Title: Red Wings: Aces of the Sky
Developer: All in! Games
Publisher: Untold Tales
Released: October 13, 2020
Platforms Available: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC Game
Platform Reviewed: PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch
Article Reading Time: 5 minutes
Soaring Into the Skies: Meeting the Red Baron
Red Wings: Aces of the Sky stands out as an action aviation game, immersing you in the role of the legendary Red Baron. This aviator, renowned for his achievements, takes center stage in a game that combines elements of flight simulation, RPG, and arcade-like controls, all wrapped in a visually stunning package. At first glance, Red Wings: Aces of the Sky may appear to be a straightforward flight simulation with realistic combat. However, the game quickly dispels this notion, introducing RPG elements, arcade-like controls, and simple yet captivating graphics.
Core Mechanics: Guns and Grit in the Clouds
Your primary arsenal consists of machine guns, which can overheat, and four unique skills, each adding a layer of strategy and challenge to the gameplay. So you can rapidly turn 180 degrees once in a while, perform a barrel roll to avoid attacks, send your friendly troops at the enemy, or instantly take out a damaged plane with your ultimate abilities – that is, you pick up a machine gun and use your aircraft to salt it right into the targeted plane. Outside of these 4 skills and basic shooting, however, nothing else is added throughout the game. Instead, you’ll be given different planes for missions, which might last longer or have better machine guns. You can either go through the story mode alone, or you can bring along a local partner. The game then runs on a vertical split screen.
Mission Monotony: A Repetitive Flight Pattern
The missions themselves and their variety are, unfortunately, disappointing. Basically, 3 simple mission types alternate repeatedly, in a total of 25 levels that last about 5 minutes on average. The primary mission type asks you to eliminate enemy planes in the air and occasionally static airships that call for reinforcements until you destroy them. The second half of the game adds planes with extra shields, but that’s it in terms of variety. While playing, I fondly remembered the aerial level in Crash Bandicoot 3, but simplicity wasn’t an issue as it was 2 levels of the entire game. In the second mission type, you have an overhead view with the task of dropping bombs on enemy territory. Again, it’s a straightforward task you must complete in 2 minutes. No one stops you from doing this, so it’s just a matter of transporting from point A to point B. The third type of mission is the definition of an arcade. You are tasked with flying through a sequence of circles as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, there’s no sign of innovation here either – you fly the plane at more or less the same speed, collecting nothing along the way and just dryly flying through all the circles.
Aesthetics and Performance: Visuals on the Fly
The graphics and the game’s fluidity on the Nintendo Switch console are done to a tee. Red Wings has a simple but admirable style in the gameplay sections that don’t make the console a problem. The game runs absolutely smoothly, and I never get stuck. The missions are also interspersed with stylish comic strips that tell a simple story.
Final Ascent: Potential Unfulfilled
Red Wings: Aces of the Sky had me excited and entertained at first, but after an hour, it was the same old same old, and after two hours, I had finished the campaign. There are admittedly 2 campaigns, where in one, you play as an ally, and in the other, you play as an Axis power – but this is identical gameplay with different comics between levels. To add in conclusion, the game looks and runs nicely, and the base game is fun enough. Unfortunately, it doesn’t move anywhere during gameplay, so much wasted potential exists. If you are okay with a simple aerial shooter that entertains for a short while, you’ll definitely find something here.
Where to Buy Red Wings: Aces of the Sky
- Steam (PC): Available for $19.99. You can purchase the game directly from Steam
- PlayStation Store (PS4): The game is priced at $19.99. You can find it on the PlayStation Store
- Xbox Store: Red Wings: Aces of the Sky is available for $19.99. Check it out on the Xbox Store
- Nintendo eShop: The game is available for $19.99 on the Nintendo Switch. Purchase it from the Nintendo eShop
