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Heroes of the Pacific

Generally favorable reviews
Based on 33 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 7 votes
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Game Info
Publisher: Ubisoft / Red Mile Entertainment
Developer: IR Gurus
Genre(s): Combat Flight Simulation
Players: 8
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)
Release Date: September 28, 2005
Summary
With the attack on Pearl Harbor, the US military mobilized. Common men rose to the challenge and became heroes in the skies, seas and beaches of WWII's Pacific Theater. Heroes of the Pacific is an epic WWII flight combat game that begins with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and unfolds in epic detail through the battles of Midway, the Coral Sea, Wake Island, Iwo Jima and Guadalcanal. You are the hero whose skill guts and determination will win or lose the war. Mastery of over 25 actual WWII aircraft is crucial as is maintaining focus in the thick of a 300 plane dog fight with planes exploding and smoke trails blocking views. Command a squadron of 32 AI planes, work with friends through online connections, or go it alone to achieve the battle objectives. Make it through alive while upholding integrity, courage and American ideals to become a hero of the Pacific. [Encore Software]
Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central
Also On The Web: Armchair Empire Interview Frictionless Insight Preview Official Website Team Xbox Preview
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Game Informer
Although Heroes is far from the first WWII flight sim, it soars high above other games thanks to its incredible attention to detail. [Oct 2005, p.124]
TeamXbox
With gads of planes and missions, a moving story mode, and total multiplayer functionality, Heroes of the Pacific sets it apart from the competition and puts this into the "worth owning" category.
Read Full Review >Gamers' Temple
I really liked the work done to give the game a 1940s feel and the overall quality of the game’s graphics.
Read Full Review >Play Magazine
I'm not one for flight sims, but Heroes of the Pacific has given me a reason to enjoy the genre. [Sept 2005, p.57]
Pelit (Finland)
Beautiful and rather fun. Some missions are a bit too tough for their own good. [Oct 2005]
eToychest
It is a very fun title, offering gamers a well-planned story with excellent graphics and enough simulator aspects to keep it fun but also make it a serious contender as flight sims go.
Read Full Review >Worth Playing
Though far from perfect, Heroes of the Pacific does a great job of combining a fun, loose aerial shoot-'em-up with real-life battles from the Pacific Theater of World War II.
Read Full Review >Gaming Horizon
Heroes of the Pacific isn’t perfect but it’s close enough for government work and the result is the most enjoyable dogfight you’re likely to see on the current Xbox.
Read Full Review >IGN
The game boasts an excellent set of features. From a variety of authentic plane types to controlling wingmen to torpedo, dive bomb, and reconnaissance missions, Heroes stuffs in a healthy 12-14 hour single-player campaign and a functioning online component that works better on Xbox Live than on PS2.
Read Full Review >DarkStation
Relive those thrilling aerial battles in this low-key but surprisingly solid WWII flight sim, featuring plethora of aircrafts, modes and online support.
Read Full Review >Gamenikki
While some of the missions are almost tooth-gratingly hard, the consistency and balance throughout makes these missions seem like a decent challenge rather than something that'll make you want to eat your controller.
Read Full Review >Official Xbox Magazine
For a game that captures the danger and heroism of wartime flying, look no further. [Holiday 2005, p.89]
Computer and Video Games
The unwieldy mission structure and wonky planes take the edge off it a little, but this is ruthless, seat-of-the-pants stuff all the same, packed to bursting with breathtaking missions, throwing you into no-win situations with your plane half battered, forcing you to fight that little bit harder to survive. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]
Read Full Review >Xbox Solution
I would have liked to see a few different modes or options on the online mode.
Read Full Review >GameSpy
Every now and then, amidst the explosions, enemy fighters, and wispy clouds rolling by, you'd swear you were watching some CG re-creation on the History Channel. It's all pretty cool.
Read Full Review >GameZone
For those looking for a strict flight/combat simulator be prepared to be disappointed but if you’re looking for a more arcade-like, high-flying action game with a healthy campaign mode the game has the goods.
