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Pretty to look at, pathetic to fly.

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 3 / 14
Date: November 20, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I read as many reviews of this game as I could find. Most described it as "arcade like". That is an understatement.

Now I have been playing Lucas games since the days of Battlehawks 1942 (circa 1988) and Their Finest Hour (circa 1990). They were really fun to play and they were as realistic as could be reasonably expected at the time. SWON is neither. The flight dynamics are laughable. I know it wasn't made to be a flight sim. But how Lucas Arts could honestly put their name on such an inferior product is shameful. They have so much experience creating flight-based games that this acts like something that could pre-date Intelivision. If it weren't for the graphics this game would be almost worthless.

I do wish to commend Lucas for the narrator and the music. Fantastic! The combination does give the player a History Channel feel of the game. Unfortunately the game gets silly after that. The main character, Chase, is so busy bad-mouthing his flight instructor you wonder if he will turn coat and start fighting for the Germans. The dialog seems to have been written by a teenager with some kind of complex. The in-flight dialog isn't as bad but I found myself too busy trying to figure out the flight dynamics (or lack thereof) to really listen to it.

I have only played the game through a couple of missions. So far, it's about 3 hours worth. It's a shame Lucas Arts didn't take this to the level I know they can achieve. It could have rivaled MSCFS for players that don't want a full flight sim but want the feeling of flying combat. Perhaps Lucas should just stick with Star Wars where they can get away with make believe flight dynamics. How I yearn for a game that can rival Ace Combat 4. I was hoping Lucas wouldn't let me down. Alas...

Fantastic Game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 12 / 18
Date: November 23, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I've tried a lot of flight sims, but I've found them all almost impossible to play and not "fun". This game is amazing. It is one of the best console games I have bought and clearly my favorite of this holiday.

The gameplay is straightforward and tons of fun. The historical accuracy is great, especially if you are a WWII fan.

I've played 7 missions so far and I am totally hooked. I started out in France 1940 flying hurricanes to the battle of britain then to North Africa and currently I am in the Pacific at the Battle of Midway.

This game is a must have. It is clearly the sleeper hit in my opinion for the PS2 and Xbox this year.

great arcade-style combat

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 11 / 11
Date: December 01, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This is a very enjoyable game that is very easy to pick up and play. I've heard and seen some complaints about the arcade style physics engine, but I think that it makes the game very fun and fast paced in a way that can not be accomplished in a hardcore flight simulation.
While well designed flight sims can be quite engaging, I frankly prefer the more open and fun mechanics in Secret Weapons Over Normandy.
Secret Weapons contains a great catalogue of World War II era planes to be unlocked and used. I found the Spitfire, Mosquito, and the Me-262 to be the best choices for almost all of the missions.
The bottom line is if you're looking for a realistic flight sim, give IL-2 Sturmovik a shot (it is a great game). But if you are looking for an entertaining game that you can pick up and play at anytime, you can not do much better than Secret Weapons Over Normandy.

Looks great and a lot of fun!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: December 02, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I heard that this is not a flight sims game that you all seemed to think. This is more of an action fun game designed for the console rather than the more intense flight sims that's from this company. I find the graphics impressive looking and very detail oriented and easier to play for beginning gamers like me. I'm so hooked. I think you would enjoy this more if you know what the game is intended to do from the sites below. Try out the demo and see for yourself!

Official site: http://www.lucasarts.com/products/normandy/
Mini site: http://www.totallygames.com/games/swon.htm

