Flying can be a frightful thing. Don’t expect Attack on Pearl Harbor to assuage your fears. With bullets whizzing past your head, missiles missing your plane by inches, and more trash talking in multiplayer than you’d expect from Howard Stern’s radio show, CDV’s foray into wild blue yonder isn't your typical World War II sim-- it's more of an action killfest. Going hands-on with the game at a recent press event, we buckled in for a bumpy yet action-packed ride through the Pacific skies.
The single player portion of the game dishes out two campaigns each for the American and Japanese factions which total over 50 missions combined. Naturally, the campaigns follow the major events of the War in the Pacific beginning with the infamous assault on Pearl Harbor. In the first mission of the primary Japanese campaign, you fly over the Hawaiian naval base tasked with bombing key American vessels. Playing the American campaign, you find yourself on the other side of the battle, hastily manning a fighter to defend against the Japanese attack. Expect dual missions like this to appear throughout the game at notable points such as Guadalcanal, Midway Island, and Iwo Jima.
Missions exclusively hone in the action with basic objectives such as bombing anti-aircraft encampments, launching torpedoes against a fleet of ships, and eliminating a squadron of fighters. There doesn’t seem to be a ton of variety here, but that may work to the game’s benefit. Attack on Pearl focuses on unadulterated action instead of cramming simulation controls or needlessly complicated aircraft customization. This title is all about shooting, blasting, bombing, and destroying stuff.
At the beginning of each mission, you're prompted to select a plane from your hangar. Over a dozen World War II-era aircraft are making their way into the game, both Japanese and American. Unlike other flight-action titles, crashing in Attack on Pearl Harbor doesn’t kill your pilot; instead, you lose whatever plane you were flying. When your hangar has no more planes, the campaign ends. Downing enemy fighters unlocks new aircraft, so performing well in missions is your only way to secure extra planes for backup.
Each plane possesses a set of primary and secondary weapons that naturally differ depending on the model. Fighters are equipped with machine guns and fire-and-forget rockets, while dive bombers carry standard bombs, and torpedo bombers equip their namesake. There are noticeable differences in the aircraft aside from weaponry, with American models boasting a bit more armor than their more maneuverable Japanese counterparts.
The sheer amount of aerial carnage that goes down in a given minute makes Attack on Pearl Harbor prime multiplayer material. LAN and online multiplayer will be supported for up to twelve players. Of course, all of the maps and planes available in the campaigns can be used. We played a mix of team-based matches and free-for-all games, but found the deathmatch-style games more enjoyable due to problems with friendly fire in team games.
Taking out the other attending press members in a LAN match definitely served as the highlight of our preview; although, we found ourselves too often on the receiving end of missile volleys. Fortunately, you respawn instantly following a crash which does wonders for keeping the intensity of the game going. While some balancing is still needed, the multiplayer component of Attack on Pearl Harbor has potential.
