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.
Reviews
- The game offers a unique blend of air combat and plane customization, allowing players to upgrade and modify their aircraft.
- The historical context and storytelling elements, particularly focusing on the Polish contribution during WWII, add depth and immersion to the gameplay.
- The air combat mechanics can be challenging and fun, especially with the inclusion of a kill cam that shows the impact of shots on enemy planes.
- The controls are often described as awkward and unresponsive, making it difficult to fly and aim effectively, especially with mouse and keyboard.
- There is a significant amount of time spent on ground activities, such as walking around the airbase and interacting with NPCs, which can detract from the core flying experience.
- The game suffers from performance issues, including poor optimization and graphical glitches, which can hinder the overall experience.
- story89 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 care in presenting this unique perspective, the execution is marred by repetitive missions, frustrating gameplay mechanics, and a disjointed structure that detracts from the overall experience. Despite its shortcomings, the game offers a glimpse into an important historical context, though many players feel it could have been much more engaging and polished.
“I recognize the time and effort that went into this game, and throughout the game, I felt the developers wanted to tell the story of those people.”
“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.”
“The foundation is great, and the historical storytelling part makes it stand out from the pack.”
“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; no idea if it's from the 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.”
- gameplay54 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 72 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
Gameplay reviews highlight a mix of strengths and weaknesses, with many players appreciating the aircraft customization and mechanic simulation aspects, while criticizing the flight mechanics as clunky and unpolished. The game attempts to blend arcade and simulation elements but often falls short, leading to a feeling of superficiality in its mechanics. Overall, while some enjoy the historical context and customization features, the flight experience leaves much to be desired compared to more established titles in the genre.
“The shooting mechanics take a while to get the hang of, but I love the camera that tracks your bullets into the enemy fighters.”
“Fortunately, the planes look nice and some detail has gone into the mechanic simulator sections for modifying your fighters.”
“The flying mechanics are the best thing about the game.”
“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.”
“The flight mechanics are a bit odd, particularly if you're accustomed to something like X-Plane 11, which I happened to have been playing before getting this.”
- graphics26 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 12 % 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 effects, such as the x-ray cam, others criticize the overall quality, describing it as poor or crude, especially for a game released in 2018. Overall, the graphics are considered acceptable but not impressive, with many suggesting that players should wait for a sale before purchasing.
“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!”
“Graphics are pretty good, and I like the aircraft customization, mechanic feature, and kill cams.”
“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.”
- optimization13 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
Overall, players have expressed dissatisfaction with the game's optimization, citing issues such as poor framerates, lag during gameplay, and performance inconsistencies, particularly in the airbase and during battles. Many users noted that while the game is enjoyable, it requires significant adjustments to system settings for optimal performance, and they hope for improvements as the game continues to develop in early access.
“Overall: remember I am still playing... just get the performance right and you've 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 lost FPS randomly.”
“Poor optimization, very laggy in the airbase; the lag in battle is tolerable (actually it doesn't lag most of the time).”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and time-consuming, particularly due to the repetitive process of navigating the base to initiate missions. The requirement to engage in lengthy interactions and the slow pacing of gameplay detract from the excitement of flying and combat, leading to frustration with the AI's predictable behavior.
“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 before making your way to your hut to go to sleep, just 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!”
- music3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received high praise, particularly for its quality and composition by Paweł Błaszczak, known for his work on The Witcher soundtrack. Additionally, the audio design is generally well-received, with effective sound effects and a lively atmosphere enhanced by background music from a gramophone.
“The music is actually great thanks to composer Paweł Błaszczak, known for his work on The Witcher soundtrack.”
“The base is alive; we can see training pilots and people sitting in the common room while the gramophone provides music.”
“The soundtrack is nice.”
“The music feels repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“The soundtrack doesn't match the game's atmosphere, which detracts from the overall experience.”
“The audio quality of the music is subpar, leading to a less immersive experience.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is generally praised for its uniqueness and immersion, enhanced by clever mechanics like using a bicycle for quicker movement. While some find the atmosphere somewhat simplistic at times, it stands out among flight simulators for its engaging environment.
“The game does have a great atmosphere, even if it can feel a little simplistic at times.”
“The clever idea of using a bicycle to move around quicker adds to the immersion and atmosphere.”
“Base immersion and atmosphere unlike any other flight sim, except for Aviator - Bush Pilot, but that one is too laggy for me.”
“Base immersion and atmosphere unlike any other flight sim, except Aviator - Bush Pilot, but that one is too laggy for me.”
- humor3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its quirky dialogue and clever narrative, which often elicits laughter through unexpected remarks and amusing observations. Players find the interactions and storytelling to be both thoughtful and entertaining, enhancing the overall 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 nevertheless funny.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users find the emotional aspect of the game to be intense, as the sensitive controls create a sense of vulnerability and challenge, requiring careful precision and patience while engaging with enemies. This heightened emotional engagement adds to the overall experience, making players feel more connected to the gameplay.
“The controls are so sensitive that barely moving my control stick means I'm overshooting the plane, and I have to follow or tail an enemy for several minutes.”
“The emotional depth of the story left me in tears; I felt a genuine connection to the characters and their struggles.”
“Every decision I made had weight, and the consequences were emotionally impactful, making me reflect on my choices long after playing.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is currently criticized for feeling unfinished and buggy, leading to a perception of untapped potential. Users express disappointment with its overall reliability and polish.
“Could have a lot of potential, but in its current state, it feels unfinished, buggy, and uninspired.”
