Heliborne

Heliborne is a great tribute to the helicopter’s contributions in modern warfare, while it focuses mainly on the helicopter entity itself, and not so much anything else. In some ways this makes the game feel unfinished, but you can be sure to find a beautifully crafted helicopter model awaiting your arrival.

74%Game Brain Score

gameplay, graphics

grinding, optimization

74% User Score Based on 3,636 reviews

Critic Score 74%Based on 4 reviews

Platforms

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About

Heliborne is a single player and multiplayer simulation game with a warfare theme. It was developed by Klabater and was released on October 12, 2017. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

"Heliborne is a warfare simulation game that allows players to experience rotary wing aviation from the 1950s to the 2000s in single-player, co-op, and multiplayer modes. The game features six major maps inspired by historical conflicts and offers a variety of helicopters to choose from. However, players should be aware of the grinding and buggy gameplay."

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74%

Audience ScoreBased on 3,636 reviews

gameplay276 positive mentions

grinding94 negative mentions

Fun gameplay with a variety of helicopters and roles to play, including transport, scout, and attack.
Engaging co-op mode that allows for teamwork and strategy, making it enjoyable to play with friends.
Quick progression system that allows players to unlock new helicopters and upgrades without excessive grinding.

The game has been abandoned by the new developers, leading to a lack of updates and content.
The user interface is confusing and not intuitive, making it difficult for new players to navigate.
The player base is very small, making it hard to find matches, especially in PvP mode.

