Knights of the Sky

About

"Knights of the Sky" is a WWI aerial combat simulation, where you play as a British pilot on a mission to defeat Germany's most celebrated aviators. With accurate mapping of trenches, roads, and cities, you'll fly 20 different planes and navigate through anti-aircraft guns to challenge each enemy ace. The game aims to determine who is truly the Ace of Aces in this gallant recreation of ancient knighthood traditions.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

41%

Audience ScoreBased on 44 reviews

gameplay2 positive mentions

graphics8 negative mentions

Knights of the Sky captures the excitement of being a WWI fighter pilot, offering a blend of action, strategy, and simulation that retro gaming fans can appreciate.
The game features a dynamic campaign with various missions and a rival system that makes enemy aces feel like personal adversaries, enhancing the overall experience.
Despite its age, the game balances realism and playability, making it accessible yet challenging for players.

The game suffers from outdated graphics and clunky controls, making it difficult to play, especially on modern systems.
The copy protection system is cumbersome, requiring players to identify squadron insignias from a manual each time they start the game.
This version of the game is poorly optimized, resulting in low frame rates and a lack of improvements compared to the original Amiga version.

graphics
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
39%
44%
The graphics of the game are widely regarded as outdated, reminiscent of titles from 30 years ago, featuring simple, pixelated visuals that may not appeal to modern players. While some reviewers appreciate the nostalgic charm and mood-setting quality of the graphics, many express a desire for a modern update to enhance the visual experience. Overall, the dated graphics are a significant drawback, but the game's nostalgic value may still attract those willing to overlook this aspect.
- “Visually, it’s what you’d expect from a game of that era: simple, pixelated graphics, but they do a great job setting the mood.”
- “I hope MicroProse upgrades the game engine titles with modern graphics and joystick programmable keys; these games could go on forever.”
- “Now if this game was updated with modern graphics and joystick with programmable keys.”
- “The graphics are very dated, like 30 years ago, but I just wanted to see how it worked.”
- “This is such a terrible version of this game; the graphics and sound are both off.”
- “While the game was brilliant in its time and still fun to play if you look past the outdated graphics, you might want to wait for a Steam sale to buy this at a more reasonable price or maybe dig up your old floppies and manual of this game from the attic instead.”
story
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The story aspect of the game is centered around dynamic aerial combat missions, where players engage in various tasks such as intercepting bombers and defending allies, all while competing for renown among pilots. The campaign offers a freeform structure with customizable aircraft and tactics, providing a more engaging experience compared to other titles like "Red Baron." Overall, players appreciate the variety and intensity of the missions, which contribute to a compelling narrative of aerial warfare.
- “The game has a campaign that is dynamic, with varying missions where you compete with other pilots to become the most renowned.”
- “I discovered 'Knight of the Sky' last week, after being disappointed with 'Red Baron' and its sandboxed scenario missions, and again with 'Red Baron 3D' and its prioritization of realism, which I found boring.”
- “You can choose to play in a freeform campaign or tackle individual missions, and the game allows you to customize your aircraft and tactics.”
- “I discovered [i]Knight of the Sky[/i] last week, after being disappointed playing [i]Red Baron[/i] and its sandboxed scenario missions, and disappointed again playing [i]Red Baron 3D[/i] and its boring prioritization of realism.”
- “The game has a campaign which is kind of dynamic in that the missions vary, but it feels like I'm just competing with other pilots for renown without a compelling story.”
- “The gameplay focuses on aerial combat, but the lack of a strong narrative makes the missions feel repetitive and uninspired.”
gameplay
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The gameplay emphasizes aerial combat through missions such as intercepting bombers and engaging in dogfights, featuring approachable flight controls that balance accessibility with enough challenge to maintain player engagement.
- “The gameplay focuses on aerial combat, with missions like intercepting enemy bombers, defending allies, and engaging in intense dogfights.”
- “The flight controls are approachable, and while the game doesn't demand mastery of complex mechanics, it still offers enough challenge to keep things engaging.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's optimization has been heavily criticized, with users reporting extremely poor performance, including frame rates as low as 2 frames per second, leading to a sluggish and frustrating gaming experience.
- “The sluggish in-game performance feels slower than on my Amiga.”
- “TL;DR: Performance at 2 frames per second.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
Users report significant issues with stability, citing frequent bugs and glitches that detract from the overall experience.
- “The game is plagued with bugs and glitches that ruin the experience.”
- “There are constant bugs and glitches that make it hard to enjoy the game.”
- “The stability issues due to bugs and glitches are incredibly frustrating.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players note that grinding can be tedious, particularly during extended flying segments, but the option to skip these sections using the alt-a command offers a welcome relief from the monotony. Additionally, consulting the manual is essential for understanding controls and maximizing gameplay efficiency.
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is noted as light-hearted and entertaining, contributing to its appeal as a simple flying simulator. Players appreciate the comedic elements that enhance the overall experience.
- “Okay, this is a funny, simple flying simulator game.”