Gunship Review - PAGE 1

Introduction

Usually when Microprose announces that it is shipping a new game, it is a cause for excitement. Microprose has a well-known history of creating quality games that have excelled in their genre. Personally, I generally don't like games that are produced by Microprose, but I respect their ability to produce outstanding titles. For instance, although I don't particularly like Alpha Centuri, I know and acknowledge that it is a superior game. In this effort with Gunship, however, Microprose has failed to deliver a game of their usual caliber.

Storyline

After the break up of the former Soviet Bloc, the countries that served as buffers between communist Russia and Western Europe are destitute. The recovery process has been long and hard for these countries, and some have employed the tactic of building up military supplies in order to help spur the economy. As the countries previously held by Russian control are now stockpiling arms, the Russians are becoming increasingly nervous. They launch a preemptive strike against their former satellite Poland, who in turn asks NATO for assistance. Naturally, NATA decides to help out the vulnerable Poland, who has historically bore the brunt of so many Russian attacks against Europe. Eventually, Great Britain, the US, Germany, and Russia become embroiled in a massive armed conflict where the very stability of the world is in question. As a Gunship pilot, it is your duty to fight for your country until the enemy is destroyed.

Graphics

The immediate and most notable area that Gunplay fails at is the graphics. First of all, because this is a flying simulator-type game, the objects on the ground, as well as the ground itself, are generally viewed from quite a distance. Thus the level of detail and clarity that is required during most of the in-game scenes is generally quite low. However on occasion you may find it necessary to dip down below the tree line or hide behind a building in an attempt to dodge a missile or avoid enemy detection. From this closer perspective it is painfully obvious to notice the lack of care and time that was taken in the creation of the textures that form the trees and tile the buildings. The trees themselves are nothing but a set of two sided polygons set up in an x fashion. This dated technique has been used for years, and while other companies have avoided this method via voxels or multiple polygons, Microprose and Hasbro have hurt the look of the game by failing to employ these other techniques.

Another glaring error that immediately caught my attention was the fact that there is very little to no texture updating of any kind in this game. No matter how many missiles or cannon rounds I would pump into the ground, for instance, there would be the obligatory small explosion followed by nothing else. There was no trace of the hell that I had unleashed on the little patch of ground just moments ago. This lack of updating is another painful reminder of the poor quality job that the normally top-rate teams at these companies did on the graphics.

Graphics Cont'd

There are completely indestructible buildings in this game that must have been what the US government was aiming for when they built NORAD. Regardless of the number of missiles I shoot at them, or how many rounds I fire at them, not so much as a pane of glass breaks. These inconsistencies are quite annoying, for it really detracts from the realism of the game. The trees are the same way as these "super buildings" – no matter what I would do to them, they simply would not topple. The only objects I was able to destroy inside of the game were small farm buildings and my assigned targets.

Gameplay

You can play Gunship from several different viewpoints. The default control configuration and viewpoint is that of the pilot whereby the HUD is at a fixed point on the screen, and the joystick controls the helicopter. The second, and what people would imagine being the most entertaining viewpoint, is that of the gunner. A third viewpoint appears to have you look down the barrel of a gun out of a small port, although it is probably the view through a window near the gunner's feet. Finally, you can switch to a 3rd person view of the helicopter, whereby the only movement that you may do using your joystick's hat simply translates into a rotation of the free-floating camera around the helicopter.

Gameplay Con't

In most modern day helicopters, there are two people who form the crew of the gunship, the pilot and the gunner, each of whom has his or her own specific job. The pilot is assigned to the maneuvering and navigation of the craft, whereas the gunner's sole objective is the targeting and annihilation of the enemy. Communication between the crew of a gunship is critical to ensure its proper function and use. Given this importance, it is yet another area where Gunship fails. Often I would tell my pilot to perform the routine and mundane task of moving from waypoint to waypoint, and he would fly the chopper in a circle around the original waypoint that we had started at. Communicating with your wing mates is no easier than with the pilot. They would often radio in, asking for instructions. When I gave them some form of orders, I received no affirmation from them. Frequently I would never even see or hear of them engaging the enemy as I had instructed them to do. Thus you are alone in the game, forced to take the position of the pilot, meandering from waypoint to waypoint, and destroying the enemies in your path.

I am not completely sure that the buttons necessarily do what the keyboard map states they do. There is no audible affirmation half of the time, and frequently I found myself mashing the keyboard, screaming bloody murder at the commies (they're supposed to be Nationalist Russians, but hey, old habits die hard) who were trying to shoot me down.

Sound

The sound in this game is the one area where Microprose did not botch up. The chatter over the radio is very well done, and each pilot speaks in the native language of his or her country. The chatter is then subtitled on the screen so that you are able to understand what the wingman or co-pilot is saying. The sounds of the rockets launching isn't bad, although I have heard far better explosions elsewhere. The hum of the gunship's massive engine is ever present in the game, and helps to add to the overall feeling of being in control of a massive weapon of war.
 

Conclusion

In short, do not buy Gunship. Its one saving grace is that it actually works right out of the box and does not require a patch like some games do. Unless you absolutely love all games that are made by Microprose (or they decide to give the game away as a coaster for your drink) stay away from purchasing this game. There are simply too many mistakes that have too large of a negative impact on the game to ignore. Because Microprose has historically released excellent games, Gunship had the potential to be another one of the company's awesome games. However, due to a lack of decent programming, poor graphics, and the occasional breach of logic (I was able to land and roll around on water in a vehicle that only has wheels, for instance), Gunship will quickly sink into the dark abyss of forgettable games.

Overall Score: 60%