gameplay
590 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
46%
7%
Gameplay in this title is generally described as fun and engaging, with intuitive controls and a variety of helicopters to choose from, making it accessible for both casual and dedicated players. However, many users note issues such as repetitive missions, unoptimized mechanics, and a lack of depth in gameplay modes, particularly in PvE and PvP settings. While the game has potential and offers enjoyable cooperative experiences, it suffers from bugs and balance problems that detract from the overall experience.
- “Gameplay is fun and smooth.”
- “Hours of endless gameplay with changing tactics and redefining your role within the overall mission.”
- “The flight mechanics are easy to learn and master, most of the weapons work great and the maps are well made.”
- “The current objectives during gameplay feel random, and instead should have some sort of strategic feel to it so that the player feels like they actually contributed to the resulting victory/defeat outcome of the match.”
- “The entire PvE gameplay revolves around 'go here, shoot rockets at ground targets, do something else over here, drop off troops while getting shot by RPGs.' I would have thought you'd have some AI helicopters and it wouldn't be just going to X and doing Y, but I guess I was thinking too big.”
- “It's more of a major flaw in the primary game mechanic that kills it, and I mean absolutely kills it.”
graphics
470 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
45%
15%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players expressing disappointment over the downgrade in quality, particularly in the "enhanced edition," which they feel has sacrificed visual fidelity for performance on lower-end consoles. While some users appreciate the detailed helicopter models and find the graphics acceptable or even good, others criticize them as outdated and plagued by glitches. Overall, the consensus suggests that while the game can be visually appealing, significant improvements are needed to meet modern standards.
- “First off, I like the game; I really do. There are a variety of helicopters, the gameplay is fun, and the graphics are great.”
- “Its a really fun and exciting game to play, plus the graphics are amazing for a game this good at this price.”
- “The graphics are great, the multiplayer is easy to find battles.”
- “The graphics suck, the mechanics are terrible and there are glitches everywhere.”
- “The new graphics are more or less the old ones but in worse quality.”
- “The graphics have been downgraded immensely from just a few days ago, where wrecked vehicles used to have fire and columns of smoke pouring out of them, now all you get is a wreck.”
story
322 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
84%
5%
The game's story aspect is largely criticized for its lack of depth and coherence, with many players finding the single-player campaign to be thin and unengaging, consisting of only a few quick missions that often lack clear objectives. While the multiplayer and co-op modes offer dynamic and varied missions, players express a desire for more substantial single-player content and a more cohesive narrative experience. Overall, the game is seen as more focused on gameplay mechanics than on delivering a compelling story.
- “In coop mode, random missions appear where you must for instance evacuate troops behind enemy lines or drop supplies on a position, or destroy a convoy. The missions are varied enough for it to not be boring and use the different helicopters to your advantage.”
- “The always changing missions and huge variety of helicopters is great.”
- “Dynamic missions that are randomly created, and no worrying about clunky heli-to-heli PvP.”
- “The single player campaign has like 8 quick missions that don't even make sense.”
- “It does have a campaign but there is absolutely no reason to play it because: you don't get to choose your squadron, the upgrades you take into the mission, or keep any XP that you get, and each mission only has like one objective so they take about 5 minutes to complete.”
- “It's got reasonably good replayability but there's not much of a campaign to speak of, aside from a handful of one-off missions in Vietnam and Afghanistan.”
music
132 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
64%
12%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it repetitive and lacking thematic depth, often opting to mute it and play their own playlists instead. While some enjoy the original soundtracks and appreciate the addition of new tracks, others criticize the overall quality and variety, suggesting that the developers should consider licensing more iconic songs from the Vietnam era. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a missed opportunity, with players frequently recommending external music to enhance their gaming experience.
- “I really will miss blaring 'nam/60s/70s era music while evading the Soviets in this game.”
- “Fun game, decent amount of helicopters for variety, soundtrack can be quite the banger when flying over Kosovo.”
- “Very fun feels like a movie with the music and the Nam setting.”
- “The music in the Vietnam maps... come on.”
- “This game genuinely scuffed the music; it plays the same 2 tracks at random and even cuts them out, leaving a long pause until it decides to play the second track again.”
- “The soundtrack is horrible.”
grinding
116 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
3%
16%
81%
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be relatively minimal compared to similar titles like World of Tanks and War Thunder. Many reviews highlight a fair progression system that allows for quick unlocks of helicopters and upgrades without excessive grinding, making the experience enjoyable rather than tedious. However, some users express frustration with certain elements of the XP system, suggesting that while the game is less grindy, it can still feel repetitive at times.
- “World of Tanks style progression but not grindy.”
- “Yes, there is a progression system but it is not grindy!”
- “That said, it's not that grindy, things progress rather quickly.”
- “That being said, the XP system to unlock new helicopters and armament is very grindy.”
- “Well too bad, they put in a 'progression' system now so if you want to fly any of those I hope you like grinding away on MI-1s, KA-15s, S-13s and who knows what else... this game used to be fun but now everything is behind an XP unlock wall.”
- “Was a great game great to have a quick blast fun in, fly around and blow stuff up and then they went and added research turning it into a grinding game, which for a game I paid money for is a bit bollocks as now it's turned into War Thunder helicopter edition.”
optimization
92 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
55%
28%
The game's optimization has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many players reporting severe performance issues, graphical downgrades, and unresponsive UI elements following the release of the "enhanced edition." Users have noted that even high-end PCs struggle to run the game smoothly, with frequent stuttering, low frame rates, and poor hit registration. While some players have experienced decent performance, the overall consensus is that the game is poorly optimized and has regressed significantly since its original version.
