Introduction

In a world where soldiers dodge bullets and commanders give orders from afar, what if I told you that you could be in the cockpit of a B-17 bomber, raining destruction from above? Welcome to B-17: Fortress in the Sky! Also known as the game that kind of makes you wonder if you should stick with your flight simulator app instead. Let's dive into this WWII takeoff and see if it's smooth sailing or a crash landing.

Gameplay

The gameplay consists of a variety of missions, including shooting down enemy planes and bombing targets! Sounds thrilling, right? Well, hold your horses. The thrill gets lost a bit when you realize the controls resemble a Rubik's Cube that was dunked in a pool. You'll man machine guns located around the bomber and get to fire them at flying enemies that seem intent on ruining your good time. Spoiler: your aim will probably be worse than the enemy AI, but at least your teammates are just as confused as you are! After dispersing clouds of enemy aircraft like an untrained air traffic controller, you then get the chance to drop bombs on targets below. Planning strikes gives you the chance to feel like a tactical genius. Just don't tell the game that. You'll be busy trying to make sense of an interface that feels akin to deciphering hieroglyphics while blindfolded. Each mission ends with either triumph or the sweet, sweet sound of failure as you get shot down and reminisce about your better days. You may want to keep a box of tissues handy for when you crash-land - which, let's admit, is going to be frequent.

Graphics

Graphics are where this flight simulation game takes another nosedive (pun intended). The presentations are about as refined as that postage stamp you licked when you were six. Imagine low-poly models that look like they fought a battle against pixels themselves. Clouds look more like cotton candy than the ominous mounds of fluffy vapor they were supposed to represent. Despite being set during the dramatic times of WWII, the visuals somehow make moments of destruction feel less impactful and more like a video game malfunction. The animation seems equally stuck in a time capsule from 2005. During your time in the sky, prepare for the kind of scenery that conjures up memories of dodging poor graphics in mid-90s platformers. You might find yourself shaking your DS, hoping the graphics improve by sheer force of will. We could've also used model upgrades easier than your average school project.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, B-17: Fortress in the Sky is like the high school play where everyone forgot their lines; it's trying to showcase the camaraderie of men in the air. Unfortunately, it turns into a comedy routine with you as the punchline. While the game had the potential of becoming a classic, it seems that this particular fortress crashed before it even took off. The flight controls are clunky, visuals need a serious makeover, and the gameplay, while ambitious, feels more frustrating than fun. If you're still keen on trying it, be prepared to hang out with a retro-flavored B-17 experience that's perfect for owners of nostalgia goggles. The fragility of in-game life mimics the reality of who thought publishing this was a good idea. Landing it a 4 out of 10 for the brave soulds who dared to take this flight. So grab your flight goggles and maybe, just maybe, your favorite flight simulator app. Safe travels!

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