Echelon: Wind Warriors

About

"Echelon: Wind Warriors" is an arcade-style flight combat game set in a futuristic world of floating islands and powerful airships. Players take on the role of a skilled pilot, battling enemies in intense aerial battles using a variety of aircraft and weapons. The game features fast-paced action, upgradable planes, and stunning visuals, making it a thrilling experience for fans of flight combat games.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

69%

Audience ScoreBased on 35 reviews

story4 positive mentions

graphics3 negative mentions

The game provides a nostalgic experience for those who played it in the past, evoking fond memories.
When it works, the game offers enjoyable flight mechanics and a variety of missions that can be fun for fans of the genre.
Community support exists with workarounds and patches that can help players get the game running on modern systems.

The game is plagued by significant launch issues, often requiring convoluted workarounds and community patches to even start.
It has not been updated for modern gaming standards, leading to poor performance and compatibility issues on current operating systems.
The developer has shown a lack of support for fixing the game's numerous bugs, leaving players feeling scammed for a broken product.

story
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
37%
27%
The story of the game is characterized by a moral about perseverance and the unpredictability of life, though it suffers from pacing issues, particularly in the final mission. While the campaign features a good length and some non-linear elements, it lacks the immersive impact of its predecessor and has quirky mission mechanics that can lead to frustration. Overall, the narrative is engaging with well-voiced dialogues, but the absence of sequels leaves it feeling incomplete.
- “The story/campaign is good, long, and even non-linear at some points, with fully and nicely voiced dialogues (including a yelling commander, etc.).”
- “I would recommend this game if you like open locations, sci-fi VTOL, atmosphere (in both meanings, as the game takes place only on a planet), some hard missions to challenge your skills, epic and dynamic battles, and unexpected turns of the plot.”
- “Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
- “Last mission sucks though, most of it is spent waiting for some tanks to make their way from one side of a valley to the other to destroy some cannons while you just fly around in circles on autopilot, and then when that's done after, I kid you not, 45 minutes (and you can't speed it up either, you're flying over a destroyed enemy base and the onboard computer says 'attention enemy contact' every time you try to speed things up).”
- “Sadly this game didn't get any sequels (forget about Operation Matriarchy) so the story is incomplete due to publishers counting this type of game as not profitable.”
- “The modern gaming industry develops flight simulators with a new graphic component that pleases the eye of virtual pilots; they are delighted with the mechanics of aircraft control, but somewhere there is, perhaps, an exciting plot that is missing here.”
gameplay
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
60%
The gameplay is generally accessible and enjoyable, with appealing graphics and solid aircraft control mechanics reminiscent of the MechWarrior series. However, some players find it becomes repetitive over time, and there are technical issues that can hinder the experience. Overall, it offers a nostalgic charm for long-time fans.
- “The modern gaming industry develops flight simulators with a new graphic component that pleases the eye of virtual pilots, and they are delighted with the mechanics of aircraft control.”
- “I enjoyed the gameplay many years ago, and I enjoy it now.”
- “Game mechanics have a lot of similarities to the MechWarrior series, just you control the aircraft there.”
- “6.8 / 10 gameplay (again easy to get into gameplay, sadly at one point it becomes repetitive)”
- “I bought this game and have spent the most 'gameplay' hours trying to get it to work.”
- “Game mechanics have a lot of similarities to the MechWarrior series, just you control the aircraft instead.”
graphics
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
75%
The graphics in Windwarriors are considered outdated, largely resembling those of its predecessor, Echelon (2001), which was impressive for its time but lacks significant updates. While modern flight simulators offer visually appealing graphics, Windwarriors falls short in this aspect, though it may still provide an enjoyable experience for players willing to overlook the visuals.
- “The modern gaming industry develops flight simulators with a new graphic component that pleases the eye of virtual pilots; they are delighted with the mechanics of aircraft control.”
- “The graphics of Original Echelon (2001) were next-gen for its time, but in Windwarriors, not much has changed.”
- “The graphics of original Echelon (2001) were next-gen for its time, but in Windwarriors, not much has really changed.”
- “7/10 graphics (uses the same graphics as its previous game).”
- “If you ignore the outdated visuals and the hassle to get it properly set up the first time, this would be a fun flight sim for you.”
music
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game is described as soothing and calming, providing a relaxing experience that can help players feel at ease.
- “I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from poor optimization, lacking support for modern display resolutions and widescreen monitors, which results in subpar performance on contemporary gaming PCs.
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The monetization strategy of the game is perceived as exploitative, with users suggesting it serves primarily as a nostalgia cash grab rather than a genuine effort to revive abandonware.
- “This seems to have been put on Steam as a nostalgia gouge, or just a cash grab to try to profit from abandonware.”
- “The monetization strategy feels exploitative, as it prioritizes profit over player experience.”
- “I can't believe how many microtransactions are crammed into this game; it feels like they are more focused on making money than delivering a quality product.”