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Very fun arcade/sim mix

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 20 / 21
Date: January 22, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I have been waiting a long time for a WW2-based aerial combat game. Rather, I've been waiting a long time for a REALISTIC one. Many of these purported WW2 games go the fantasy route and have Mustangs and Corsairs armed with lasers and other such nonsense. This one is right on the money, with period-accurate weaponry and flight characteristics.

In the campaign mode, you play the role of Lt. William Crowe, USN. You are in flight training during the attack on Pearl Harbor, and proceed to fight your way through all the famous campaigns and battles of the Pacific war, including Guadalcanal, Coral Sea, the defense of Wake Island, the Marianas, the Philippines, Leyte Gulf, Midway, and Iwo Jima. You are able to fly a variety of aircraft, from nimble fighters such as the Hellcat, Corsair, p-38 Lightning, as well as dive bombers like the SBD Dauntless and torpedo bombers like the Devastator.

The gameplay is very fun, although at easy levels the enemy AI is very, very stupid. Enemies will fly as though they just graduated from flight school (which, in a historical context, was pretty close to the truth after Midway) and are easy to shoot down. There's quite a learning curve involved for those who are used to combat flight sims which are more jet-and-guided-missle oriented, since you have to line your enemy up and lead them with your machine guns or cannon. However, once this is learned, combat becomes easier and more fun.

As you advance through the missions, you unlock various airplanes which can be used once the game has been completed on any difficulty level. It's fun to fly as a Zero or even a German Me-262 sometimes! This isn't a highly realistic simulator, however - you basically have unlimited fuel and ammunition, and some things which would normally cause you to crash (like ramming another plane) simply cause damage. However, none of that detracts from the fun factor of this game, which is very high.

In addition, I was very impressed with the ship models used for the game, as well as the realistic-looking landmasses when attacking islands. Iwo Jima really looks like Iwo Jima, with Mount Suribachi at one end, and Wake Island and Pearl Harbor is accurately modeled as well. The Japanese carriers look just like the real carriers did, and aren't just generic representations. The carrier you fly off of in most missions is the USS Enterprise (CV-6) and it too, is accurately modeled, even if it is sometimes inaccurately called the Saratoga.

In summary, this is a very, very entertaining game with good replay value and I highly recommend it.

Looks great, flies poor

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 12 / 12
Date: February 05, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I'm a big fan of WWII aircraft and combat, so I had to get this game (the only one of this kind that I'm aware of). Graphically the game looks beautiful, but the controller configuration is difficult to use for several reasons. There are only 2 variations with no ability to customize. Most flight sims use the L or R 'shoulder' buttons for rudder control but HotP has unwisely eschewed that almost "given" configuration in favor of the right analog stick (assumedly to give more precise control of the rudder), but said stick also serves as the throttle control (you can see where this is going). Trying to pull off a tight turn can and often does result in unwanted throttle adjustments - you either stall or overshoot your target. On the subject of stalling, it is a far too common attribute of this game's flight psysics and almost impossible to recover from. Your plane literally drops like a stone the second it stalls (the term "glide ratio" is non-existent), and as much of the action takes place just a few thousand feet up there is little or no time for correction. But like I said, I'm a sucker for WWII aircraft and this game has them to spare. There are close to 150 planes that can be unlocked and upgraded through gameplay. Arcade fun, but not exactly a WWII flightsim.

PROS: Beautiful graphics; unlockables keep you coming back for more - vast number of aircraft available; missions from the pages of history; challenging, but more so because of the control configuration; multi-player dogfighting online

CONS: No customization of (poor) control layouts; stalls are way too easy resulting in crashes; long load times (every menu screen has a load-time - ridiculous when you are changing settings)

Beautiful and Awesome!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 12 / 13
Date: May 05, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This is a great action game! Especially if you like airplanes! This game is much better than Secret Weapons Over Normandy. The graphics for this game is really good. The sound and music too. The spinning propeller engine sound is solid. The music is cool, there are cool Japanese themed music with the drum and sharp flute sound. Good voice acting too.

