground smoking and flaming in a gaudy shower of toasted wings, tails and Nazis. The sound is implemented perfectly, and the roar of enemy fighters, the staccato blaring of machine gun fire, and authentic radio chatter all come together to create a solid feeling of immersion.

The mission structure is mostly pretty cool. Throughout the course of the game you'll encounter the typical escort and defend sorties, attacks on enemy installations, and good old-fashioned bombing runs. Coordinating attacks with your wing-mates and tearing up the opposition makes for a fun, if somewhat shallow experience during most of the campaign, though a few of the missions are kind of boring. You should also be forewarned that the difficulty ramps up dramatically late in the game, leading to a slight imbalance in play mechanics. Overall, it's really nothing to cry over though.

The game supports Dolby Digital 5.1, and though no online play is enabled, downloadable content is. The soundtrack is sparse, but when the music does kick in, it has an appropriately militaristic feel to it.