Choplifter HD

There is nothing here in this game, that would warrant a replay. It has terribly shallow gameplay, and it's a technical mess. All of this could be forgiven, if the controls were good, but unfortunately, it isn't.

79%Game Brain Score

story, gameplay

85% User Score Based on 232 reviews

Critic Score 66%Based on 4 reviews

Platforms

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About

Choplifter HD is a single player arcade shooter game. It was developed by inXile Entertainment and was released on January 11, 2012. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

In Choplifter HD, players take on the role of an up-and-coming rescue pilot asked to join the elite, international helicopter rescue team. Pilots will be trained to command a variety of helicopters deployed on 30 different missions. Pilots must bank, hover, touch-down and sometimes even shake zombies from their chopper during lift-off in order to make their rescue and complete their mission. Comm…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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85%

Audience ScoreBased on 232 reviews

story14 positive mentions

Choplifter HD is a fun and addictive remake that captures the essence of the original game, providing nostalgic gameplay with modern graphics.
The game offers a variety of missions and helicopters, allowing for strategic gameplay and multiple approaches to completing objectives.
The humorous pilot dialogue adds charm to the game, making it entertaining during missions.

The controls are frustrating and can feel broken, making aiming and maneuvering the helicopter a challenge.
The game suffers from a steep difficulty curve, with later levels becoming excessively challenging and requiring multiple restarts.
There are issues with the AI and mission design, leading to moments of annoyance, such as hostages running into danger or unclear objectives.

story
75 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
77%
4%
The game's story is minimalistic, focusing primarily on helicopter missions that involve rescuing stranded individuals and battling enemies, with no significant narrative or handholding. Players engage in repetitive mission structures that vary in difficulty, often requiring precision and practice to achieve high scores. While the missions are described as enjoyable and immersive, the lack of a deeper storyline may leave some players wanting more.
- “You fly your helicopter out on missions to rescue stranded soldiers, civilians, and even the odd media personality (you have to rescue a TV reporter, with his cameraman, on most levels).”
- “There are various campaigns containing various missions, and each mission usually has a bonus objective as well as a news crew to rescue (2 extra people!).”
- “This update adds some new variety of missions and a boatload of graphical and narrative additions, but the core game is rooted in the concept that made Choplifter an enduring favorite all those years ago.”
- “It's like inXile tried to straddle the line between Choplifter's action roots and the modern expectation that missions will have objectives and checkpoints... which, by the way, this game does not have.”
- “You're really doing nearly the exact same thing with increasing numbers of enemies, anti-aircraft, and mission complexity; all the while fighting the crappy controls, too.”
- “Don't expect a story or handholding - but this is for me another great feature of the game.”
gameplay
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
53%
11%
The gameplay is a modern adaptation of a classic, maintaining the core mechanics while introducing some new features like multiple weapons and a fuel mechanic, which has received mixed reactions from players. It is described as challenging yet accessible, with clear mechanics and a nostalgic feel, appealing primarily to fans of the original. However, some players find the gameplay shallow and criticize technical issues, suggesting it may not resonate with newer gamers.
- “The perfect modern adaptation of a PC classic that doesn't mess with the core gameplay you loved and remember.”
- “In truth, this is a solid and entertaining 'coffee-game' pick-up-and-play action game with a forgiving learning curve, pretty visuals, and fun gameplay.”
- “It reproduces the tone, gameplay, and atmosphere of the original arcade classic in a very meaningful way, without introducing obscure 'new' mechanics that detract from the theme or feel of the original.”
- “The addition of the fuel mechanic ruined this classic game for me.”
- “Since the graphics are simple and the gameplay is 'old fashioned', I can't recommend this to newer gamers; however, if you are a retro junkie or a fan of the original, then Choplifter HD is a must buy.”
- “It has terribly shallow gameplay, and it's a technical mess.”
graphics
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
32%
10%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the nice visuals and 3D effects in a 2D gameplay context, while others note that the graphics are relatively simple and reminiscent of older titles. Some users highlight the game's entertaining aesthetic and fun elements, such as easter eggs and helicopters, but also mention that the visuals are budget-oriented, relying on DirectX 9 technology. Overall, while the graphics may not be cutting-edge, they are deemed satisfactory for a nostalgic experience, particularly for fans of retro gaming.
- “This is a great and entertaining game with graphics that were better than I expected.”
- “You can easily play this game off onboard Intel HD Graphics 3000 very well; the graphics are superb.”
- “In truth, this is a solid and entertaining 'coffee-game' pick-up-and-play action game with a forgiving learning curve, pretty visuals, and fun gameplay.”
- “The visuals are very budget DirectX 9, but a game does not need shiny visuals to achieve greatness.”
- “Since the graphics are simple and the gameplay is 'old fashioned', I can't recommend this to newer gamers; however, if you are a retro junkie or a fan of the original, then Choplifter HD is a must buy.”
- “[Poor visuals. Poor controls. Shallow gameplay.]”
humor
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with some players enjoying the pilot and co-pilot dialogue as a highlight, while others find the jokes repetitive and unfunny. Although there are fun easter eggs and nostalgic references, many critiques point to the humor as being either irritating or lacking in originality. Overall, while some appreciate the comedic elements, others feel they detract from the experience.
- “The pilot dialogue is a nice bonus and usually pretty funny.”
- “One of the things that gets me every time is the hilarious and not to mention timely pilot and co-pilot dialogue while playing.”
- “Dark humor, nostalgia, cameos by other famous video game characters, and simple game mechanics all combine to make this a must-have for your Steam library!”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
Overall, the game is reported to run smoothly and fluidly, making it recommendable to others. However, there are significant issues with the aiming controls, particularly with the auto-aim feature, which can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences.
- “All in all, the game runs smoothly and fluidly. I would recommend this to friends and family as well.”
- “Choplifter HD has an alright performance, but the aim control is horrible. You rotate or try to rotate a laser pointer at a 75-degree angle and hope the auto-aim will pick an enemy. If it doesn't, you will be shooting at the air even if the projectile passes through the enemy.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players highlight the game’s high replayability, noting that its straightforward mechanics make it accessible and enjoyable to revisit on PC.
- “Plenty of replay value and easy mechanics on PC.”
- “Plenty of replay value and easy mechanics on PC.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The atmosphere of the game is praised for its faithful reproduction of the original arcade classic, maintaining its tone and gameplay without the distraction of unnecessary new mechanics. This commitment to authenticity enhances the overall experience, resonating well with fans of the original.
- “It reproduces the tone, gameplay, and atmosphere of the original arcade classic in a very meaningful way, without introducing obscure 'new' mechanics that detract from the theme or feel of the original.”