Wings of Prey
- January 8, 2010
- Gaijin Entertainment Corporation
- 51h median play time
"Wings of Prey" is a WW2 combat flight simulator, putting players in the cockpit of various aircraft across iconic battles. It features realistic flight physics, immersive graphics, and both single-player and multiplayer modes. Players can participate in large-scale aerial dogfights, bombing missions, and more. Reference: Fact )
Reviews
- The game features great graphics and a detailed environment, making it visually appealing.
- It offers a mix of arcade and realistic gameplay modes, catering to both casual players and flight sim enthusiasts.
- The single-player campaign is engaging with a variety of missions and aircraft to fly.
- The game is plagued by DRM issues, requiring a defunct Yuplay account that makes it difficult to launch and play.
- Multiplayer functionality is essentially non-existent, as the servers are no longer supported.
- Many players experience technical issues, including crashes and problems with joystick compatibility.
- story74 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 76 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game is primarily mission-based, featuring a substantial single-player campaign with around 20 missions across various scenarios, but it lacks a cohesive narrative. Players appreciate the variety and depth of missions, though many report frustrating bugs and difficulty spikes that detract from the overall experience. While the graphics and gameplay are praised, the mission design is often criticized for being repetitive and sometimes unfair, leading to a mixed reception regarding the storytelling elements.
“The campaign is quite fun and engaging, and there are a fair amount of missions to progress through.”
“Wings of Prey is a WWII flight sim where you can play a variety of singular missions as well as a proper single-player campaign.”
“The single-player content is still worth playing through and offers some nice varied missions.”
“There is no story or that kind of stuff, which is a pity.”
“A cool game at first, but ultimately it runs into a progression brick wall during a certain Stalingrad mission that was just impossible for me to beat no matter how hard I tried.”
“A warning though, you won't be able to finish the game as the last few missions are completely bugged and broken.”
- graphics65 mentions
- 77 % positive mentions
- 18 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim, with many players noting their impressive quality and realism, especially considering the game was released in 2009. Users highlight the stunning visuals, fluid animations, and detailed environments that enhance the overall gameplay experience, making it stand out even against more modern titles. While some minor issues with realism and rendering were mentioned, the overall consensus is that the graphics are a significant strength of the game.
“Even for a game that is 13 years old, the graphics are still good.”
“The graphics are really impressive considering it was released in 2009, and runs incredibly smoothly.”
“The graphics for Wings of Prey are absolutely spectacular--very impressive.”
“Tries to fix graphics and stuff because the game looks horrible on medium.”
“Although I wish that graphics were rendered to be slightly more realistic (ground isn't rendered at times, bad quality, clouds are static and non-immersive), Wings of Prey is still a well-designed game suitable for all levels of flight combat simulation.”
“The graphics are good but I assure you... the painful experience of the short period of play you would have to endure is not worth the glimps.”
- gameplay27 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The gameplay is widely praised for its stunning graphics, immersive realism, and a well-structured single-player campaign featuring 20 missions. Players appreciate the balance between arcade-style accessibility and simulation depth, offering enjoyable experiences for both casual and veteran gamers. However, some users noted frustrations with controls and multiplayer performance, suggesting room for improvement in those areas.
“Great graphics and gameplay.”
“It has an incredible campaign, sweet graphics and a really fun gameplay style.”
“One of the few 'air combat' games that offers a range of handling characteristics, conforming to both the pick-up-and-play style and the simulation expert style, while still pulling off an extremely solid core gameplay experience.”
“So far I have yet to notice a difference in gameplay.”
“The gameplay controls for this are not very jolly, even on arcade noob mode.”
“Their is a lot of gameplay in this and your character develops as we go on and you find out he has a troubled past and you didn't expect it.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is noted for its absurdity, particularly in relation to the frustrations players face, such as issues with DRM and anticheat systems. Users find the reviews and complaints amusing, highlighting a blend of humor and annoyance that adds to the overall experience.
“It's also a great substitute for War Thunder while Gaijin fixes (or doesn't fix) their backwards, hilariously broken anti-cheat.”
“Reviews are so funny; people complain about not being able to play the game anymore due to DRM.”
“Funny, but a pain in the arse to launch and learn.”
- stability3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has been widely criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs that hinder gameplay, including incomplete missions and overall instability. Many describe the experience as frustrating due to these persistent issues.
“Honestly, it looks very nice, but it's pretty buggy and barebones.”
“Buggy pile of crap.”
“Buggy missions that don't end or can't be completed.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game successfully creates an engaging atmosphere with its impressive graphics and immersive sound design, including realistic engine sounds and wind effects. While the gameplay is accessible and less punishing than more realistic simulators, it still captures the essence of World War II dogfights, making for a fun and atmospheric experience.
“It is a nice arcade World War II dogfight sim, easy to learn. It is not unforgiving nor realistic like IL-2, but the combats are fun, the graphics are awesome, and it does a good job of recreating the places and atmosphere.”
“Music and sound effects also add a lot to the atmosphere with appropriate engine sounds and wind swooshes.”
“While the missions are kind of the same; i.e., shooting down planes and bombing, it has a very realistic atmosphere.”
“The atmosphere feels flat and uninspired, lacking the depth and immersion I was hoping for.”
“Despite the potential, the environment feels lifeless and fails to draw me into the experience.”
“The overall ambiance is disappointing, with repetitive elements that detract from the intended atmosphere.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game is criticized for being poorly optimized, with players expressing frustration over performance issues. Additionally, some users note that specific gameplay strategies, such as maintaining an optimal flying height, are necessary to maximize aircraft performance.
“I always began my attacks from full strength, if possible, my ideal flying height being 22,000 ft because at that altitude I could best utilize the performance of my aircraft.”
“The game is poorly optimized; it needs significant improvements.”
“Performance issues are rampant, making the experience frustrating.”
“The optimization is lacking, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviews highlight a decline in emotional engagement, noting that the initial excitement fades as characters become less relatable and more frustrating due to their emotional struggles. This shift can lead to a lack of connection and investment in the narrative.
- music1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music and sound effects significantly enhance the game's atmosphere, featuring fitting engine sounds and wind swooshes that contribute to an immersive experience.
“The music and sound effects greatly enhance the atmosphere, featuring appropriate engine sounds and wind swooshes.”
“The soundtrack is incredibly immersive, perfectly complementing the gameplay and elevating the overall experience.”
“Each musical piece is thoughtfully crafted, adding depth and emotion to every moment in the game.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly due to the limited multiplayer co-op options in the DLC "Wings of Luftwaffe," which complicates the online experience.
“Multiplayer co-op is only limited to the DLC Wings of Luftwaffe, and the whole process of getting online is absolutely tedious.”