6 /10 1 Votes
Developer(s) Dark Water Studios Distributor(s) Steam Initial release date 14 June 2010 | 6/10 Steam Publisher(s) Dark Water Studios Engine Instinct Engine 2.0 Platform Personal computer | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Designer(s) Sean McCafferty, Damien Gallagher Release date(s) June 14th 2010 (Digital) / March/April 2011 (Retail) Similar Combat flight simulators, Other games | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
DogFighter is an action aerial combat video game for Microsoft Windows.
Contents
Developed by independent video game developer Dark Water Studios based in Derry, Northern Ireland, DogFighter is digitally distributed through Valve's Steam game client for Windows. The game was released on June 14, 2010.
DogFighter is the first commercial video game title to use the Instinct Engine.
One hundred-twenty dedicated servers and 20 dedicated demo servers went online on August 17, 2010, hosted by Multiplay.
Gameplay
DogFighter consists of single-player levels as well as multiplayer maps where players congregate online to play against one another. DogFighter features different aircraft varying in speed, agility and defense capabilities.
Players can play against up to 15 opponents in multiplayer game modes such as "DeathMatch", "Team DeathMatch" and "Capture the Flag". Single-player modes include a "Tournament" mode where the player can achieve medals for events completed and "Survivor" where they can battle against waves of enemy craft.
A "Lone Wolf" game mode was released with update version 1.0.2.4 in both single-player and multi-player game modes.
A teaser trailer, released via YouTube on February 4, 2010 showcased a variety of craft and environments.
Content updates
Featuring two new community-member made craft, the Harbinger, and the Vanguard. Italian language support was also added.
Aces High - featuring a new map Aces High and two new craft, the AngelFire, and a DogFighter community-member made plane, the KillerBee.
Call to Arms - featuring a new map The Old Gods and a new craft, the Mongoose
Technology
DogFighter uses Instinct Studio 2.0, a cross-platform middleware solution created by Instinct Technology. The game also uses nVidia PhysX, Scaleform and Fmod.
Key technological features used in DogFighter include deferred rendering and seamless landscape/outdoor to indoor environment technologies.
Reception
DogFighter was well received. PC game review site GameRamble.com awarded DogFighter a score of 9.0 / 10.0, praising it for having "All the fun and maddness of a first person shooter but with added dimensions" as well as having stylist and detailed graphics.
Christopher Holt, Editor at GamePro awarded DogFighter four out of five stars, stating it was "Fun, frenetic multiplayer combat; great aircraft roster and interesting arsenal fc; cool maps."
It earned a score of 7.0 / 10.0 from video games blog RipTen, who cited its strong points as "Fun plane combat done the right way" and "Planes and weapons all mix and balance perfectly".
Gamer's guide website Kotaku praised DogFighter as being "Team Fortress 2 with an Air Supremacy Mode" as well as commenting positively on the games highly-responsive control system, graphics and simple premise.
Video game news website GamingBolt.com commented positively on DogFighter's overall visual aesthetic and extremely detailed plane models as well as its unique power-ups such as realguns and heat-seeking rockets.
DogFighter was named sixth in the top ten games, by unit sales, for October 2010 on digital distribution platform Steam for selling 67,000 copies.
German technology and games website Zockon gave the German retail release of DogFighter 7.0/10.0, citing amongst its strengths a good mix of action and simulation controls, nicely built 3D models, strong mix of game modes and uncomplicated online multiplayer.
British game reviewer and e-sports commentator TotalBiscuit had high praise for DogFighter but cited invisible planes as one of its downfalls.
Soundtrack
High Score Productions is credited with sound design, effects and soundtrack.
Retail release
In March 2011, Berlin-based games publisher Just A Game released a boxed retail version of DogFighter. This version included an exclusive craft, "The Badger", and full localisation support for German-speaking countries.
In April 2011, Moscow-based games publisher Logrus released a boxed retail version of DogFighter. This version includes full localisation support for Russian-speaking countries.