Extremely fun game!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 24 / 28
Date: December 06, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This game is the best and most fun flight game I've ever played for the PS2. The controls aren't hard to master after the first training mission, although I'd always recommend training before just jumping into the game. The training missions are actually fun though, as opposed to many other flight games.
The graphics aren't the best, but they aren't bad either. The graphics for the planes you're fighting are much better than anything you're shooting at on the ground.
Gameplay is a lot of fun, and targeting isn't hard and neither is remembering that the left analog stick controls direction and the right controls throttle. In targeting, a red circle shows up when you've got a plane close enough for a kill. im for that and not necessarily directly at the enemy plane, because the opponent is obviously moving and you have to make them "run into" your bullets.
Another unrealistic but fun aspect of the gameplay is the opportunity to slow down the game speed during a mission, or speed it up if you're on a long mission and don't have any enemies around. That enables you to get an advantage on your enemies in dogfights when slowing down time too, which is really cool, and necessary on some missions. Additionally, the biggest problem I've found using the PS2 controller in aircraft games, landing, has been solved. While there is no autopilot because WW II aircraft didn't have that, there is an option that appears in the sky over your base once you lower your wheels, of a big white arrow and all you have to do is fly through it and the A.I. will land the plane for you. While it's not realistic, it does eliminate the most frustrating part of past PS2 flight games I've played, the landing. If you're into realism though, there's also an option where you can land your plane manually at your own airfield, which I've found very difficult using the small joysticks on the PS2 controller.
There's a range of missions I've played so far in my first campaign, from shooting down fighters to piloting a salvaged German bomber into France to destroy the transports full of troops for Hitler's planned invasion of England. There's even one part of a mission that has you manning a flak gun shooting down German planes that attack your base. The fact that the game doesn't always have the same type of mission adds I think to the fun. Missions also take place not just over Normandy and France, but also over China and islands in the Pacific.
Some of these missions are obviously fictional, but they're at least loosely based upon history which is cool for history students like myself. The research into the game shows because there's actually a mission to destroy cargo given to Japan from Germany, which really happened.
Your wingmen, when you have them, are pretty intelligent, as are your opponents, even on the lowest difficulty. The really cool thing is if you complete not only your primary but secondary objectives, you get plane upgrade credits and can upgrade your armor, engine, airframe or weapons. On certain missions during a campaign, by completing bonus and secondary objectives you can also unlock different planes which will be available in your hanger to fly in future missions.
While it's not totally perfect, and the graphics could probably be upgraded a bit, this game is well worth a purchase.

Not even as good as "Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe"

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 29 / 38
Date: December 08, 2003
Author: Amazon User

OK, I realize that this wasn't marketed as a "flight simulator", but let's be a little more up-front about it: it's less than an arcade game. It is *strictly* linear. Unlike "Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe", you can't pick sides or what plane you want to start flying. You are stuck in a "do this, get this upgrade, then do that" sequence. And although it is rated "Teen", I'd say it's aimed more at the 10-12-year-old crowd, someone who would buy into the stereotypes from "G-8 and His Battle Aces". Your initial instructor is a stereotype pompous English twit who would make a Terry Thomas accent sound downright Cockney. YOU play the part of a stereotype Southern-drawl "aw shucks" American pilot, complete with moronic diary entries. The Hurricane "airplane" that you are forced to start with flies as though it was glued onto the end of a stick rather than ANYthing that actually flies, and you start off chasing a bunch of "Hogan's Hereos"-level "German" (as in a lot of "Achtung! Mach' schnell!") pilots, all conveniently pointed out to you so you don't hurt yourself while looking for them. Have game players gotten that much dumber since "Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe" came out 12 years ago?

The folks that are put off by the more complex (and realistic) flight simulators won't find what they're looking for here, but I can't figure out WHO this game is aimed at. There's not enough shoot-em-up action for one end of the spectrum, there's DEFINITELY no intellectual challenges or puzzles for that kind of gamer, and the graphics (c'mon, this is LucasArts we're talking about!!!) are ho-hum AT BEST.

My advice: if you are looking for a "flight simulator" but are intimidated by the complexity, I'd STILL go for "IL-2 Forgotten Battles" and set it to it's built-in "Arcade" setting. Full freedom of choice in sides and aircraft, and the most GORGEOUS graphics you'll see in a game.

Great Game!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: December 11, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I totally disagree with the first real persons review because it is a great game. The game play is great, your surroundings dont need to be perfect, and the controlls are very easy. I have found only one problem with the game which is: You need 2 of the original ps2 controllers in order to play multiplayer. If you will never or rarely play multiplayer this WWII game is great for you!

this game blows

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 9
Date: December 11, 2003
Author: Amazon User

as you can see i gave this game one star this is since theres only the option of one star theres no zeros allowed. this is a simplistic disappointment that is not only toy like in play but also suprisingly difficult to load into your computer despite its absoulutely horrible graphics and its cartoon like play.I cant possibly in good faith reccommend this garbage to any one with a functioning brain stem

Worst video game I ever bought

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 1 / 7
Date: December 28, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I expected more from Lucas entertainment, If I could give it -5 stars I would. The game has twitchy controls, you can't even roll your plan. The game finally lost me when I had to defend the Yorktown from wave after wave of bombers; I shot down 48 enemy planes and still lost. Please don't make the same mistake I did, pass on this game.

the rest of u are full of bs

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 15
Date: December 29, 2003
Author: Amazon User

like i said u guys are full of bs! this is the best game i have ever palyed! Who cares if u cant do a barrel roll, atlest u can fly! the scenery is great, U CAN fly zeros(also known as zekes) and u dont have to shoot down 48 planes in that mission, thats a load of CRAP, u just blow at this game!

in conclusion the rest of u are full of (...), THIS GAME RULES!!!

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