The control is arcadey. Its fluid and the planes behave more like real planes. In SWON the planes all turn on a dime thus acting like Star Wars planes.... The camera mode allows you to look to the side(bearing view), to the back and cockpit view, all which SWON don't have. One thing I wish this game had was a 'closer' super zoom feature which SWON has, this allows you to see the enemy aircrafts VERY up close. The wing flaps and rudder all move when you fly. When you fire cannons the fire spitting effect is really cool! You can give orders to your wingmen, the AI is good. Airplanes can stall out easily but after you get used to the airplanes with attention to speed you will never stall out.

Everything looks authentic and real. The airplanes, armament, environment, missions, etc... There are few short real WW2 video clips between some levels. The missions are fun and NOT overloaded with those 'escort' type missions. You get to shoot up many planes in most missions. Few missions will have you drop torpedos and divebomb on ships and carriers. You will go head to head with few Japanese and one German Ace. Other missions include recon, destroy land targets, etc... I like the main map which shows the world between Japan and USA. However you can't rotate the airplanes for viewing in the hangar. This game is so FUN that I wish it was much longer! Best thing about this game is the replay feature which allows you view the whole mission!

There are many different aircrafts and you can spend earned points to upgrade the aircrafts with different paint scheme. All the famous aircrafts are here, like Mitsubishi Zero, Betty bomber, Aichi D3A 'Val', Ki-61 Randy fighter, Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate 'Frank', Kyushu Shinden, Baka suicide jet, P-51 Mustang, Corsair, P-38 lightning, Wildcat, Hellcat, Bearcat, Dauntless divebomber, P-47 Thunderbolt, B-25 Mitchell, Supermarine Seafire, Hawker Tempest, Yak 3, Focke Wulf 190, Me 262 jet... and various dive bombers, float fighters, torpedo planes, and bombers. All in all about 35 aircrafts. You can use Axis aircrafts in campaign and mission mode when you finish the game. Check gamefaqs.com for FAQS, guides, codes and secrets.

Im a WW2 fan especially airplanes. I have at least one of every Corgi WW2 model/type airplanes. This game really make the diecast come alive!

Make sure to check out the show 'Dogfight' on History Channel, it really gets your wings going. Better yet go visit a WW2 plane museum and attend air shows!

I like this game more than Ace Combat 5. Ace Combat 5 feels like a monorail train ride and Heroes of the Pacific feels like a roller coaster ride. WW2 airplanes has great history behind it, the airplanes do meet their match while modern aircrafts from Ace Combat are used to abuse poor countries or unequals.

Overall a great game, highly recommended. I hope Ubisoft will make a European theatre version of this game soon!

This game rocks

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 9 / 9
Date: October 17, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I'm not a big fan of flight sims, but picked up a copy of this game because I am interested in the History of WWII.

Out of the box, this is no flight sim, but one of the most intense combat games I have played in a long time. The sky is chock full with enemy, always giving you something to fight with, it's full on. After completing one mission I even had that "after doing something dangerous and getting away with it feeling", a mixture of relieve, pride, exhaustion satisfaction and wow.

The in game presentation is great, real period style, and lots of planes to choose from, while not historically that accurate, its not completely Hollywood either, and their are plenty of different planes to choose from, ranging from fighters to dive and torpedo bombers, big bombers and even flying boats (which rock).

The game is far from perfect, there are a number of niggles here and there, but it's better moments are some of the best I have seen on the console, then there is the whole network play to explore, I think its going to keep me entertained for a good while. Highly Recomended

Arcade dogfighting fun!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 9 / 9
Date: October 18, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Intense gameplay and exciting dogfighting! What I wonder is why there isn't more marketing on it. It's such a great game!

