Flight Control HD Review

Game : Flight Control HD

Developer : Firemint

Publisher : Firemint (via Playstation Network)

Available On : PlayStation 3, iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch (Reviewed PlayStation 3 version)

Have you heard of Firemint? Do you own an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch? If the answer to any of those is yes then you already know about Flight Control. At 59p (UK) from the Apple App Store it represents one of the most addictive and value for money titles going, and now it has arrived on the Playstation Network in all its glorious HD splendor.

Is Flight Control HD a welcome addition to the console world, or is it better staying on the iPhone? Read on to find out!

Flight Control HD is a very simple concept, you have planes and helicopters coming onto the screen and you have to draw their flight path for them to land without them crashing into one another.  The planes and landing strips (and helipads) are colour coded and you have to land the corresponding place on its landing strip.  It starts off simply enough, but soon it gets pretty hectic and at first you won’t get very far.

There really isn’t much more to the gameplay than that, you have different levels to choose from and they differ in difficulty levels, some with different amounts of aircraft colours.  Some of the planes move quicker than others as well, which adds another dimension to your planning.  Be prepared to go back to planes you’ve already drawn a flight path for though as new planes will appear and you’ll have to change your mind quickly to stay in the game.  You only get one “life” to speak of and if any aircraft crashes into another aircraft, it’s game over.

In that respect, this HD PSN version is pretty much the same as the iPhone version though obviously this version has high definition visuals which look crisp and clean.  There are standard things included in this package like leaderboards and trophies, but where this HD versions get’s your attention is the multiplayer.  You use either the T (trigger) button or the Move button to draw the flight paths and you can press circle (double tap to lock it) to fast forward, that’s it as far as controlling the game goes.

You can of course use DualShock pads to play the game, but the drawing point is surely the addition of move controller support.  If ever there were an example of how 1:1 Sony’s Playstation Move is, it’s in this game.  The cursor movement is perfect, absolutely 1:1 and it makes the game a joy to play especially with a friend or three, as the game supports up to four player co-op.

Drop in and drop out co-operative play is supported and it’s excellent fun.  It adds a whole new dimension to the game as well.  You’ve already set an aeroplane on it’s path, but your partner hasn’t seen it so changes the patch and bang…suddenly it’s all gone wrong and you’ve lost, amid much laughter.  It truly is co-operative at a very basic level, you do need to talk to one another but it’s worth it…it’s great fun.

Having two PlayStation Move wands also means that if you think yourself something of a genius at the game you can attempt to use both at the same time, to “play two player on your own” as it were.  Not my idea of fun, but I’m probably not as good at the game as you!

The only place the game falls down is the audio department. There’s not much wrong with the sound effects per se, but the soundtrack leaves a little to be desired with the same music playing until it ends, whereby you get no music for a short while.  That’s a small complaint though and not one that should really put you off the game.

For the entry free of £3.99 it’s a bit of a bargain and as with the iPhone version it can be a real time-sink.  The addition of co-op adds to an already fun experience and playing it with Move is an absolute must.  It’s also worth mentioning that the game supports 3D so if you have the hardware, you can enjoy that as well.

Firemint know they’ve got a great title on their hands and they’ve added just enough to make it worth a second purchase (including the Playstation exclusive “Metropolis” map that cycles day and night) for people who own the iPhone version.  For first time buyers though, this is definitely a recomnended game to test out your shiny new Playstation Move.