Project Wingman

95%
Game Brain Score Based on 11,939 reviews
  • story
  • music
  • gameplay
Project Wingman Game Cover
Project Wingman is a wonderful flight game. If you’re looking to get your wings, but Flight Sim is way out of your realm, this is the next best thing. The story is forgettable through a lot of the game, but that isn’t the full selling point really.
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Project Wingman is a combat flight action game set in an alternate history of Earth, with a variety of exotic locations to battle in and formidable enemy forces to face. Players can expect a range of difficulties, making it accessible for newcomers while still providing a challenge for experienced pilots. The game features an array of exotic weaponry, including railguns and geothermal-powered armaments, ensuring intense and engaging combat .

  • PC
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

95%
Audience ScoreBased on 11,939 reviews
story1,469 positive mentions
grinding71 negative mentions
  • story5,823 mentions

    The story of "Project Wingman" is described as a chaotic yet engaging narrative that unfolds through mission briefings and in-flight dialogue, lacking cutscenes but still managing to captivate players with its over-the-top elements and character interactions. While some players find the plot predictable and the dialogue occasionally cheesy, many appreciate the emotional depth and character development, particularly in the final missions, which leave a lasting impact. Overall, the story is seen as a fun homage to the "Ace Combat" series, with a mix of absurdity and drama that enhances the gameplay experience.

    • “It's been a very long time since I've had a game have me on the edge of my seat, actually paying attention to and enjoying the story and characters.”
    • “The story is a beautiful mess.”
    • “The story is engaging and original, the soundtrack is just perfect and fits with every story mission.”
    • “The story is a bit chaotic and hard to follow, especially during intense combat when important dialogue is drowned out by missile alerts and explosions.”
    • “The missions can be very long, and if you die or crash, you have to restart the entire mission, which can be frustrating.”
    • “The story is presented solely through mission briefings and in-game dialogue, making it difficult to connect with the characters and plot.”
  • music1,719 mentions

    The music in "Project Wingman" has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its exceptional quality and emotional depth. Composed by José Pavli, the soundtrack is described as a standout feature that enhances the gameplay experience, often compared favorably to the iconic scores of the Ace Combat series. While some noted that it may not reach the absolute heights of Ace Combat's best tracks, the overall consensus is that the music is a significant asset to the game, contributing to its immersive atmosphere and emotional impact during missions.

    • “The soundtrack is the most consistently good part of the game; José Pavli composed some excellent pieces that fit perfectly with the gameplay, with neither overshadowing the other.”
    • “The music, composed by the talented José Pavli, is nothing short of epic.”
    • “The soundtrack makes this game what it is and ties it all together.”
    • “The gameplay is boring and repetitive, I think to me the color scheme and filters look awful, but I understand how other people like it, and in the end it kind of just becomes a worse version of AC7, but the music is possibly my favorite video game music ever made.”
    • “The music feels pretty much the same at nearly all times.”
    • “The music is alright, if a little uninspired, but since you'll typically be focused on the waves and waves of fighters and ground targets, you probably won't pay it much mind.”
  • gameplay1,653 mentions

    The gameplay of "Project Wingman" has been widely praised for its engaging and responsive mechanics, drawing strong comparisons to the "Ace Combat" series while introducing unique features such as the ability to equip multiple special weapons. Players appreciate the fast-paced, arcade-style action, though some note that the lack of checkpoints can lead to frustration during challenging missions. Overall, the game is celebrated for its solid gameplay loop, stunning visuals, and an exceptional soundtrack, making it a standout title for fans of aerial combat games.

    • “The gameplay in Project Wingman is where it truly shines.”
    • “The developers clearly understood what makes air combat fun, and they’ve translated that into gameplay that feels both responsive and exhilarating.”
    • “The gameplay is simple yet fun, arcade high-speed action shooter with jets; what is not to love?”
    • “The gameplay is boring and repetitive; I think to me the color scheme and filters look awful, but I understand how other people like it, and in the end, it kind of just becomes a worse version of AC7.”
    • “As far as the gameplay goes, all missions are basically the same: 'destroy all targets' with the occasional boss battle.”
    • “I played through a few missions and felt the gameplay was too repetitive and uninteresting; you either chase and take down enemy aircraft or search for ground targets to take out.”
  • graphics1,187 mentions

    The graphics in "Project Wingman" have received a mixed but generally positive reception, with many players praising the stunning visuals, particularly in VR, and the detailed aircraft models. While some users noted that the ground textures and certain environmental effects could be improved, the overall aesthetic and atmospheric effects, such as lighting and weather, were highlighted as impressive for an indie title. Comparisons to "Ace Combat 7" suggest that while "Project Wingman" may not reach the same level of polish, it still offers a visually engaging experience that resonates well with fans of aerial combat games.