Read Full Review >Sydney Morning Herald
Some of the bombing runs in the solo campaign can prove quite arduous, but the dazzling pyrotechnics and adrenaline rush of flying your P38 Lightning through anti-aircraft fire make it easy to press the restart button if you fail your objectives.
Read Full Review >MS Xbox World
The controls are fluid and the combat easy to get into which means players can jump right in and focus on completing the objectives without having to worry about fiddly controls.
Read Full Review >Ferrago
"Underwhelming" is a word to describe Heroes of the Pacific as a whole. It's a game that is definitely competent but it just doesn't do anything special.
Read Full Review >DailyGame
A decent outing with decent air combat, but it’s nothing you’ve never seen before.
Read Full Review >Xbox World Australia
The game is easy to jump into and you’ll be flying the unfriendly skies, issuing orders to Wingmen, taking down Japanese Betty bombers and Mitsubishi Zeroes in no time at all.
Read Full Review >TotalGames.net
It might not revolutionise the Xbox and it won't appeal to everyone, but those looking to head to the skies and kick some ass will not be let down by the single-player campaign in Heroes Of The Pacific, while the multiplayer options add another dimension to the game, with the chance to send your mates hurtling into the drink with their tails on fire.
Read Full Review >PGNx Media
Unless you’re tired of World War II games or really require your flight games to have extremely realistic controls, there is a lot to like in Heroes of the Pacific.
Read Full Review >GameSpot
Some flight-combat buffs will probably dislike the game's loose style, but people who aren't necessarily looking for a pitch-perfect simulation of the conflict will enjoy Heroes of the Pacific.
Read Full Review >Total Video Games
If intense dogfights and Yankie banter sound appealing then Heroes of the Pacific is for you; sadly the repetitive gameplay is a major deciding for everybody else.
Read Full Review >GamerFeed
This is an extremely enjoyable blast fest that features a very slick 1940s presentation, a plethora of modes to check out, and plenty of real world planes to pilot.
Read Full Review >RewiredMind
A bit of a mixed bag. Astounding presentation, some very clever innovations (such as “Warp Speed” as standard on a 1940’s aeroplane) and some very slick flight action is broken up by slowdown and a feeling that you’ve seen it all before.
Read Full Review >Boomtown
The final marks I'm giving the game reflect my frustration with the defending aspects of the game and the poor implementation of Xbox Live, but if you're a fan of flight action games this is one of the better ones around.
Read Full Review >Xbox Evolved
The sound in the game is as solid as it will get with engines sounding different on the varying planes, and the sounds of bombs and ammo flying all around you.
Read Full Review >netjak
A well put together play that is a vast improvement over most other flight sims of the genre. Whether or not you buy it depends on how dedicated you are to flight sims, or to historical gaming in general.
Read Full Review >G4 TV
It’s not quite the best of the best in its genre, but if you’re interested in signing up, odds are you’ll have an enjoyable tour of duty.
Read Full Review >Game Revolution
While solid in its presentation and adequate in its basic gameplay, it’s little more than another individually-wrapped snack in the great and majestic adventure of human flight.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this game is 8.7 (out of 10) based on 7 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Jeff A. gave it a10:
Heroes of the Pacific is a mindblowing adrenaline fueled airial dogfight. If you like flying games then you have been waiting for this game since the Xbox launched. Nothing like being on the tail of an enemy plane and blasting away with your guns until there is a giant fireball in the sky. Or hearing the metal of your wings tearing as the enemy blasts away at you from your six. The sheer number of planes in the game is amazing. There are tons of options including: -4 difficulty levels -The view of your plane (close, far, cockpit). -HUD (on, minimal and off) you can even position your HUD normally or at the bottom of the screen. -Planes are upgradable. -You can choose authentic or arcade control of your plane. Choose from mission, campaign, fly now. There is even a training section. This is the best air combat game I have ever played. Better than Ace Combat because with Ace Combat you lock on with a missile and there are few enemies in the sky. With Heroes you are dogfighting with a massive amount of planes all around you. Get this game.
Gleno gave it a2:
Thought it was totaly unrealistic though cinc at aussiexbox will say differnt but yet he's a sell out anyway.
Graham F. gave it a10:
The number of planes in the sky at once is amazing, always something to shoot at.
