Twin Strike: Operation Thunder (Wii) - Review by Chris

Introduction

Unlike the other two current gen consoles on the market, the Wii is seeing a rather large influx of budget titles appear in its section in stores. They are released to unsuspecting gamers in the hope of a quick cash-in, offering nothing but a quick respite from life with dull gameplay and presentation. However, there is the odd occasion where a budget title does stand head and shoulders above the others and with Twin Strike: Operation Thunder this is especially the case.

Gameplay

Developed by NAPS Team, Twin Strike: Operation Thunder is an air combat title with a slight difference. Anyone familiar with the genre will instantly recognise similarities in the titles with EA's Strike series. Yet unlike those, and as previously mentioned, this title comes with a slight change to the current trend in air combat titles by giving you control of two vehicles instead of the one, allowing for split second switching between the two. The story revolves around a new recruit to the United Nations Air Force named James, who you'll be controlling during the games 20 missions in its campaign mode, as he joins the team to help them tackles evil organisations who are threatening the world's population. It's a very typical affair then, although there are some additions to the story to try and alleviate this factor, such as the romantic subplot between the James and his old school friend Colonel Sanders (as strange as that sounds, Sanders is actually a woman).

The games missions focus on a series of rescue and search and destroy initiatives, with both being reused and used together in the same missions. And why not, because you are piloting two helicopters, one of which is a fighter and the other a transporter. The missions don't particularly stand out as being fantastic in design yet they are fun to play through and that's the most important thing when playing a game. The use of a dual helicopter dynamic does make the gameplay stand out as, when the enemies appear for combat on the ground and in the air, you'll have to constantly think about both vehicles while trying to take out these adversaries. The game does come into its own when these set pieces occur and it's only a shame that there aren't more of them because they are the true highlight in an otherwise short title.

The campaign mode's 20 missions won't take overly long to complete and once done, you do have the option to play them through again in the arcade mode but apart from these two modes, there's nothing else here. The absence of any form of multiplayer is a big hit on the title as it's a staple inclusion in this genre and the title is severely missing out on what could have been some much needed longevity and a multiplayer mode would have given that. The only added longevity to the title are the unlockable vehicles yet there are only 4 to unlock and all are variations of the standard models available from the beginning, simply adding more missiles and health stats.

Controls

The game offers up two forms of controls to play with. The normal setting simply requires you to use the Wii-mote, solus, on its side while the Advanced setting makes you use both the Wii-mote and the nunchuk and it is in this setting that you'll most likely play as you are given more freedom over your movement and aiming. Here, the Wii-mote is used to turn your helicopter, manipulating the pitch and direction, while the nunchuk acts as the accelerator with the ability to strafe left or right with a flick of the nunchuk, a mechanic that is wholly unnecessary and makes flying in some of the more close nit levels problematic. The controls work especially well in the flying area, apart from the aforementioned nunchuk mechanic, but when it comes to taking on enemies, it can be problematic. You'll simply find yourself constantly in a spin as you try to keep up with your enemy's movement. Luckily, the Advanced controls allow you to halt your vehicle in flight with the use of the B button, allowing for a free-range aiming mode, making it slightly easier to take down the enemy helicopters and ground units.

Graphics

The game never really pushes the Wii's hardware in the graphical department yet it does offer up some decent work. Levels are large and open, containing a good amount of foliage, even if they are 2d when you inspect them, and a good amount of architecture to explore. Yet the design of said architecture is plain and dull and has been seen before many times and could have done with a touch up in the quality department. Vehicles are nicely represented and look the part, with real time reflections doing a nice job of making them look believable. The game's story is told through anime-style cutscenes between and before missions and it's your typical generic anime look here, with the characters showing little in the way of facial changes during the cutscenes to differentiate between emotions and to help convey the story.

Sound

The music that accompanies the title is a rather lacklustre affair, missing out on the opportunity to increase the tension in dog-fights with some fast paced, loud music. Instead what we get is a style of music which in no way does this but it's not something you'll notice much anyway. Sound effects are good though, and are indicative of the real thing. It's just a shame that the music isn't there to help push the game's finer moments because it would have helped in the experience of the air combat.

Final comments

The Wii has seen a few air combat titles, with a varying degree of success. Twin Strike: Operation Thunder isn't quite as good as the higher end titles in this genre on the Wii, such as Heatseeker, yet what it brings to the table is good quality fun at a budget price. Sure the main campaign is short and there isn't much to do once it has finished, criminal because the game could have used a multiplayer mode which would have improved it somewhat, but what you play will keep you hooked for the duration, something that can't be said of many budget titles. It's definitely one of the better budget titles and sets itself up well for progressive sequels to improve upon what is there, should NAPS Team wish to continue it.

Pro: Large open environments, air combat is, as is the whole title, good fun to play
Con: Very short, little to come back to after finishing the campaign, some control issues
Final score: 6

Share on Twitter or Facebook

Comments