Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII

Best known for its realistic, action-packed and addictively enjoyable Tom Clancy games, it’s always great to see Ubisoft break from their popular titles to bring us something refreshingly new and different. Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WII made its debut on the Xbox 360 as well as other current generation consoles and has finally come around for the PlayStation 3. While the game was bland on next-generation consoles, there was a chance that Nintendo’s new console would make this the best version of the game. This game might be the first air combat game on the Wii but even the Wii Remote and Nunchuk controls aren’t enough to distract us from a flawed and uninteresting game.

Refreshingly innovative new controls aside, Blazing Angel’s story-based Campaign mode remain relatively the same. You still assume the role of squad leader for the first American fighter pilots that decided to join the war effort way before the attack on Pearl Harbor. Through the eyes of this brave American pilot and his friends from Wisconsin and Texas, we witness some hairy combat over the Thames during the battle for Britain as well as battles over Paris during the liberation of France. You’ll take to the skies in a number of known World War II battles that would eventually lead to Berlin to end Hitler’s war machine and secure an Allied victory.

As interesting as this all may sound, especially since we do get to see plenty of action (even training quickly becomes a battle to protect Dunkirk) but the actual mission structure remains a repetitive mess. Really, there aren’t many mission objectives that stray from the same bomb-this-and-take-out-oncoming-enemies formula. You’ll be wishing there were objectives like defending a bridge or performing recon runs and more action-packed moments like the Pear Harbor level where you’ll be almost overwhelmed with enemy fighters that swarm over the wreckage below. The game lacked more moments where you’re chasing enemies and trying hard to shake your enemy’s wingman off your own tail. To make matters worst, your enemy quickly becomes too dumb to want to shake you off their tale! Your three squad mates aren’t much help either. In fact, just about the only resourceful member of your team is Joe and that’s mainly because he can repair your plane in mid-air via a mini-game (press the selected buttons as they flash on the screen).

What does the Wii version do that other versions don’t already do, you might ask? Well, for one thing, the game’s controls add a new dimension to the gameplay that other consoles don’t really bring. The game uses the Wii Remote as well as the Nunchuk attachment and it uses it well enough despite some jerky control moments. Personally, I opted for the Classic Inverted arcade-style controller option since the default Wii Remote Sensitive controls felt too awkward. Using the Classic control scheme allows you to utilize the Nunchuk since it does resemble an actual fighter plane’s control stick complete with trigger buttons. Yes you can use the Wii Remote itself without the attachment but it just makes for a really frustrating time. Still, no matter what control option you pick, the game sometimes displays some flaws. There was more than a few times when I tried slowing down and my plane didn’t and thus causing my plane to stall during a tricky maneuver.

The game also includes two exclusive missions that make the Campaign a pretty lengthy experience. There are also three modes: Arcade, Mini-Campaign and Ace Duel. Arcade mode basically throws you into a fighting game-styled mode where you’ll attempt to take down wave after wave of enemy squads. Mini-Campaign has you picking from either Dogfight or Bombing missions complete with a single campaign objective. Ace Duel places you up in the air against a single enemy fighter who just so happens to be flying the same plane you’re fighting. You can also unlock extras in these modes such as skins for the planes you unlock in the main mode. There’s also multiplayer fit for two-players but it’s hardly worth mentioning.

Visually, the Nintendo Wii version is slightly better than the original Xbox version of the game and that is unacceptable. Sure, this version does add better smoke effects and when you go full throttle you’ll feel like you’re really going fast but when it comes to the environments that game is as bland as the level design. The Paris and London landscape, for instance, looks extremely dull even though you will recognize familiar landmarks like Big Ben or the Eiffel Tower. The planes look decent enough and, as I mentioned, the smoke that comes out of damaged planes looks good. There are explosions in this game but they lack true detail. Where are the flaming pieces of wreckage when enemy planes blow up?

As far as the sound is concerned, the audio just seems better on the Wii than the Xbox. The voice acting in the game is not bad and the dialogue is true to the period. There are some decent sound effects here too and each plane has its own distinct sound that sets it apart from other planes. I mean, you can’t expect a British Spitfire V to sound like a Japanese Zero right? You’ll even hear your enemy shout out for help in German or the Japanese fighter pilots order his wingmen to cover them. While explosions and gunfire sound good, the soundtrack is appropriately military fanfare that works well.

In the end, Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII for the Wii repeats many of the weak spots that made the other next-generation versions such a dull experience. At times the game’s controls can be a bit on the jerky side but there are moments when the motion sensor technology really shines through. Unfortunately, repetitive mission objectives and brain-dead enemy flyboys get in the way of what could have been a spectacular aerial combat game Wii gamers could have really loved. This is the perfect weekend rental for any fan of the genre but for those who have played the other versions shouldn’t expect anything amazing from this version. 

Gameplay: 6.0
Forget the default control scheme; Classic Inverted works best in this game since the Nunchuk controller does resemble a fighter plane’s stick. The problem is that the enemies range from pretty smart to really dumb within seconds and many of the missions aren’t as fun as they could have been in a wartime situation. Even the squad commands seem a little bland.

Graphics: 5.0
Slightly better than the original Xbox version of the game, this one could have looked a lot better on the Wii. The backgrounds look rather flat in this version but the game does speed beautifully and dogfights look really cool but not in that spectacular cinematic way.

Sound: 6.0
The voice acting is pretty decent but nothing to write home about and the sound effects do the action justice. There’s a military-like score that fit’s the theme right but its barely noticeable during combat.

Difficulty: Medium
Oftentimes the enemy will make some truly impressive maneuvers and some of them will even attempt to shake you off their tale. Unfortunately, this isn’t often enough since they can often fly the same path as you riddle them with bullets.

Concept: number 5.9
Flying the unfriendly skies during well-known air battles during World War II again is fine and the exclusive Wii missions are a nice touch. Using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk attachment for a flight-combat game sound like a match made in heaven but it isn’t in this case. Mini-Campaign, Ace Duel and Arcade mode extend the life of the game after you’re finished with the main campaign.

Multiplayer: 5.0
Sadly online multiplayer is out in this game and the two-player deal just isn’t very good in this game despite the fact that there are enough planes to pick from at the beginning. Really, this is one multiplayer mode that could have been handled a lot better than this.

Overall: 6.0
It’s sad to see such great potential go to waste in a game that isn’t entirely bad but not as innovative or as fun as it could have been on Nintendo’s console. Blazing Angels on the Wii might have an interesting control scheme but it doesn’t make up for the lackluster campaign mode or the barely-there multiplayer mode. In the end, this game will disappoint fans of arcade-styled air combat games.