Game Reviews

Tigers of the Pacific 2

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Tigers of the Pacific 2

The original Tigers of the Pacific was so called because it featured WW2 aerial combat in the Pacific theatre of conflict.

This sequel showcases modern-day fighter planes battling against invading alien forces, Independence Day-style, yet it retains the same moniker. Confusing? Yes. Relevant? Not really.

You see, when you put aside the needlessly misleading title for a moment, the fast-paced action of Tigers of the Pacific 2 makes a considerable impact. Calling to mind the classic coin-gobbling Sega arcade game After Burner, this title is all about fast action, plenty of explosions, and cool evasive manoeuvres.

Like the aforementioned Sega classic, you're funnelled down a linear path in Tigers of the Pacific 2. Although you have a small degree of influence over your general direction, you're essentially on a locked route and cannot turn around.

You can be my wing-man any day

Enemy attacks come in waves, and are punctuated by encounters with large boss craft. As the game progresses you'll find yourself in the cockpits of a wide variety of famous fighter jets, including the F-15, F-16, and Su-27 Flanker.

Each craft has a different weapon, and a 'panic' move - these range from barrel rolls to special force fields that protect your plane for a short period of time.

The game's single-player campaign mode is set across several difficulty levels, with the easy option practically controlling your plane for you. You can select from auto-targeting to auto-flying, and to be honest neither is really worth bothering with unless you want to rob the game of any semblance of challenge.

The medium and hard difficulty levels are more appealing, as they put you in full control of your craft and demand fast reflexes, a steady aim, and skilful flying.

I can't shake him

The World at War mode offers the same basic gameplay but pits you against other players in a highscore challenge, supported by the popular ranking system OpenFeint, which lets you hook up with friends and online rivals to see if they've got what it takes to beat your best alien-slamming achievements.

While Tigers of the Pacific 2 may not offer the most deep and complicated simulation of air combat, it makes up for this by being bloody good fun. Just like After Burner, it's about showy visuals and immediately gratifying action, and it's sure to please all but the most demanding Top Gun pilots.

Tigers of the Pacific 2

Tigers of the Pacific 2 is more about arcade action than deep simulation, and it's all the better for it. Fans of After Burner should check it out
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Damien  McFerran
Damien McFerran
Damien's mum hoped he would grow out of playing silly video games and gain respectable employment. Perhaps become a teacher or a scientist, that kind of thing. Needless to say she now weeps openly whenever anyone asks how her son's getting on these days.