    • “The graphics are stunning and the game has a lively modding community able to deliver further content as it is needed in addition to the campaign.”
    • “The visuals are absolutely stunning, and the developers seem to know this because they aren’t scared to give you light shows under a sea of thunder clouds with raindrops tracing your entire cockpit.”
    • “The graphics are fantastic, the gameplay is amazing for anyone who is a fan of ace combat, and the entire experience is truly breathtaking from a development team as small as this one.”
    • “Visuals are borderline bad and sloppy at best.”
    • “Terrain really looks like this is early PS3 graphics.”
    • “The graphics in this game are pretty poor, it in fact took me back to Microsoft Flight Sim... and not the latest version.”
  • replayability250 mentions

    The game features high replayability, primarily due to its Conquest mode, which offers a rogue-like experience and allows players to engage in dynamic missions with varying difficulty levels and modifiers. While the campaign itself has limited replay value due to a lack of decision-making, the addition of new game+ options and diverse aircraft enhances the overall replay experience. Players appreciate the blend of engaging gameplay, a compelling story, and the ability to replay missions with different challenges, making it a worthwhile investment for fans of the genre.

    • “The conquest mode adds fantastic replayability and depth to the game, making it an incredibly fun addition that keeps you coming back for more.”
    • “The addition of a conquest mode also allows for close-to-limitless replay value, which makes the game worth every penny.”
    • “Conquest mode gives the game tons of replayability, too.”
    • “Replayability for the campaign game mode is lower since there are no real decisions or ways to complete an objective differently, with the exception of a change in difficulty setting affecting the number of enemies.”
    • “The only thing I would say is a negative is the conquest mode, which is supposed to offer replayability after completing the campaign.”
    • “The replay value is pretty decent, but there isn't too much to do after you beat the campaign.”
  • optimization245 mentions

    The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, particularly regarding its VR performance, which many users found to be poor and in need of significant improvement. While some players reported acceptable performance on standard settings, others experienced frequent frame drops and stuttering during intense action, especially in conquest mode. Overall, while the game runs well on mid-range hardware, it struggles with optimization in VR and during visually complex scenes, indicating that further updates could enhance the experience.

    • “It's well done, well optimized, and I experienced 0 bugs while playing.”
    • “The game feels amazing to play with very solid and stable performance even on a mid-range PC like mine.”
    • “Considering that this is basically an indie game, its performance is on par with many AAA titles.”
    • “VR performance is unacceptable.”
    • “This game had potential, but my god, the performance is atrocious.”
    • “The game seems to be poorly optimized for PC.”
  • humor145 mentions

    The humor in "Project Wingman" is a standout feature, characterized by its witty dialogue, absurd scenarios, and memorable characters that evoke laughter amidst intense gameplay. Players appreciate the game's blend of dark humor and lighthearted moments, often referencing it as a "funny plane game" that successfully captures the tongue-in-cheek spirit reminiscent of classic titles like Ace Combat. While some moments may fall flat, the overall comedic tone enhances the experience, making it a delightful entry point for newcomers to the genre.

    • “The characters have lots of unique and funny dialogue, and the boss battles (yes, an aircraft game with boss battles) are overall pretty decent.”
    • “It's got a great story with a villain who has hilariously schizophrenic goals.”
    • “The mission briefing design uses the same style of the Ace Combat series with touches of From's own Armored Core titles with stylish and sleek maps detailing your objectives, the radio chatter with some hilarious and pretty well done moments with your waifu prez.”
  • emotional108 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game has garnered mixed but generally positive feedback, with many players expressing deep emotional connections to the story and characters, often leading to tears during pivotal moments. The soundtrack is frequently praised for enhancing the emotional experience, while some players noted a lack of consistency in emotional depth compared to other titles in the genre. Overall, the game successfully evokes a range of feelings, from nostalgia to heartbreak, making it a memorable experience for many.

    • “This game goes above and beyond, beautiful story that really surprised me at the end with how emotional it made me.”
    • “The story was well done, and even had me a little emotional after the enemy launches a terrible attack.”
    • “I honestly can't put the emotions that this game made me feel into words, for such a simple plane game the campaign has so much emotional depth.”
    • “Unfortunately, it was ruined by an awfully boring story, very different from the rest of the franchise.”
    • “It's an extremely boring story to follow, with no cutscenes and a monotone narrator.”
  • grinding85 mentions

    Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and repetitive, particularly due to long mission lengths and a lack of checkpoints. Many reviews highlight the need for significant time investment to unlock aircraft and complete achievements, often describing the experience as monotonous and frustrating. While some appreciate the challenge, the consensus leans towards the grinding being a major drawback that detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “A bit grindy sometimes.”
    • “That's the problem though, as of right now there is pretty much nothing to do after you complete the campaign (which I did in about 10 hours not grinding that hard).”
    • “The missions just got longer and longer and more tedious and repetitive.”
    • “I don't want to have to repeat hour+ long missions just because the developers can't be bothered to throw in a checkpoint or saving feature despite having no problem creating these excessively long, tedious campaign missions.”
    • “Missions are tediously long and repetitive, and really lack in variety or tension.”
  • stability83 mentions

    The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting frequent crashes, freezes, and various graphical glitches that can disrupt gameplay. While some users have experienced minimal issues and found the game to run smoothly on their systems, others have faced significant bugs that hinder progress, particularly in VR mode. Overall, while the game shows potential and offers enjoyable gameplay, it still requires further polishing to address its stability concerns.

    • “It runs great on my FX 6300 CPU from 2011.”
    • “The game runs great in VR, 3080, 5600X, running at 150% resolution with absolutely no problems in terms of performance.”
    • “Runs great at max settings.”
    • “The fact that the game crashes and freezes a lot, and the lack of checkpoints make that worse. I lost 2 hours of progress total from all those crashes and freezes, and it has nothing to do with my PC since it's mid-range and can run many high-end games.”
    • “This game is buggy; you can't even finish the game if you're unlucky.”
    • “Unbelievably buggy and terrible menus.”
  • atmosphere72 mentions

    The atmosphere in "Project Wingman" is widely praised for its immersive qualities, combining stunning visuals, detailed sound design, and a compelling soundtrack that enhances the intensity of aerial combat. Players feel a strong sense of presence in the game, often losing themselves in the experience, with many noting its nostalgic appeal reminiscent of classic titles like Ace Combat. Overall, the game's atmosphere is described as thrilling, engaging, and beautifully crafted, making it a standout feature of the gameplay.

    • “What really stands out is the immersive atmosphere: from the detailed sound design to the nail-biting intensity of the combat, Project Wingman truly puts you in the pilot's seat.”
    • “The sheer atmosphere in some missions, combined with the game's godly soundtrack, is legitimately beautiful and I haven't found that sentiment since the PS2 Ace Combat games.”
    • “The sound design is on point for the atmosphere the game cultivates, and the voice acting, while not always written well, is convincing and furthers the story and atmosphere.”
    • “The sound design is good, but lacks the dynamic range of Ace Combat - you don't get quite the distinct engine noises and Doppler-effect flyby sounds we have grown used to, but the rest of the atmosphere more than makes up for it.”
    • “The general atmosphere of the late campaign is very post-apocalyptic, which is cool.”
    • “It plays just like Ace Combat 6/7, although slightly more down to earth in control and atmosphere.”
  • character development13 mentions

    Character development in the game is largely criticized for being minimal and lacking depth, particularly for wingmen and supporting characters, making it difficult for players to become emotionally invested in the story. While some players appreciate the intense gameplay and plot progression, they express a desire for more substantial character arcs and interactions, as the absence of cutscenes limits the storytelling potential. Overall, the game excels in combat mechanics but falls short in delivering memorable character development.

    • “It manages character development even without showing a single person on screen!”
    • “An amazing game for any Ace Combat fan, the plot and character development was like no other.”
    • “Mission debriefs are all you get as far as cutscenes go, which is tolerable, considering each mission is long and full of story progression and character development.”
    • “Character development is non-existent until pretty much the end, making it hard to get invested in the story.”
    • “The only downside is the lack of character development with your wingmen.”
    • “There are no cutscenes in the game like Ace Combat, which makes it hard to convey character development and what is happening between missions.”
  • monetization7 mentions

    The game is praised for its lack of microtransactions and DLC, providing a genuine and enjoyable experience without the typical monetization pitfalls. Players appreciate the reasonable pricing and the freedom it offers, enhancing the overall gameplay without the annoyance of timers or cash grabs. This approach contributes to a perception of high quality, comparable to AAA titles.

    • “No microtransactions, just pure fun.”
    • “If I had been given this game with no context about the developers or price tag, I would assume it was made by a AAA company. If there were any microtransactions, the illusion would be complete.”
    • “- No microtransactions or DLC!!!”
    • “If I had been given this game with no context about the developers or price tag, I would assume it was made by a AAA company. If there are any microtransactions, the illusion would be complete.”
    • “The lack of microtransactions also makes the game feel genuine.”
    • “This doesn't feel like an early access or cash grab title at all, and the quality exceeds that of its nearest competition, Ace Combat, in many ways.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

75% average critic score

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Play time

13hMedian play time
20hAverage play time
10-30hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 30 analyzed playthroughs

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