Not a history lesson, just plane dogfighting

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 10
Date: December 10, 2005
Author: Amazon User

First of all, to hmshood, this is a video game, not a history lesson. For all the detail and information in the game, I think it's pretty good despite the inaccuracies. Second of all, if you are offended by the language in the game, understand the real-life circumstances WWII pilots went through. I don't think minding their language was a high priority when they are a split-second away from dying for our country. There are a lot worse games out there that I am offended by, that kids have no business buying or playing. Your 1-star rating makes this game's overall rating worse than it should be; those of you reading this, please make a note of that if the star-rating affects your decision to purchase this game. On to my review: for many years I have played flight sim games like Ace Combat, and every single one was a modern version where all you have to do is hold down the throttle, wait to get in range, launch a missile, and go on and do other things; not a huge challenge considering the technology and accuracies of today's aircraft and weapons systems. And many flight games for game consoles are like that. For the longest time, I wondered if there was ever going to be a flight game that was all WWII planes. In WWII, the planes were slower, the controls weren't as precise, and the best weapon you had was a set of wing-mounted machine guns that you had to be very accurate with, even when leading a target. In addition, torpedo runs and dive-bombing, a lost art among pilots these days, also test your skills with these classic planes. This game embodies those qualities. While some things are historically inaccurate, I find the difficulty levels, wide range and numerous amounts of missions, and the ability to upgrade planes, more than make up for it; additionally, the bad Japanese voice impressions add some humor, reminding me of when I grew up watching the classic "Baa, Baa, Blacksheep" (aah, you very good, Boyington!). As far as some things I don't like, yes I agree the professional controls are very tricky and tough to deal with; but I find I can do all I need using the arcade controls, just takes a little practice. Secondly, I would like to see the Doolittle Raid added to the historical missions list; watching the movie "Pearl Harbor" and reading about the raid in the history books make the raid more intriguing to me. Third, I would hope this same company comes up with a similar version for the European theater during WWII, where instead of Japanese and Russian planes, you deal with the German ME's, the RAF planes, and the same line-up of American planes (especially the P-51, that thing is a hot rod!). Anyway, that's my two cents. It's a great change of pace to the many other flying games, and something you can play over and over again.

Suprise find

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: October 22, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Haven't heard a lot about this game, but its a gem, most fun I have had in a long time, and lots to do / unlock. Plus it has good online play which you don't see on that many PS2 games.

I have recomended my friends check it out.

Buy This Game!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: March 03, 2006
Author: Amazon User

If you're looking for a good WWII dogfighting game, look no further. Here is the diamond in the rough; Action packed with an excellent story line. I really didn't expect this game to be as cool as it is.
The AI in this game is amazing! Enemy aircraft, ships, and ground units do a very good job of defending themselves against your attempted attacks. Even your trusty tail gunner does a good job of spotting and downing enemy aircraft when you are in the thick of the fighting.
From strafing enemy airfields and protecting U.S. marine troop landings to dive bombing aircraft carriers and torpedoing submarines; this game has it all. I can't stop playing it!

Challenging - I'm enjoying it.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: April 08, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I wanted a dog fight game and this looked like a good one based on the reviews. In brief: it is challenging, realistic, the graphics look good, the game is smooth (no glitches in the graphics or otherwise) and it's pretty much what I wanted. It has been fun to play. I'm glad I got it.

I gave it 4 stars instead of five, not because HoP is flawed, but because dog fight sims are inherently imperfect. Hopefully the following review reflects that. HoP seems to be as good as it gets.

I have played HoP for many hours and am getting much better at controlling my plane in "professional" mode (as opposed to "arcade" mode which seemed like a senseless choice since I wanted a flying sim). There is a challenging learning curve to controlling these planes which has made me feel as if I have "learned how to fly" somewhat after a few hours of gameplay. However, I have a long way to go before I ratchet up the difficulty level!

