Flying Tigers: Shadows Over China

If you’re craving an aerial combat title, as not many release these days, then Flying Tigers: Shadows Over China will certainly get you through a slow weekend with nothing else to play. The $18.99 CAD price tag isn’t completely out of the ballpark, but that’s as long as you know there’s essentially no community playing this online, which is why you would keep continuing to play after the brief campaign is completed. Flying Tigers is completely serviceable for what it offers, but don’t expect to be blown away, even if the premise of experiencing rarely depicted battles excites you.

The aerial combat genre is a very under-represented and niche genre on the console. FT:SOC is a budget-priced game and it does feel like this; it might not be the title to bring in new fans but it gives existing fans a new title to while away a few hours. There's a fair bit of content, and the combat can be intense and challenging. However, the lasting appeal of the title will depend on the multiplayer arena, and given that the virtual skies were already relatively deserted and there is unreliable network behavior, this doesn't look too promising. This is a shame, because when it worked, it was good fun. Casual players might enjoy picking up the relatively quick achievements that are available, but this is mainly a title for those fans of the aerial combat genre.

Flying Tigers: Shadows over China is an aerial combat game with a clear arcade tendency, which although it has some shortcomings, will please fans of a genre that has been forgotten for some years.