Comanche 4 gives players the opportunity to get behind the controls of an
RAH-66 Comanche attack chopper, even before the Army's helicopter pilots
do. The Comanche is the most advanced attack chopper in the world and is
not due to become a regular part of the Army's arsenal until 2006.
Hardcore sim fans should take note that even though the game will allow them to
fly an RAH-66, Comanche 4 is more of an action game. A forgiving flight
model and a plethora of targets makes Comanche 4 more of a "shooter in the
sky" than a highly accurate military simulation.
Weapon controls have been simplified to a few keys for weapon selection and
target acquisition. In fact, players will be able to control the Comanche
quite well using the keyboard alone, although support for advanced joysticks is
also provided. High, medium, and low altitude hot keys along with the
standard directional key layout familiar to action gamers help to keep control
simple and the player's concentration on the action. Even casual gamers
will be able to get into the air quickly as the game makes the Comanche easy to
handle, with crashes rare and requiring a bit of an effort on the player's part
to actually run into something.
Ease of control does not necessarily translate into ease of play,
though. Many of the missions in Comanche 4 are quite challenging and the
player will often find that the enemy has a decided advantage in numbers.
Players will actually have to employ attack helicopter tactics - flying low and
staying hidden - if they want to have much of a chance of making it through the
game's campaigns. Players who try to fly into the fray with weapons
blazing will soon find themselves a SAM pincushion. The difficulty in the
game is adjustable, but even on the lowest setting, the enemy shows a propensity
for deadly accuracy.
Fortunately for the player, targeting in the game is pretty easy. The
Comanche's radar display shows the location of enemy targets, differentiating
between air, ground, and stationary targets, as well as the cone of fire of the
Comanche's weapons. With the click of a key, the player can lock and cycle
through the available targets, and as long as the target is held within the cone
of fire, most weapon fire will find its mark. No need to keep the
crosshairs trained on the target, just "fire and forget".
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