303 Squadron: Battle of Britain
- May 24, 2018
- Atomic Jelly
- 4h median play time
Get on Steam"303 Squadron: Battle of Britain" is a flight combat simulator set during World War II. Players join the Polish 303 Squadron, fighting alongside the RAF to protect Britain from air attacks. The game features realistic planes, challenging missions, and historical events, offering an intense and immersive flying experience.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Playstation 4
Windows
Xbox One
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- The game features a unique mechanic of customizing and upgrading planes, which adds depth to the gameplay.
- The air combat can be challenging and fun, especially with the inclusion of a kill cam that shows the bullet trajectory.
- The historical context and storytelling elements are appreciated, providing a sense of immersion in the Battle of Britain.
- The controls are often described as awkward and unresponsive, making flying difficult and frustrating.
- There is a significant amount of time spent on ground activities, such as walking or cycling around the airbase, which detracts from the air combat experience.
- The game suffers from performance issues, including poor optimization and graphical glitches, which can hinder the overall experience.
- story178 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 72 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game's story attempts to convey the historical narrative of the 303 Squadron, but suffers from inconsistencies and a lack of depth, often relying on textbook facts rather than personal storytelling. While the developers show a clear passion for the subject, the execution is marred by repetitive missions, frustrating gameplay mechanics, and a poorly outlined plot, leaving players wanting a more engaging and dynamic experience. Despite these shortcomings, the historical context and character authenticity are appreciated, making it a unique, albeit flawed, attempt at storytelling in a flight simulator.
“There could have been a much more interesting and personal story told here, one of vengeful veterans who lost everything; fighting against overwhelming forces of the enemy who considered them literally subhuman, they fled so that they could live to keep fighting against Nazi Germany in other armies.”
“A story that follows the underdog as he narrowly escapes extermination, continues experiencing alienation abroad, and lets out all his resentful fury in successful devil-may-care flights against the Luftwaffe elite in daytime while drowning his sorrows in copious amounts of vodka at night as he remembers the loved ones he lost back home.”
“I recognize the time and effort that went into this game and throughout the game I felt the devs wanted to tell the story of those people.”
“Story-wise, there are some inconsistencies (like one level where the intro splash screen talks about 'finally being able to fly out over the English Channel' and then the entire level you are clearly over land).”
“Readable notes left around the base add some more backstory, yet this typically takes the form of textbook facts as opposed to the more personal touch that this game badly needs.”
“Overall, I can tell that the developers cared to tell 303 Squadron's story and I'm glad they tried, but the final product is not very good. I have no idea if it's due to a lack of budget or talent in the studio, but the point is that the game is not great; however, it is the only game (that I know of) that even tries to tell the story of 303.”
- gameplay108 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 72 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players finding the flight mechanics to be clunky and unresponsive, particularly when compared to more polished flight simulators. While the aircraft customization and mechanic simulation aspects are appreciated, they often feel underdeveloped, leading to a gameplay experience that lacks depth and polish. Overall, the game struggles to balance its various elements, resulting in a gameplay experience that is seen as more arcadey than immersive.
“The flying mechanics are the best thing about the game.”
“Fortunately, the planes look nice and some detail has gone into the mechanic simulator sections for modifying your fighters.”
“Gameplay is intense and good fun, although the controls are challenging to master.”
“Gameplay-wise, it feels like a list of 'wouldn't this be a cool thing to have' with care being put into quantity of mechanics, rather than depth.”
“The mechanics side is okay, not super in-depth but enjoyable; however, the flying mechanics are awful, the aircraft does not respond well, and left and right inputs aren't great as the aircraft is clearly designed for flying with a keyboard.”
“I find the premise fantastic and the story of the 303 is one that is amazing; however, for a game that is about mechanics and flying, it does neither well.”
- graphics52 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics of "303 Squadron: Battle of Britain" have received mixed reviews, with many players noting that they appear dated, resembling titles from over a decade ago. While some appreciate the visual style and specific features like the x-ray cam, others criticize the overall quality, describing it as poor or crude, especially for a game released in 2018. Overall, expectations should be tempered, and players may want to wait for a sale if they are concerned about graphics quality.
