America took a neutral stance on World War II leading up to Pearl Harbor, suffering from political favor at home that remembered the casualties of the First World War and declined to participate. But everyone could still see the danger the Nazis posed to Europe, having swept across country lines like a board game, so when England took the initiative of setting up the BattleHawks elite fighter section inside the Royal Air Force, an international group of pilots applied. Secret Weapons Over Normandy, the newest flight game from Totally Games (who previously handled the X-Wing and TIE Fighter series’ for LucasArts) tells the story of one American pilot in the BattleHawks, fighting the good fight before the Americans and continuing the involvement up to the curtain call of the war.

Chase is a typical hotshot American flight jock, a cocky and self-assured polar opposite to his cool, calm British squadron mates. After seeing his skill in the field, Trevor invites him to join the BattleHawks, the secret group at the center of defending England against the attempts by Hitler to rule everything. Sending his Luftwaffe out in droves, the Battle of Britain is just the beginning of a long and complicated set of entanglements in the air, with both sides refusing to give up slack. The Nazis have their own elite force with ‘Nemesis’, and the two groups constantly wage war against each other in as much a competition between athletes as war by soldiers. Acrobatics, swift destruction and smooth moves are all elements of the air combat fiercely fought over for the bragging rights, and the story of Secret Weapons Over Normandy is told with a mix of archived footage, historical commentary and written letters. Based around real wars and scenarios, the game manages to be compelling because truth is stranger than fiction. And given all the insistences on real aircraft, battles and events, you would think Normandy would tilt further to being a simulation, but this is not the case. Although more concerned with realism and strategy than most other ‘arcade flight games’, Secret Weapons Over Normandy still holds the ideology that a thrilling story needs equally thrilling gameplay. Difficult navigation and fuel issues are largely eschewed for intense dog-fights, bombing runs and desperate attempts at survival.

Because of this action-oriented focus, the game is great fun to play—but only if you have the right equipment. Unlike consoles, which have pre-packaged controllers designed for convenience, the PC doesn’t always allude to the best option for play. No sign on the back of the box says, “Get a controller or burn!” But gamers who prefer the PC format learned long ago that while every game will support the keyboard, the standard is not necessarily the best choice. In the case of Secret Weapons, choosing the keyboard for lack of a better option dooms the gameplay experience to a complicated exchange of curse words and fumbled hands. With so many functions delegated to so many keys, Totally Games has delivered a sprawling package that doesn’t fit nearly so nice as the streamlined version meant for console controllers. So while players do get more individual buttons for better control, it’s an illusion; the expansion comes at the cost of simplicity and function, spoiling the atmosphere of an otherwise excellent game. If you can remember all the buttons, then Secret Weapons Over Normandy works very well, but the controls are spread out all over the keyboard, and it doesn’t help that one hand has to be pretty much glued to the plane’s basic controls at all times. The right hand is then delegated to fixing the camera, firing the weapons, setting the speed, toggling map or target functions and lowering the landing gear. Quite a lot of work, and it’s easy to see how such a load boils down to a frustrating game of constant catch-up.

Control aside, the rest of the gameplay experience is fluid. I was concerned at how dog-fighting would be covered, but the ‘Slow Time’ function becomes highly useful for the in-air battles. Aiming can take a long time to set up, since movement back and forth is jittery and generally inaccurate, so the slowed time allows a more consistent process of lining up the proper target and pressing the trigger.

All the pieces are in place for a fun experience, it’s just that Secret Weapons Over Normandy forces players to use a controller or perhaps even a joystick if they wish to get the proper (i.e. not clumsy) experience. If you do have a nice control pad for the PC, then by all means feel free to leap into this game. It’s a joyous action blast when working right, but requires that extra bit of equipment to overcome handicaps. Without a controller, you would be better off sticking with a console version of Secret Weapons Over Normandy. Not only do the PS2 or Xbox versions not require additional items to play correctly, but they are also equally responsive game experiences that don’t need a beast of a machine to run. No matter what avenue you choose, just be sure you give this title a run in some fashion; the battles in the sky are simply too spectacular to pass up.

One reason to play the PC version over the others is that the high system requirements have delivered an absolutely beautiful game. Sharp, rich textures are full of detail and given the proper historical look. Not only does Chase’s plane look great, but all enemy and ally fighters also have marvelous detail when you get close enough to them. Effects are used profusely, almost to an unnecessary level—smoke bellows out of places I’ve never seen before, while plenty of sparks, explosions and weather effects occur enough to make pyros happy. Even the cities, a set of boxes in the PlayStation 2 version, take on a life of their own. With more intricate architecture and higher level of detail, gamers get to feel like they are defending something more important than just Cardboard Town. Of course, all these visuals also run at a liquid framerate and get even better if you have the more advanced graphics cards out there. Definitely a tax on all but the most powerful system, Secret Weapons Over Normandy is practically art.

As usual, the audio presentation follows suit, with a rollicking Dolby Surround audio track that’s the best of all worlds. Quality voice acting abounds, particularly the mix of brash ego with American fighter Cash and the calm wit of British pilot Trevor. The narrator who introduces each level also sounds historically significant, as if he’s had practice on the History Channel long before reading some background info for the next mission. Add a bombastic, typical war-themed score, and plenty of exciting sound effects, and you have an overall audio presentation ready to convincingly transport gamers back several decades.

Secret Weapons Over Normandy also offers plenty to do, although Totally Games has unfortunately declined to include any sort of online multiplayer offering. I suppose that’s reasonable, since no other version gets one, but I do expect the same Xbox Live downloadable content to be available for the PC! What this version does get is an exclusive mission editor, a lengthy Career Mode spread out over 30 levels, several unlockables and an additional Instant Action Mode. There is still plenty to do for the money, especially considering the likelihood this game will drop in price very soon.

If you have a controller or joystick and are looking for a new action-flight game to fill up your time, you couldn’t ask for more of a holiday treat than Secret Weapons Over Normandy. The game can stand alone, acting as a visual and audio showpiece if it weren’t so fun to play, given the right equipment. For average players with just the typical keyboard/mouse combo, the advice is much different. Rent or buy a console version instead, or if you don’t own a PS2 or Xbox, take some money and buy a decent controller pad for your PC. More games than just Secret Weapons Over Normandy will thank you in the long run, and you can strafe the Luftwaffe with a more bravado than ever before.