GAME
OF THE
DAY
Sky Gamblers - Storm Raiders 2
Epic WWII airplane combat
Fight or flight? In Sky Gamblers – Storm Raiders 2, a breathtaking flight simulation game set during World War II’s most famous battles, it isn’t a choice. You’ll be doing a fair bit of both.
Atypical Games nabbed a 2013 Apple Design Award for the original Sky Gamblers – Storm Raiders, and just a few minutes into this sequel it’s easy to see why. Incredible graphics bring the skies of World War II to life. Plumes of smoke spill out of downed planes. Bullets whiz by as you arc over pale blue oceans and dense green forests. It’s detailed right down to the rivets on the wings.
Flying the not-so-friendly skies can be as casual or complex as you like. Storm Raider 2 soars with its excellent, customisable controls. Novices can rely on a mix of onscreen and accelerometer options, while more advanced pilots should test their mettle in full flight-sim mode (this is seriously challenging). Regardless of your experience level, Storm Raider 2’s flexible flight model ensures you’ll be dogfighting over the White Cliffs of Dover in no time.
The game is packed with content, including a lengthy single-player campaign. Solo flyers can partake in 12 missions showcasing some well-known historical missions – including the iconic Pearl Harbor – in the cockpit of American, British, Japanese and German aircraft.
The farther you fly in the campaign, the more planes you’ll unlock for use against A.I. planes in Capture the Flag, Last Man Standing and Free Roam scenarios. Then there’s multiplayer, which pits you against other would-be Red Barons in frantic skirmishes.
Storm Raiders 2 threads the needle by being approachable for beginners and deep enough to please series veterans. Suit up, grab the stick and relive history’s greatest battles.