- “Graphics are good and the developer did a good job on optimization.”
- “The performance doesn’t seem to be an issue and the game has been running at a constant 60fps for me (I have an i7 and a GeForce 1060).”
- “Gameplay is well optimized and smooth, easy enough to control even with a mouse and keyboard.”
- “Klabater forced out an underbaked and overhyped 'enhanced' edition years ago that was and still is plagued with UI issues, server stability issues, graphical and performance issues, and nearly killed off the original game before massive backlash occurred around launch week for the enhanced edition.”
- “Sadly they seemed to have forgotten what they signed for & promised themselves, that 'enhanced edition' released in August 20, 2020 desecrated everything the community liked about the game, the graphics were terrific (& this is even a nice way of putting it out) & there were real issues of stuttering (even with powerful machines & reduced settings it didn't help), some sound & visual mishaps too.”
- “That said however, the game is an unrefined buggy mess with atrocious hardware optimization and even worse netcode.”
stability
74 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
89%
The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous reports of bugs, glitches, and crashes affecting both the enhanced and base versions. Players have experienced issues such as random disconnections, poor user interface performance, and significant framerate drops, leading many to advise against purchasing until these problems are resolved. While some users report stable performance on certain hardware, the overall consensus is that the game is currently a buggy and unrefined experience.
- “It runs great both on an onboard AMD Vega and on a dedicated RTX.”
- “Stable, no artifacts, no glitches, just great.”
- “The old game may have been an outdated engine, but it was nearly bug-free and easy for anyone to hop in for a quick game.”
- “The new 'enhanced edition' is a bitter disappointment; it's buggy, the user interface is worse than before (which is an accomplishment in its own right) and the graphics and sounds are a disgrace to the game.”
- “The game is buggy and unrefined, and updates rarely if ever happen.”
- “That said however, the game is an unrefined buggy mess with atrocious hardware optimization and even worse netcode.”
replayability
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
34%
12%
Overall, the game offers a mix of replayability experiences, with many players noting that while the maps are limited, they can still provide decent replay value, especially when adjusting difficulty settings. Singleplayer and co-op modes are praised for their replayability, but the multiplayer aspect currently lacks depth. Despite some design flaws, the game is generally considered worth the investment for its enjoyable mechanics and progression systems.
- “Nice, comfy progression, replayable as hell, easy to grasp mechanics.. overall, worth the buy!”
- “This is a neat game, with some very nice unique approaches to progression and replayability.”
- “Tons of replayability.”
- “Maps are limited, and replay value drops after a few hours.”
- “Multiplayer (and the main focus of the game) shows the most promise but lacks replayability right now.”
- “Lacking replayability right now, with some odd design and functionality decisions.”
monetization
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
62%
25%
The game features a monetization model that is largely free of microtransactions, with only cosmetic skins available for purchase, which can be bought with in-game points or in bundles for around $4. Players appreciate the absence of pay-to-win mechanics and the straightforward purchase model, although some express frustration over the limited content and the bundling of skins. Overall, the monetization approach is seen as a positive aspect, contributing to a more enjoyable gameplay experience.
- “The progression is similar to World of Tanks; however, there are no microtransactions in this game at all.”
- “Feels like World of Tanks before it was pay-to-win, and the only microtransactions are skins.”
- “Really, really good, extremely fun, and pretty cheap game; it even hasn't got any microtransactions!”
- “So originally I gave this game a thumbs down because it had less content and a plethora of DLC helicopter skins which felt like a cash grab to me.”
- “- While the microtransactions are just cosmetic and don't involve loot boxes, I really hate that the skins are only sold in bundles.”
- “It's a strange setup, but for a publisher that makes its money off of cosmetic microtransactions plus the game itself, it's not a bad choice.”
atmosphere
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
20%
20%
The game's atmosphere effectively immerses players in the Vietnam War setting, particularly during mission flights, which enhances the overall experience. While the combat can feel more arcade-like and forgiving compared to other titles like Arma 3, the graphics and atmospheric elements contribute to a fun and engaging environment. Overall, players appreciate the blend of realism and arcade action, making for an enjoyable gameplay experience.
- “The atmosphere flying to a mission objective is cool and brought me into the moment, however once there it became shooting the squares before they damage me enough.”
- “This certainly ranks up and possibly surpasses the feel of helicopter combat one has while playing Arma 3, giving a blend and an even more arcade-like forgiving sense to one's longevity but certainly not taking away from a player's mad dog, firebird gunship ability in a helicopter in a more arcade atmosphere.”
- “Graphics are great and the atmospherics are nice... for the price, no complaints from me.”
- “I need to feel the Vietnam War atmosphere to get in the mood for playing.”
- “This certainly ranks up and possibly surpasses the feel of helicopter combat one has while playing Arma 3, giving a blend and an even more arcade-like forgiving sense to one's longevity, but certainly not taking away from a player's mad dog, firebird gunship ability in a helicopter in a more arcade atmosphere.”
humor
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the humor in the game largely stems from its quirky PvP dynamics, particularly the use of outdated helicopters from the Korean War, which leads to amusing aerial duels. While the team balance system can create hilariously one-sided matches, the addition of new objectives in PvE modes adds a layer of fun and interest. Overall, the game is perceived as quite funny, contributing to an enjoyable experience.
- “PVP with 1st generation helis from the Korean War is just hilarious, in a good way.”
- “I think the game is quite funny.”
- “Funny thing is I was after this War Thunder helicopter event; I was hyped for a multiplayer game.”
emotional
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a mix of distress and appreciation regarding the emotional impact of the game. While some find the experience relaxing and enjoyable, they are frustrated by gameplay mechanics that hinder their enjoyment, such as long wait times after crashes. Overall, the game evokes strong feelings about its potential and the desire for improvements, highlighting a deep emotional investment from the community.
- “No game has made me feel like I can choose how I want to go about winning to the scale this one has.”