7.8 /10 1 Votes7.8
81% GameFAQs Developers LucasArts, Totally Games | 6.9/10 GameSpot 81% Metacritic Initial release date 18 November 2003 Publisher LucasArts | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Genres Flight simulator, Action game Similar LucasArts games, Flight simulators, Other games | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Secret Weapons Over Normandy is a World War II-based arcade flight simulation video game released on November 18, 2003. Published by LucasArts and developed by Totally Games, the game is composed of 15 objective-based missions set in 1940s European, North African, and the Pacific theatres of war. The story was written by Derek Chester. The music was composed by Michael Giacchino.
Contents
Gameplay
The player controls James Chase, an American pilot volunteering to assist the British, who stand alone at this point of the war. He flies in the classified squadron known as the Battlehawks. Over the course of the game, the player has opportunities to: earn or capture new aircraft, add upgrades to his/her existing aircraft, and as the game puts it: "halt the most insidious plans of the Third Reich." The player's principal opponent is the Luftwaffe, in particular the enemies being the Battlehawk's counterpart, the elite squadron of top German pilots, known as Nemesis (similar to the real KG 200), commanded by Oberst Krieger. The player will also face off against the forces of the Japanese Empire.
It is notable for the presence of many prototype designs that never flew in combat, or were used in small numbers: the XP-55 Ascender, XP-56 Black Bullet, Chance-Vought Flying Pancake, the Junkers Ju 390, and the Daimler Benz C. Several German weapons projects that were either never completed or failed to make a significant impact on the war also feature in the game, such as the Mistel and the Wasserfall missile launcher.
In the campaign, the player is often assisted by wingmen. They are friendly pilots who can be ordered to cover Chase's plane, follow it, attack marked units and attack enemy planes. In some missions, it is possible to land on runways and get more ammunition or even change the aircraft. The player can slow down or speed up the time at any moment. However, it also removes voice dialogue. Although the most of the gameplay is in the air, certain parts of certain missions are set on the ground and the player must use anti-aircraft weaponry to shoot down enemy planes. The first part of the twelfth mission is in a turret of a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bomber, and the player uses machine guns to fight incoming fighters.
During the campaign, the player can play short challenges that often have unique objectives. The story is not affected if these challenges are skipped, but they also follow the same story of the main part of the campaign.
Throughout the course of the game, the player will have the opportunity to fly many types of World War II aircraft into combat.
The game features a wide range of actual weapons that were used during World War II.
Reception
Secret Weapons Over Normandy received mostly positive reviews upon release. It averages scores of 79.74% (PS2), 75.47% (Xbox), and 73.41% (PC) on GameRankings, and 81/100 (PS2), 77/100 (Xbox), and 72/100 (PC) on Metacritic.
Steve Butts of IGN awarded Secret Weapons Over Normandy awarded the game an 8/10, praising the sound and gameplay but criticized the fact that the Xbox and PC versions felt lackluster when compared to the PS2 version.
Kristan Reed of Eurogamer praised the game, calling it "one of the best kept secrets of the year". He gave it a final score of 9/10.
Jeff Gerstmann of GameSpot was a little more critical. He praised the simple controls and graphics but noted that they don't excel in any one area, and criticized the lack of challenge, scoring it a 6.9/10.