Sound
There are two high points here: the music and sound effects. The score for the game is simply fantastic, making use of an idiom that's instantly familiar from its presence in numerous other World War II themed games. The audio designers have taken every possible care to get recordings from period equipment. And though it's hard to find out what a .50 cal round sounds like when it slams into the tailfin of a Spitfire, they've managed to create a really great approximation of it. More impressively, they've managed to track down many of the planes in the game, in some cases with the original engines still intact. They've covered every inch of these planes, recording the sounds of all the control surfaces as well as the engines. The result is quite remarkable.

Beyond that, I found the voice work wasn't up to the standards set by the other areas of the game's sound. Though fine from a standpoint of fidelity, the accents-masquerading-as-characters simply don't sell the excitement and interest I hoped to find here. There's plenty of radio chatter in the missions and that helps add a bit of life to the hum of engines and stutter of 50 caliber guns. It's just the overall presentation of characters that's off here, not any particular technical problem.

Closing Comments
The failure of flight sims has become something of a joke in our industry. As gaming has gone more mainstream, there's less patience on the part of gamers to wade through a 200-page manual just to find out how to feather their props. Even putting a plane on the front of your box can dissuade many gamers who might appreciate the more action-oriented approach found therein. Crimson Skies for the PC is a great example. And while Totally Games has done a pretty good job of preserving some sense of realism in what is basically a fantasy flying game, I think the concessions have been weighted more on the side of convenience than realism. I can appreciate it as a fun action game but it holds little of the weight you'd expect from a World War II dogfight game. The lack of a compelling narrative enhances this pick-up-and-play mentality and detracts from my own involvement in what's going on.

Secret Weapons Over Normandy makes a much bigger splash on the PS2 than it does on the PC and Xbox. Admittedly there haven't been many action dogfighters on the PC lately, but the system does have a considerable backlog of titles that offer better experiences than the one we have here. Likewise, the recent release of Crimson Skies for the Xbox, similarly hampers Secret Weapons' success on that platform.

In the end, it seems as if Totally Games was holding back, hoping like hell not to overly smartify the title for a console audience. Before you start flaming, that's not a rip on the ability or attitude of console gamers at all; I just think console gamers are perfectly capable of rising beyond the challenges presented here. But the developers seem to have hedged their bets on this one, opting instead for greater accessibility at the cost of increased immersion.

IGN's Ratings for Secret Weapons Over Normandy (PS2)
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out of 10 click here for ratings guideGet Ratings Information
7.5 Presentation
A nice arcade sensibility overall but there's a serious lack of interest as far as the story goes.
8.0 Graphics
Nice effects and plane models. Some framerate issues. The PC graphics are easily the prettiest but even then, they're not that great.
8.5 Sound
Great weapon and engine sounds all around. I like the chatter but the voice acting still seems a bit flat. Nice score.
8.0 Gameplay
Again, a nice arcade approach but one that cuts too many corners in terms of flight modeling. Missions are fun but not emotionally engaging.
7.5 Lasting Appeal
The missions can be won in two days and the extras can be unlocked in another two. Lacking multiplayer on the PC, there's not much reason to come back.
8.0 OVERALL
(out of 10 / not an average)
8.3 Reader Average
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