“Graphics are good for a 2018 title.”
“The x-ray cam for shooting down German planes is really cool, the graphics are great and the story/plot is also very good!”
“You get to control a Spitfire and the graphics are really good.”
“Though released in 2018, the graphics of 303 Squadron: Battle of Britain look about 12 years older than that or worse.”
“I'll also mention that the graphics are gross and the sounds and voices are like they were recorded on a gramophone while one of the devs was farting as background noise.”
“Graphics are on par with combat flight simulators from 20 years ago.”
- optimization26 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is criticized for being poor, with users experiencing significant lag, especially in the airbase, and inconsistent frame rates during gameplay. Many players suggest that the developers need to improve performance, particularly in early access, and some have noted specific BIOS settings that may help. While the game remains enjoyable for some, the optimization issues detract from the overall experience.
“Overall: remember I am still playing... just get the performance right and you got a fan!”
“Of course it's still in early access, but I hope for better optimization in the future.”
“It is slow when on the ground, probably an optimization issue.”
“Also, optimization needs work as I sometimes lose FPS randomly.”
“Poor optimization, very laggy in the airbase; the lag in battle is tolerable (actually it doesn't lag most of the time).”
- grinding8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and frustrating, as it requires repetitive and lengthy travel around the base to engage with characters before missions. This process, combined with the need to achieve specific kill counts against unchallenging AI, detracts from the enjoyment of the core gameplay, which many players wish to dive into more directly. Overall, the grinding mechanics are viewed as a significant hindrance to the experience.
“You have to go through this incredibly long, tedious, painstakingly slow search process of walking or biking around the entire base to talk with an avatar character prior to making your way to your hut to go to sleep in order to be able to take a flight each and every time you want to fly.”
“Why would you think it's a good idea for a player to have to go through this tedious process each and every time they want to repeat a mission?”
“I found it tedious having to walk or bike around the base talking to people as I just wanted to get straight to the flying and shooting!”
- music6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received high praise, particularly for its composition by Paweł Błaszczak, known for his work on The Witcher soundtrack. Reviewers noted that the audio design is generally good, with effective sound effects and a lively atmosphere enhanced by the music playing in various settings. Overall, the soundtrack contributes positively to the game's immersive experience.
“At least the rest of the audio design is acceptable, the sound effects are quite good and the music is actually great thanks to composer Paweł Błaszczak of The Witcher soundtrack fame.”
“Also the base is alive; we can see training pilots, some people sitting in the common room while the gramophone provides music.”
“Also, the soundtrack is nice.”
- atmosphere6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its unique and immersive atmosphere, enhanced by innovative mechanics like using a bicycle for quicker movement. While some users find the overall experience somewhat simplistic, the atmosphere remains a standout feature, particularly in comparison to other flight simulators.
“The game has a great atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.”
“The clever idea of using a bicycle to move around quicker adds to the immersion and atmosphere.”
“The base immersion and atmosphere are unlike any other flight sim, creating a unique experience.”
“Base immersion and atmosphere unlike any other flight sim except Aviator - Bush Pilot, but that one is too laggy for me.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its thoughtful and smart narrative, with quirky dialogue that adds a comedic touch to activities like biking and mushroom hunting. Players find the narrator's remarks particularly amusing, contributing to an overall lighthearted and enjoyable experience.
“The story narrative is thoughtful, smart, and funny at times.”
“The narrator's remarks make riding the bicycle and looking for mushrooms a funny and pleasant experience.”
“The people talking are kind of strange, but nonetheless funny.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users express frustration with the overly sensitive controls, which can lead to emotional tension as they struggle to accurately maneuver their planes and engage enemies. This difficulty in control creates a heightened sense of stress and challenge during gameplay.
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is currently criticized for being unfinished and buggy, leading to a lack of inspiration and potential. Users express disappointment with its performance, indicating that significant improvements are needed for a more polished experience.
“Could have a lot of potential, but in this state right now, it feels unfinished, buggy, and uninspired.”
