Fast Flying Frenzied Fun
Heatseeker is a fun game, but maybe a little much for the lesser experienced fliers out there.
I like a good flight experience. As I said in another review, I am no connoisseur, but I enjoy a little violence in three-dimensional space on occasion. Right out of the box, Heatseeker is almost that experience. Normally, I prefer to fly less advanced aircraft, prop planes or smaller WWII era jets. The super fast, modern jets take some getting used to, at least for me.
The most obvious thing about Heatseeker is that it is FAST, at least compared to most flying games in my experience. Fortunately, you have equally fast (and deadly) armaments to help you out. Yes, you have a gun, but you’ll find that of little help when you have a sky full of enemies screaming around you at mach 3. That is when your unlimited supply of guided missiles comes in. Lock on, launch, and watch the pretty fireworks.
Heatseeker is loaded with options that can increase or decrease the enjoyment level, depending on your tastes. An impact camera gives you the opportunity to watch your missiles slam into the bad guys, providing a little break from the action and some visual excitement. However, you’re stuck waiting for the movie to end before you can get back to the action. This can be a good thing if you want a little break, but it can also be frustrating when, in the heat of the battle, you are forced to wait for your next kill. Once the novelty wears off, just turn the camera off for full fledged, unobtrusive fighting.
The biggest challenges have to do with the controls. Admittedly, flight can be a challenge on the Wii. Some games, like Blazing Angels, use a much more intuitive approach. Heatseeker uses the Wiimote for flight controls, and the nunchuck for some control options and secondary weapons. And for me, it doesn’t quite work. The controls are VERY sensitive, which with some practice, is a good thing. But I spent a fair amount of time slamming into the open ocean before I began to “get the hang of it”.
Again, sim enthusiasts may want to steer clear of Heatseeker. It is definitely much more an arcade shooter than a true flight sim. Pro control options allow a much more realistic flight experience than some games, but the unlimited supply of munitions and sparse take-offs and landings all put this game in the “arcade” category as opposed to “sim”.
Overall, Heatseeker is a fun game for those with some flight experience under their belt, and patience to get comfortable with the somewhat awkward controls.
