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Review: Top Gun 2 - Fly Into the Danger Zone!

Review: Top Gun 2 - Fly Into the Danger Zone!

August 26, 2010

Overview:

Top Gun 2 by Paramount Digital Entertainment is the second installment of the Top Gun series for the iPhone. In Top Gun 2 your mission again is to keep the world safe from the evil Communist aggressors. The USS Enterprise has entered enemy waters, and you must help fight the threat in a series of high flying missions at Mach speeds!

Features:

Top Gun 2 brings you 3 jets, including the F-14 Tomcat, F-16 Fighting Falcon, and the F-18 Hornet. Each aircraft has unique fire power and defense abilities. The jets are upgradable using the money you earn by completing missions. There are 7 missions to shoot through, such as Search & Rescue where you have to seek and rescue Iceman who's been shot down by the enemy. The missions consist of both air-to-air and air-to-ground combat. Each stage contains a massive boss battle waiting for you at the end. Make sure not to wear your shield out though, as these battles can get quite rigorous. You steer the jets by using the iPhone’s accelerometer. Tilting your device left to right will steer you away from attacks, while your jet moves forward on a pre-determined path. You can recalibrate the accelerometer while the game is paused, in case it’s not responsive enough. To complement its retro arcade feel, the game features an 80s soundtrack by Daredevil Squadron. Top Gun fanatics rejoice, as a rendition of Danger Zone is in as well! The in-game music compliments the fast-paced action really well.

Breakdown:

The Good: To someone who’s never played Top Gun 2, the game may seem like a dog fight simulator. This is due to its clean and crisp graphics, realistic explosions, and animation. However, the action couldn’t get any farther from realism; but that’s the beauty of it. Top Gun 2 is meant to be a pick up and play shooter that will get your adrenaline pumping. I enjoyed the sense of speed and danger I got from playing through the levels. If you enjoyed Sega’s Afterburner back in the day, this game will take you back. Rest your thumbs though, because you’re going to be doing a lot of shooting. Enemies come at you from all angles, and they don’t stop. The AI is done well, with the enemies coming at you with a variety of defensive moves like barrel rolls and team attacks. IMG_1132Luckily each jet comes equipped with its own unique weapon which recharges during gameplay. When hordes of enemies line up ahead, there is nothing like launching a smart bomb and blowing them off the screen! The upgrades definitely add to the replay ability, as unlocking all weapons require you to play through the levels multiple times. The Bad: Top Gun 2 actually lost some of the features that were found in the original. For example, the sequel no longer has the “Danger Zone” indicators that would flash on the screen to warn you of oncoming missiles. It gets really frustrating when you’re fighting 5 planes, and steering left and right to avoid all the attacks. The game is also limited in the defensive flying area. I was disappointed to find that I couldn’t do any of the fancy flying my enemies could do. Flipping over, or even a simple barrel roll would have been very helpful when dodging heavy fire. The boss fights, while fun, dragged on at times. Some bosses are able to fire at you from angles you can’t hit them from. They are massive and can take a lot of fire so make sure you have enough shield, and patience.

The Verdict

If arcade shooters are your thing, you should definitely give Top Gun 2 a try. With fighting from all angles, ground and air, the action never stops. While it doesn’t offer the depth that the original did, the choice of jets, coupled with weapon upgrades and fast-paced action, will keep you coming back for more. Top Gun 2 is definitely worth it!

Mentioned apps

$1.99
TOP GUN
TOP GUN
Paramount Digital Entertainment
$4.99
TOP GUN for iPad
TOP GUN for iPad
Paramount Digital Entertainment
$1.99
STAR TREK CAPTAIN'S LOG
STAR TREK CAPTAIN'S LOG
Paramount Digital Entertainment
$4.99
Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X
Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X
Gameloft
Free
F.A.S.T. -- Fleet Air Superiority Tactics!
F.A.S.T. -- Fleet Air Superiority Tactics!
SGN

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