Secret Weapons Over Normandy

 PlayStation 2
User Score
8.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 21 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 21
  3. Negative: 2 out of 21
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  1. forlornjohn
    Apr 6, 2012
    10
    This GAME/ is a piece of junk! I have played a lot of PS2 games in my time buit NOTHING as bad as this. I intend to smash the CD so that some poor Gamer doesn't go through the misery of trying tp play it. Lucas Arts should be selling blank CDs instead of ruining them by recording games like this one!

    forlornjohn
  2. DanielFriday
    Dec 4, 2003
    8
    Not a bad game at all, if you're a sad freak whose into realistic unfun sim games then dont buy this...its made for a GAMES console...its just a fun. Easy to get used to flying game...the medal of honor of the sky's... if unsure like i was at first about then rent it first, you might be supprised...its actually not a bad game.
  3. faizala
    Dec 10, 2009
    9
    great game although we are going into 2010. more flexibility required on the flight controls. very enjoyable.
  4. JohnC.
    Nov 20, 2003
    2
    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 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? … Expand
  5. ChrisW.
    Dec 25, 2003
    3
    Graphics are cheesy/cartoony ac- cording to my brother & I. Take a look at the graphics in Shattered Skys. If Lucas Arts made movies like this game, I'd NEVER watch any of their movies.
  6. ShawnG.
    Dec 5, 2003
    9
    This game is over all pretty good... compared to crimson skies its a beast. Gameplay is smooth. Graphics are awsome although they could have worked on the special weapons cam. The only problems I had with it were that you can't do barrel rolls and there is no adjuster for difficulty settings so you just have to go at it at whatever difficulty its at.
  7. SergioG.
    Nov 27, 2003
    9
    Easy to use, lots of fun.
  8. AaronB.
    Nov 29, 2003
    10
    Great game! Look past the unrealism!! Have FUN!! To me, it's much more fun to have a blast with a fun, yet unrealistic game, than be frustrated with a hard, realistic game.
  9. PaulC.
    Nov 27, 2003
    7
    Give it a few minutes...let go of reality...dogfight with a friend...play a mission...this game is really fun.
  10. JimCorbett
    Sep 21, 2012
    9
    A damn good arcade dogfighter game. The graphcis are very nice, the story is surprisingly interesting and the missions are varied enough to keep you feeling interested throughout the entire campaign. There are also a variety of different planes and weapon types to help keep mission replys feeling fresh. It may not be the most realistic game out there, but it a very fun game to play.
  11. RedStarGamer275
    Nov 17, 2016
    9
    I give Secret Weapons over Normandy a 8.5 out of 10. This game is what I would call an underrated gem. It comes from a time where games focused more on being fun and easy instead of now where they try to make them hard and realistic as possible. I enjoyed the story very much. I love the characters. I liked the amount of great WWII aircraft and the ability to upgrade them and the instantI give Secret Weapons over Normandy a 8.5 out of 10. This game is what I would call an underrated gem. It comes from a time where games focused more on being fun and easy instead of now where they try to make them hard and realistic as possible. I enjoyed the story very much. I love the characters. I liked the amount of great WWII aircraft and the ability to upgrade them and the instant action was a good idea for when ever you got bored of the campaign. it's easy to learn quickly and use. Some of the games missions like Mission 7: Midway and Missions 15: D-Day can be rage inducing, at least for me it was, the rest of the missions are very good. I recommend this to those who enjoy flight simulators.… Expand
  12. NeoconTom
    May 23, 2019
    10
    Truly the best World War II I've ever played, and certainly one of best Lucas Arts Games of all time, one of best PS2 games of all time, one of the best video games of 2003, and one of the best games of all time.
  13. oldgamer81
    Dec 22, 2020
    9
    Definitly the best WW2 flight game and surely one of the very best flight games on PS2 in general. Each mission is like a movie: You start simple and then things happen, new mission objectives, enemys and reinforcements arrive and the story is told while flying. The many planes to fly, detailed objects to fly around or fight, the very nice told story using original pictures and clips, theDefinitly the best WW2 flight game and surely one of the very best flight games on PS2 in general. Each mission is like a movie: You start simple and then things happen, new mission objectives, enemys and reinforcements arrive and the story is told while flying. The many planes to fly, detailed objects to fly around or fight, the very nice told story using original pictures and clips, the ability to pimp your planes, just great.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

51
#51 Best PS2 Game of 2003
82
#82 Most Shared PS2 Game of 2003

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 26 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 26
  3. Negative: 0 out of 26
  1. Armchair Empire
    88
    A great WWII experience as well as an exceptional game. The lack of multiplayer and a few discrepancies keep SWON from being a spectacular game but it still is exceptional.
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  2. Electronic Gaming Monthly
    63
    For the first half of the game, varied missions keep the action interesting. After a dozen sorties, however, it get old, and all but the most patient pilots will want to pop the canopy. [Jan 2004, p.109]
  3. Village Voice
    60
    Secret Weapons' assortment of bombing runs, dogfights, and detail missions fly by thanks to an emphasis on arcade-style ease-of-play, but one simply leads into the next.
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