The story behind this game could easily be lifted from a 1980s action film. It kicks off with a scientist who’s developed a groundbreaking piece of technology capable of changing the world. However, before he can make his invention known to the public, he’s captured by a terrorist organization whose plan is to force him into creating deadly weapons that would help them dominate the globe. That’s where you, the player, step in as a lone helicopter pilot and the only hope of stopping this threat.
From the moment gameplay begins, it’s clear that this is a tribute to the golden age of action helicopter games. The mechanics are kept simple. You begin on a fairly decent map where missions appear one after another, and while you're free to tackle your current objective, the game doesn’t restrict your movement because you can fly anywhere across the map at will.
Combat is simple. An auto-targeting system ensures you lock on to the nearest enemy directly in front of your helicopter, making it easy to focus on something. This targeting works seamlessly with both your weapons: a machine gun and rocket launcher. Many enemies, including ground troops, mechanized walkers, and the occasional boat, can be destroyed from a safe distance, often before they even manage to return fire. Most foes go down quickly, especially when overwhelmed by a barrage of rockets.
Navigation is aided by a map filled with icons. Your current mission location is clearly marked, but most of the map is dotted with question marks and skull icons. Skulls indicate danger zones, areas filled with formidable enemies guarding future missions. The game uses this mechanic to prevent players from clearing the map too early. Question marks, meanwhile, hide essential resources that are critical for survival, especially since ammo, fuel, and health are all limited.
Controls are straightforward. You can fly in any direction, strafe for better combat maneuvering, and rotate freely. There’s no need to manage multiple weapons or complicated loadouts; your two weapons are enough. However, resources like ammo and fuel are not only limited, they're essential. Depleting them without a plan can leave you stranded and unprepared for future missions.
Resource collection adds some strategy. Supplies are rarely found in plain sight and usually require you to destroy buildings to uncover them. The question mark markers help guide your search, but since they don’t reveal the exact location, you might end up leveling several structures before finding what you need. Once resources are visible, they appear on the map and can be collected by flying over them and confirming with a simple button press.
Unfortunately, this system can create serious balance issues. The game doesn’t offer a consistent supply of resources, and it's entirely possible to use up all your ammo or fuel, leaving you unable to progress. While you’re given three lives and can retry the final one endlessly, dying doesn’t always replenish your ammo. This lack of resource management can be punishing. In my case, I had to restart the entire game because I had no rockets left during a base defense mission, and no way to resupply.
The problem becomes even more evident in missions involving endless waves of enemies, with a factory that constantly spawns mechs. With only seven missions on the same map, restarting isn’t that bad, but it reveals a frustrating design flaw. The difficulty feels artificially inflated to force players into managing resources perfectly from the start; if you don’t, you will be unable to complete the game. You have no way of knowing this on your first try.
