Flying Tigers: Shadows Over China

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"Flying Tigers: Shadows Over China" is an air-combat action game that recreates the real-life events of the historical Flying Tigers squadron in World War II. The Digital Deluxe Edition includes the PARADISE ISLAND DLC, two additional aircraft with cockpits, and an official soundtrack. This edition offers a rich and immersive experience for players seeking historical accuracy and thrilling aerial combat.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

76%

Audience ScoreBased on 370 reviews

story25 positive mentions

stability4 negative mentions

Fun arcade-style gameplay with a focus on WWII air combat.
Great graphics and sound design, creating an immersive experience.
Variety of missions and aircraft, allowing for diverse gameplay.

Frequent crashes and technical issues, particularly on launch.
Short campaign length, leaving players wanting more content.
Controls can be unresponsive or awkward, especially with keyboard and mouse.

story
197 mentions
13 % positive mentions
82 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The game's story is largely criticized for being minimal and lacking depth, with many missions feeling disconnected and standalone rather than part of a cohesive narrative. While the campaign features a variety of historically inspired missions across different locations, players often find the plot unengaging and the mission structure repetitive, leading to a sense of frustration rather than immersion. Overall, the story serves primarily as a backdrop for the gameplay rather than a compelling element of the experience.
- “The campaign consists of 12 missions, which have a huge variety in where you play, the type of mission, planes, and weaponry.”
- “The story is special because it is based on the real-world fighter group in WWII, they defended China against the Japanese forces and their planes got a special shark-mouth paintwork.”
- “Get ready to swoop the skies of Asia as Flying Tigers: Shadows Over China reawakens a diverse set of historical WWII air battles, including the Japanese Christmas raids on Rangoon in 1941, the Flying Tigers’ first combat over Kunming in China, the Battle of the Salween Gorge, 'Hump' escort missions over the Himalayas, the invasion of Malaya, and the Japanese conquest of Burma, to name a few.”
- “The storyline isn't much of a story but more an emotionless game replica of WWII plane battles.”
- “Up first we have the campaign I briefly mentioned earlier, the missions here are all based on real operations during the war but there’s no real storyline to it, each mission is effectively standalone.”
- “The campaign itself doesn’t really have a storyline to it; it mainly covers individual operations, although I don’t mind that it could leave some players confused as you could go from a battle in 1947 back to 1945.”
graphics
135 mentions
62 % positive mentions
35 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are generally well-received, with many users praising the detailed aircraft models and overall visual quality, which is considered impressive for an indie title. While some textures, particularly on the ground, may not be as strong, the game offers a visually appealing experience with good atmospheric effects and a variety of graphic settings to enhance performance. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the immersive arcade flight experience, though there are occasional performance issues noted by some players.
- “The graphics are absolutely stunning though and the sounds are excellent.”
- “The game is incredibly breathtaking in its graphics and presentation.”
- “The graphics are great, the explosions feel powerful and are a blast to look at.”
- “When I first got into the actual game, the graphics were not exactly 4K; I noticed the ground textures, such as trees and grass, aren't brilliant.”
- “The graphics are poor quality even at max settings, and the game appears dull visually - Shadows Over China is a correct title as the game appears really shadowy.”
- “It's just impossible to justify this when games like World of Warplanes and War Thunder are free and have way better graphics and gameplay.”
gameplay
61 mentions
38 % positive mentions
57 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by arcade-style mechanics that are generally enjoyable, with full controller support and intuitive controls. However, many players criticize the lack of variety in aircraft behavior, a clunky landing system, and the excessive durability of enemy planes, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite these issues, the game offers engaging dogfights and a variety of missions, making it a solid choice for fans of WWII flight simulations, though some recommend waiting for further improvements.
- “The gameplay is amazing; you really feel like you fly the plane while keeping things simple.”
- “Gameplay is solid enough; it has everything that an arcade dogfighting game should have, with simple controls.”
- “Handling is beautiful, and the gameplay is fast-paced and rewarding.”
- “The game mechanics are sort of the normal arcade type, but sadly every plane feels and acts the same. The landing system is atrocious, and enemy planes take far too long to neutralize. Even on normal mode, they require almost 5 to 7 belts of ammo to burn, and there’s no weak point system, making it frustrating during time-sensitive missions.”
- “As of now, the gameplay is poor because of the inadequate gunsights. It feels rushed and unpolished, leaving players disappointed and feeling robbed of their money and time.”
- “Poor and random targeting mechanics make it difficult to engage enemy planes effectively. You can get hit by planes behind you, but there's no way to target them after evading.”
music
57 mentions
47 % positive mentions
47 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising the soundtrack as "awesome" and fitting for the action, while others criticize its anachronistic elements, such as the inclusion of rock music in a WWII setting. Many players appreciate the dynamic sound effects and the immersive quality of the main menu music, though some find certain tracks to be cheesy or not well-suited to the game's atmosphere. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a strong point, enhancing the gameplay experience despite some inconsistencies.
- “The official description calls it: "majestic fusion of heroic, orchestral, rock, and epic-emotional music."”
- “The soundtrack in this game is awesome; I do not think that the developers could have picked a better soundtrack for this game.”
