Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII

Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII is an arcade-style air combat game that places players in command of a fighter squadron during World War II. The game covers key historical moments, such as the Battle of Britain and the bombing of Berlin, while also incorporating fictional scenarios for added excitement. With a variety of flyable aircraft and diverse missions, the gameplay remains engaging and tactical, offering both single-player and multiplayer modes.

Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII: A Turbulent Flight Through Arcade Combat History

Introduction

In 2006, as the gaming industry soared into the HD era with the launch of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII arrived as Ubisoft’s answer to a genre long dormant: the arcade flight combat game. Set against the backdrop of World War II, the game promised adrenaline-pumping dogfights, historical spectacle, and squad-based tactics wrapped in accessible controls. While it never ascended to the legendary status of Crimson Skies or Ace Combat, Blazing Angels carved its niche as a pick-up-and-play celebration of aerial warfare—flaws and all. This review dissects its legacy, asking: Does this angel blaze brightly enough to earn its wings in gaming history?

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Development History & Context

Developed by Ubisoft Bucharest, Blazing Angels emerged during a saturated WWII gaming landscape. Titles like Call of Duty and Medal of Honor dominated FPS markets, but flight combat games remained rare outside simulation-heavy franchises (IL-2 Sturmovik) or niche arcade throwbacks (Secret Weapons Over Normandy). Ubisoft’s vision was clear: bridge the gap between realism and accessibility, appealing to casual players while nodding to history buffs.

Released across Windows, Xbox, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii (2006–2007), the game faced technological constraints of early seventh-gen hardware. The Xbox 360 version, lauded for its visuals, still struggled with frame rate drops and texture pop-in, while the Wii iteration sacrificed graphical fidelity for motion controls—a trade-off met with mixed reception. Despite these hurdles, Blazing Angels leveraged Ubisoft’s signature cinematic flair, blending Hollywood-style bombast with straightforward arcade mechanics.

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Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

Blazing Angels follows the Angels of Dunkirk, a fictional squadron of American pilots aiding Allied forces across iconic WWII theaters. Players assume the role of an unnamed “Captain,” flanked by wingmen Tom (the shield), Joe (the mechanic), and Frank (the hunter). The narrative, while serviceable, is a patchwork of clichés: heroic rescues, last-minute saves, and a rote German ace antagonist who taunts the squad before a final showdown over Berlin.

The game’s thematic ambition lies in its celebration of Allied unity. Missions span the Battle of Britain, Pearl Harbor, D-Day, and the bombing of Berlin, interspersed with fictionalized “what-if” scenarios (e.g., thwarting Pearl Harbor’s surprise attack). Yet character development is shallow—dialogue loops repeat endlessly mid-combat, and emotional beats (like Joe’s demise during Normandy) lack weight due to minimal backstory. The PlayStation 3 and Wii versions added narrated mission intros, but these did little to elevate the thin plot.

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Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

At its core, Blazing Angels is arcade simplicity personified. Flight controls are forgiving, with auto-leveling and a generous aim-assist system. Players command their squadron via a rudimentary tactical menu: ordering attacks, repairs, or distractions. Each wingman’s specialty—Tom draws enemy fire, Frank snipes targets, Joe repairs mid-flight—adds a veneer of strategy, though missions often devolve into chaotic furballs.

Mission variety is a strength. Players bomb convoys in the Coral Sea, defend London’s skies, and navigate fjords to destroy secret Nazi bases. However, repetition creeps in due to predictable objectives (escort, destroy, survive waves) and a lack of dynamic AI. The multiplayer suite, supporting 16 players online, shines with modes like Capture the Base and Aces High, though lag and dwindling player bases hampered longevity.

The UI is functional but dated. A radar assists target tracking, but the HUD clutters during intense moments. On Wii, motion controls felt novel but imprecise compared to traditional sticks—a criticism echoed in PS3’s Sixaxis implementation.

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World-Building, Art & Sound

Blazing Angels excels in atmospheric spectacle. Towers of smoke billow from downed bombers, sun glints off ocean waves, and cities like Paris and London loom below with modest detail. Plane models—from the Spitfire to the B-17 Flying Fortress—are meticulously rendered, though ground units and buildings suffer from low polygons.

Sound design immerses players in the era: roaring engines, rattling machine guns, and explosions reverberate with cinematic heft. The orchestral score, composed by Rod Abernethy and Jason Graves, echoes wartime patriotic fervor. Yet the experience sours with repetitive voice acting—wingmen recycle the same quips, and German pilots inexplicably speak English with exaggerated accents.

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Reception & Legacy

Critics greeted Blazing Angels with middling praise (MobyScore: 6.9/10, Metacritic: 66–69). Reviewers lauded its accessibility and multiplayer but derided its repetitive campaign, forgettable story, and technical hiccups. The Wii version, criticized for stripped-down visuals and lack of online play, fared worst (57 Metascore), while the PS3 edition’s bonus content earned faint praise.

Despite its flaws, the game’s legacy lies in laying groundwork for Ubisoft’s future flight titles, notably Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X. It also preserved WWII aerial combat’s visceral thrill for a generation weaned on modern military shooters. While overshadowed by contemporaries, Blazing Angels remains a nostalgic curio—a flawed but earnest love letter to a bygone era of arcade skies.

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Conclusion

Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII is neither a masterpiece nor a misfire. Its accessible gameplay and spectacle capture the adrenaline of WWII dogfights, but shallow storytelling and repetitive design clip its wings. For casual players seeking unchallenging skies to dominate, it delivers fleeting fun. For historians and sim enthusiasts, it’s a brief detour—not a destination.

In the annals of flight combat games, Blazing Angels is a middling squadron member: brave, loud, but easily forgotten. Its place in history? A stepping stone between arcade’s golden age and modern reinventions—a relic best remembered for trying to soar when others had already landed.

Final Verdict:
★★★☆☆ (3/5) — A diverting but disposable arcade relic, ideal for WWII completists or couch co-op pilots. Hardcore simmers should steer clear.