The pros:
the planes (so far) are propeller-driven, so you're fighting planes you can see (unlike jet fighter sims where you fire rockets at enemies miles away). Dogfights involve close encounters with the enemy.

There are numerous planes and plane types and they fly differently and are designed for different types of attacks and missions. It seems realistic and keeps the interest level up as you explore new types of planes. Upgrades add to the variety. It's a bit of a history lesson as well.

The historical narratives are brief and give you some context for each mission. The "characters" are dopey, of course, but the settings (such as Pearl and Midway) look good and add some sense of purpose.

The missions are varied -- sometimes it's strictly fighter vs. fighter, sometimes you're dive bombing a carrier, sometimes you're simply searching for the enemy fleet. Each type of mission requires a different type of plane and different tactics.

The difficulty levels go from "rookie" to "ace." I am still a rookie and have to believe that "ace" mode would be instant death for me. In other words, even if I get to be an expert "pilot", I have a feeling "ace" level will still be a challenge.

During a mission, you have a lot of free will. You can try different approaches to an attack. For instance, you can fly straight at an enemy formation and get ripped to shreds; the next time you can fly at a higher altitude and try attacking from above; if that doesn't work, you can try avoiding the enemy for a short time and then come in from another angle. (Re staying on your flight path: you can stray too far from your mission, in which case you are yelled at and told to get back on your flight path. This is reasonable -- it's a game. You can't just decide to fly to Honolulu for some R&R! There have to be some constraints.)

You do NOT have to restart an entire mission if you fail. You can restart from the last checkpoint. Sometimes this does mean that you have to re-accomplish some hard-earned successes, but it's not unreasonable. You can't save within a mission, though, so if you quit, you will start at the beginning of the mission.

Landing is relatively easy. While I'm sure that's very challenging in reality, I'm glad I don't have to risk every mission success by having to make the perfect landing on a carrier in strong winds.

The cons: i.e. Why not 5 stars? My cons are generally not HoP issues, per se, but dog fight game issues, I guess. So take them as such.

You can't turn off the auto save function once you select it -- so don't select it. That's an HoP programming thing, not a gameplay issue, but I found it an annoying oversight.

Inherent in any dogfight game is your inability to see more than what is right in front of you (you can get a different "camera" view, but you can't swivel your virtual head to keep the target in view.) This is not a HoP drawback, per se. But it is tough to spend half my time banking to stay with a target that has left my sight. I spend a lot of time chasing an arrow that represents the target's position relative to my field of vision. I guess if I were a better pilot I could keep the target IN my field of vision. I am a pretty bad pilot.

Maybe I should add at this time that I give my pilot skills only one star!

The controls are pretty well designed but there are only two configurations available. That seemed primitive to me. I would like to make some changes, but can't. For example, the rudder and throttle are controlled by the right joystick. Pushing that joystick in gives you a burst of speed. When I try to use my rudder to maneuver in a dogfight, I invariably increase my speed (and sometimes accidentally push in a get a burst of speed). That speed increase usually sends me flying past my target! Yes, if I were more dextrous it would not be a problem. But if I could reconfigure the control, I could negate my clumsiness.

P.S. I have not tried the multi-player mode, so I cannot comment on that.

ultimate ww2 air shooter!!!@#$%&*

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: April 16, 2006
Author: Amazon User

BUY THIS GAME! Or you will regret it once they are sold out.
first of all, the graphics are AMAZING. for example: the land masses look so real you feel as if you could reach out and touch them. the air craft look good. and the enemy destruction is cool too. sometimes a wing will fall off after being shot, the plain will take a nosedive into the ground, or it will simply explode!the thrill of dogfighting will get anyone hooked on this game. the game also keeps true to history with real weopons from ww2 aircraft, like guns(cannons), unguided missles, an bombs and torpetoes.ive only played the demo for this game, so i dont kmow the whole expeereance, but just watching the game makes you feel as though you are acualy there.

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