- “Great game, great music; everything just blends nicely and puts you right into the action!”
- “In-game music is completely insignificant.”
- “Lastly, why is there rock music playing in a World War II game?”
- “Then the music starts, which is about as wrong for a squadron of mostly US pilots flying in China in 1940 as I can imagine.”
optimization
27 mentions
48 % positive mentions
41 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is generally well-received, with many players reporting stable frame rates and smooth performance even at high settings. However, some users noted performance issues when using cinematic settings, suggesting that further optimization could enhance the experience, particularly in high-content scenarios. While the graphics are impressive, a few players mentioned the need for an auto-adjust feature to better tailor settings to individual system capabilities.
- “Excellent, well polished and optimized arcady flying game. You can always challenge yourself by increasing the difficulty and adjusting some settings. Overall, excellent game with a good history mode and many other modes to play casually.”
- “Very well optimized for an early access game, and the graphics are amazing.”
- “Now for graphics: this game is well optimized, and I have never had a crash or any lag.”
- “Only gripe is the aircraft abilities; some of the allied planes have performance levels way above reality, particularly the Brewster Buffalo and Bristol Blenheim, both of which seem to be gifted an extra 50 mph in speed over what they actually had.”
- “However, the more you increase the settings towards cinematic, the more likely you are to experience framerate issues and juddery performance.”
- “It needs optimization and higher resolutions.”
atmosphere
9 mentions
56 % positive mentions
11 % neutral mentions
33 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is generally praised for its immersive qualities, effectively capturing the intensity of World War II dogfights with strong graphics and engaging voice-overs. While the campaign is varied and interesting, some players feel it is too short and lacks character depth. The music receives mixed reviews, with some tracks enhancing the experience while others feel out of place, but overall, the game successfully conveys a thrilling and atmospheric experience.
- “It binds nicely with the overall atmosphere.”
- “Flying Tigers has a fully fleshed out campaign that really draws you into the atmosphere as you take part in dog fights against some of the historical bad guys of World War II; it also has a multiplayer, which isn't currently as packed as it deserves, but when you get into an online fight it's all adrenaline.”
- “The atmosphere matches the theme, but the graphics are just okay.”
- “The single-player campaign is varied and interesting, and the voice-overs and cinematics really add to the atmosphere.”
- “Flying Tigers has a fully fleshed-out campaign that really draws you into the atmosphere as you take part in dogfights against some of the historical bad guys of World War II.”
stability
6 mentions
33 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
67 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with some users reporting significant bugs and crashes, particularly when using certain features like the free-head camera. However, others have noted that the game runs well on their systems, suggesting that performance may vary depending on hardware configurations. Overall, while some players experience stability issues, others find the game to be stable and enjoyable.
- “Most people, myself included, have noticed that this game runs great on most computers, which is definitely a plus.”
- “First off to the bad reviews, I'm not sure if you are running on integrated graphics, a low-end graphics card, or have insufficient RAM, but my older system runs great (6 months old and still performs like new).”
- “Buggy and broken, don't waste your money!”
- “I also encounter some weird glitches that cause me to crash. For example, when using the free-head camera, it locked to the back for some reason, and the plane just went straight to the ground while I pressed keys to make the camera look forward.”
- “The game is also buggy and keeps crashing, so I would not recommend it.”
humor
6 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by its silly dialogue and amusing character interactions, particularly the comedic use of accents. While the gameplay mechanics may be lacking, the overall experience is described as funny and entertaining, with engaging battles and quirky wingmen adding to the lighthearted atmosphere.
- “The dialogue is hilarious in its silliness, making the experience much more enjoyable.”
- “Also, the English accents for other Asian countries are hilarious.”
- “A novel game with funny wingmen that adds a unique charm to the gameplay.”
monetization
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
-100 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game features no microtransactions, which has been positively received by users who appreciate the absence of additional costs beyond the initial purchase.
- “There are no microtransactions.”
- “I appreciate that there are no microtransactions in this game.”
- “No microtransactions!”
- “No microtransactions.”
replayability
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Reviewers appreciate the developers' efforts to enhance replayability, noting that the game's accessibility for lower-spec PCs contributes to its overall playability and encourages players to return for multiple sessions.
- “The variety of choices and outcomes keeps me coming back for more.”
- “Each playthrough feels fresh and exciting, thanks to the dynamic story elements.”
- “The game offers multiple paths and endings, making it a joy to replay.”
grinding
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect to be somewhat tedious, but appreciate that it is brief, lasting only a few minutes, allowing for a moment of respite and an opportunity to enjoy the game's visuals.
- “Grinding feels like an endless chore that takes away from the enjoyment of the game.”
- “The repetitive nature of grinding makes it feel more like a job than a fun activity.”
- “I found myself losing interest quickly due to the monotonous grinding required to progress.”
emotional
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its "majestic fusion" of various musical styles, including heroic, orchestral, rock, and epic-emotional elements, which collectively enhance the overall emotional experience for players.
- “The official description calls it: 'a majestic fusion of heroic, orchestral, rock, and epic-emotional music.'”