Thursday, April 30, 2020

"Sega Ages: G-LOC Air Battle" Review


One of the best aspects about the "Sega Ages" series is the way it not only sheds a new spotlight on the established classics, but also occasionally veers into more obscure realms. The publisher acts as a careful creator, introducing new audiences to some of the building blocks on which gaming was constructed.

"G-LOC Air Battle" is yet another welcome resurrection that follows the trend, delivering a pixel-perfect yet subtly enhanced version of a game even the hardcore may not have ever heard of and almost certainly haven't played.

Released in 1990, the dogfighting sim paved the way for the likes of "Ace Combat" that would later follow. As you weave your way through bogeys in pursuit of bogeys, you feel a steady sense of speed and power.

The controls may be a bit janky, but that lends to the authenticity and sense of danger. You feel as though you're at the helm of a rickety aircraft that prizes speed and stealth attack ability over sensibility and safety, and the threat that you will plow into a rock wall or enemy combatant at any point is threateningly present.

While there are more than a few rough edges, and the difficulty level is trying even on the easiest setting, there is plenty to appreciate in the finer and subtler points that the game has to offer. It may not soar quite as high as it did 30 years ago, but does a heck of an effective job as a time machine.

Publisher provided review code.

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