Air Conflicts: Secret Wars, by Kalypso Media USA, 2011, $29.99 (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Windows/PC)
Air Conflicts: Secret Wars, a new air combat game from the relatively new Kalypso Media USA, features seven campaigns and 49 missions that span conflicts from both world wars. Players can choose from more than a dozen historical aircraft—such as the World War I–era British Sopwith Camel and German Albatross D.V and the World War II–era British Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX, German Junkers Ju-87 B-2 Stuka and the Russian Ilyushin IL2 Type 3—with specs that closely match their historical counterparts.
The developers clearly put some thought into the dogfight sequences: You must lead your target and calculate the correct angle and trajectory to hit it. Climb too high and your engine will stall, forcing you to regain control. I can’t help but wish this game had focused entirely on World War I, a sorely underutilized era in air combat games. Still, there is enough here that traditional dogfight fans should be pleased.
—Ryan Burke