Wings Over Europe

Lots of chaff, not much flair.

Image credit: Eurogamer

Review by Oliver Clare Contributor

Published on Nov. 25, 2006

WINGS OVER EUROPE KEY COMMANDS

A - Admire accessibility
B - Toggle boredom/excitement
C - Toggle complexity/simplicity
D - Despair at the uninspired presentation
E - Enthuse about the fact that the campaign missions are randomly generated
F - Fly around for ages in search of a hill
G - Grimace at the lacklustre terrain visuals
H - Hover in the Harrier jump-jet because you can
I - Ignore the A-10 Thunderbolt and F-15 Eagle because you've been flying them for years in other games
J - Jettison drop-tanks in readiness for a ruckus
K - Use keyboard rather than joystick (totally practical)
L - Limp back to base in a flak-ravaged Hawker Hunter
M - Marvel at the wealth of excellent community-made mods that are available
N - Download the free NATO Fighters enhancement pack
O - Order wingman to cover your six
P - Pause game and ponder the sad lack of atmosphere
Q - Question the absence of flyable Russian planes
R - Master radar modes in five minutes
S - Smile after nailing MiG with last few cannon rounds
T - Tut after watching one bandit's lazy attempts at evasion
U - Underestimate another bandit and get shot-down as a result
V - Vandalize bridge with well-placed stick of 500lb bombs
W - Wonder if you shouldn't have saved your money for the upcoming Jet Thunder Or Lock On: Black Shark
X - Expire instantly after being struck by a SAM
Z - Doze after flying eight campaign sorties on the trot

1 - Select dynamic campaign Red Thunder (1962. The Cuban Missile Crisis escalates. The Soviets launch an invasion of Western Europe.)
2 - Select dynamic campaign Red Hammer (1968. Emboldened by the weak NATO response to the Czech invasion, the Reds attempt to forcibly re-unite Germany.)
3 - Select dynamic campaign Red Lightning (1978. Anticipating decades of demonisation at the hands of decadent Western flight sim developers, the Russians mount a pre-emptive strike on 'Free Europe'.)
4 - Select flexible quick mission generator
5 - Select meagre single sortie selection
6 - Select dogfight or co-op multiplayer (maximum 16 players)
7 - Select instant action
(Not assigned) - Select interactive tutorials
(Not assigned) - Select unit encyclopaedia
(Not assigned) - Select gun camera films

F1 - Display nicely modelled aircraft interior
F2 - Display nicely modelled aircraft exterior
F3 - Chase view
F4 - Fly-by view
F5 - Weapon view
F6 - Tower view
(Not assigned) - Breathtaking view
NumPad 4 - Look left
NumPad 6 - Look right
NumPad 2 - Look back to Third Wire's last two sims (Strike Fighters and Wings Over Vietnam) and note the series' relatively slow rate of progress
NumPad 8 - Look forward to Third Wire's next sim - the imminent First Eagles - The Great War. Maybe that one will have more character and charm

Print Screen - Take screenshot
Delete - Take screenshot of swooping shark-mouthed Thunderbolt spitting rockets at a column of Red armour
End - Take screenshot of Sparrow air-to-air missile turning an Il-28 Beagle bomber into a blazing meteorite shower
Insert - Take screenshot of Harrier lobbing 1000lb bomb into the hold of a Soviet ship
Scroll Lock - Take screenshot of F105-D Thunderchief doing victory rolls over devastated enemy airfield
Home - Take screenshot of SAM missile closing on a desperately jinking F4 Phantom
Ctrl + X - Exit the game
Shift + X - Exit the game entertained but underwhelmed
Alt + X - Exit the game and go back to Lock On: Modern Air Combat
Ctrl + Alt + X - Exit the game, take deep breath, and go back to Falcon 4: Allied Force

6 / 10