Air Conflicts: Pacific Carriers

I got it very cheap so for the money I spent it was worth it. Arcade controls are somewhere between average and goofy (I'm more used to arcade controls like Blazing Angels). Simulation controls are incredibly challenging on a gamepad, haven't tried the joystick. Very aesthetically pleasing graphics; planes, ships and environments. Planes come apart and tumble in a pleasing way when shot down and there's no AI swarm behaviour like Heroes of The Pacific. Game has a fairly solid historical setting as well, though presentation in the American briefs is bare bones and full of "ooh-rah" fluff. Japanese presentation is a little better, but only just. Biggest gripe is depicting the Enterprise CV-6 at the Battle of Coral Sea; Lexington and Yorktown were at Coral Sea (as in the game), while Hornet and Enterprise were enroute from Pearl Harbor, but did not arrive in time. Could have done a Hornet/Enterprise campaign instead of two Enterprise campaigns. Would have mirrored the Japanese campaign nicely. 6.5/10 Dolphins

"TORPEDO FAILED, TORPEDO FAILED, WE LOST THE TORPEDO!" RECOMMENDATION FAILED! WE LOST THE RECOMMENDATION!

I love a game like this, unfortunately it is hard to go through campagin with the sheer amount of bugs. It had so much potential, but given the age of the game and not being optimized enough to be actually fun to play Common bugs are - Game shuts when certain scenes are triggered - Game shuts when certain missions are engaged - Torpedo drops make torpedo go invisible, therefore you can't complete the game as the ship is unable to sink. and many many more.

Air Conflicts: Pacific Carriers is starting to show its age, and while the graphics are still serviceable for a 2012 title, they’re far from impressive by today’s standards. The biggest issue, however, is the gameplay. The single-player experience becomes repetitive very quickly, to the point where it feels almost sleep-inducing. Missions rarely offer anything new, and the pacing does little to keep the player engaged. Multiplayer can be somewhat enjoyable if you’re playing with friends, but even then, it doesn’t stay fun for long. The novelty wears off fast, and there isn’t enough depth to keep you coming back. Back when it launched in 2012, this game may have been a decent pick for fans of arcade-style air combat. Today, though, it’s hard to recommend. There are better, more polished alternatives available, and Air Conflicts: Pacific Carriers simply doesn’t hold up.

Overall a fun arcade style flight sim that focuses on key battles in the pacific. I do see why other would give this game a poor rating but it's clearly a limited range of mechanics that weren't fully QA-ed before release, but that only makes the game more rustic and something that is clearly of the era for smaller games. The graphics aren't terrible but there are a few issues that occur due to modern upgrades causing conflicts. The biggest one being the graphical glitch at the bottom of the screen while in 3rd person view. Over time though I found myself ignoring it and it not really being that noticeable at times, especially mid combat. Personally since I like these style of games I'll be finishing it over a week or so and will update if there are any major play-stoppers I encounter.

good fun. i enjoy the bombing missions the torpedo ones are tricky though