Metascore
65 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 15 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 15
  2. Negative: 3 out of 15
  1. The real problem is that the game won’t hold your attention for longer than a weekend, which is unfortunate.
  2. 80
    Casual twitch gamers may be turned off by the flying learning curve and amount of strategizing required to complete each mission, but you can’t deny the hedonistic thrill of buzzing over a desolate desert landscape and letting loose!
  3. Players looking for a detailed flight simulation will enjoy Thunderstrike's tactical gameplay, but fans of visceral action will find its strike-and-hide gameplay requirements a bit too rigid.
  4. 77
    If a sim with action is what you are looking for, go for it. If you find the frenetic pace of an MTV music video too slow for you, then avoid this game entirely.
  5. It is challenging and it can take some time to get comfortable with the controls, but it’s also refreshing to see a simulator that doesn’t throw away the first missions by giving simple goals or weak enemies.
  6. 70
    It features some of my least favorite shooter design elements, and it suffers from some kind of hideous memory caching woes that in turn spawn a few very frustrating interface issues.
  7. Tolerate the fog, put-up with the controller and live with the repetition of dying over and over again, and you too will be hooked.
  8. If you are a helicopter sim fan and like games that are frustratingly difficult then pick up this game. Otherwise, either stay away or at your own discretion rent it because there are way better games out there.
  9. A game that suffers from “could have been great“ syndrome. The weapons are cool and the missions are exciting, but the controls ruined everything.
  10. Every component of this game is either mediocre or bad. Consequently, if you were to ask me what I thought of Thunder Strike, I would say that it sucks.
  11. Later sorties throw so much annoying crap at you—too many enemies who pop out of nowhere, too many mission objectives. [Jan 2002, p.222]
  12. An interesting conundrum of challenging gameplay and flat out irritation.
  13. If it's beauty you're looking for, look somewhere else. Thunderstrike is a graphical plain Jane of a game, especially since so much of the action takes place at a distance.
  14. The difficulty wouldn't be so frustrating if you could quickly retry the mission, but the load times are unforgivably long. [Dec 2001, p.93]
  15. Why does the game look like crap? [Jan 2002, p.141]
User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 7 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
  1. BigTiny
    9
    Hard..but excellent...good graphics and weapons.
  2. MikeG.
    8
    It's a good effort to try and combine action and fun while still staying true to the genre which is one of it's major problems. It's trying to please everyone at once. I did however, enjoy playing this game but only because there just isn't enough competition out there. One thing that i would like to complain about though, is how annoying and irratating it is trying to shoot them bloody soldiers on the ground. Why didn't Eidos put them on the target system as well? Answers on a postcard. Full Review »
  3. TravisB.
    9
    A very challenging game and threateningly addictive. A few hints about rescuing hostages and surviving ambushes would be nice.