Take to the Skies

In this WWII action game from Ubisoft Romania, you join the Blazing Angels, an Allied squadron of fighter planes in World War II. Blazing Angels™: Squadrons of WWII sends you on more than 18 missions with more than 40 different planes to fly. The game's developers chose the missions from throughout the entire history of WWII, providing a varied and comprehensive view of the changing challenges faced by fighter pilots throughout the war.

The Battle of Britain begins.

It was May, 1940. Spring had arrived in Northern France, although temperatures still floated in the cool 50-degree-Fahrenheit range. Allied forces hadn't expected such an aggressive push from the Germans to the east. It took them by surprise and ended with more than 400,000 Allied soldiers cut off with the German army on three sides and the English Channel behind them.

In the first mission, you fly over Dunkirk (Dunkerque) in an attempt to hold back the advancing German ground forces while the Luftwaffe tries to knock you out of the sky. You're the only thing standing between the desperate Allied troops and certain capture or death. In this, and every mission you fly after this one, you play a crucial role in not only your own success, but in the success of an entire operation.

Frank shoots to kill. You sic him on the enemy,
and he doesn't stop attacking until he runs out of juice.

Flying Solo
Blazing Angels offers a wealth of single-player entertainment. As a matter of fact, the main body of gameplay occurs in Campaign mode. Here, the 18 missions unfold. You increase in rank and unlock planes as you progress through the missions.

The gameplay is varied. You lead a squadron of fighter planes which includes you and three other units. You command your wingmen using the D-pad. Each has his own special ability that he brings to the team. Tom acts as your shield, for example. His ability to taunt enemy pilots draws their fire away from you for short periods of time so that you can accomplish your mission without as much interference. Frank shoots to kill. You sic him on the enemy, and he doesn't stop attacking until he runs out of juice. And then there's Joe, your mechanic. He can repair your plane in midair, though it requires that you make it through a series of button pushes that test your ability to focus. All in all, the four of you make a fearsome team.

Your equipment changes and improves as you gain experience. You unlock more than 40 planes and can choose between them once they're available. Each plane has attribute values which determine its Speed, Acceleration, Maneuver, Firepower, and Hit Points. In addition, you can unlock more powerful weaponry that further enhances your plane's ferocity.

Comin' in low over London.

Odd Man Out
This game offers three standalone modes that you play by yourself but that are not a part of the regular campaign. In Mini-Campaign mode, for example, you choose whether you want to enter into a Dogfight or do a Tactical Bombing raid. Without prelude, you enter combat. There are six Dogfight and six Tactical Bombing missions that unlock in order. By completing all six of one type, you earn upgraded weapons for all your planes.

Arcade mode gives you a chance to practice your flying, fighting, and bombing skills in a timed situation. The enemies just keep coming. You earn time bonuses that allow you to keep playing as your score rises. If you manage to survive to the end, you earn an upgrade to your plane.

The final standalone mode is the Ace Duel mode. In this mode, you enter into a duel with an enemy ace equally matched with you. As you unlock planes, your opponents become more varied. Whenever you win an ace duel, you get a special skin for your plane.

Paris in the springtime.

Friendly Skies
The multiplayer options in Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII provide numerous ways that you can team up with and compete against your friends. The game offers System Link, Split Screen, and Xbox Live® gameplay.

More specifically, it lets you play in Solo mode, where it's every man for himself. In Solo mode, you can challenge others to a dogfight in which the last man standing wins. You can play an Aces High game in which the goal is to kill the Ace and thus earn a point. Once you kill the Ace, however, you become the Ace and everyone else goes after you. In Seek and Destroy, you win when you've killed every other player once. The game marks which ones you've destroyed, so you know whom to target. You can set a time limit or a specific score as the goal.

In Co-Op mode, it's everyone against the A.I. Five different game modes within Co-Op mode make it fun and varied. For example, Kamikaze mode pits your team against A.I. opponents that are all kamikaze fighters. You must keep the enemy team from destroying the base. Succeed and your team wins.

Ooh la la, lose 'em, Luc.

Lastly, Squadron game modes pit your team of up to eight players against another such team. In this mode, you fight directly against each other, player versus player, team versus team. You can play at dogfighting or Capture the Base, or have one team attack kamikaze-style while the other team attempts to defend its base.

Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII has so many different modes of play, challenges, and interesting bits of information in it that if you enjoy flying games or WWII history even a little bit, you'll get hours and hours of entertainment from it.

Suit up, pilots. Your planes await.

Article by Angel Leigh McCoy