Blazing Angels 2 - Secret Missions is in essence a World War II flight simulator game - but in addition to authentic planes they toss in experimental planes, broadening your horizons. We played through the full game multiple times, it really was great fun.

The missions all have their main objectives - find the lost woman, shoot down the train, but they also have secondary objectives to encourage you to go back and replay the missions to track them all down. We found the game very replayable and enjoyed multiple passes on the same levels, trying new techniques or faster times.

The graphics are quite impressive, from forested hills to ice flows in a frozen sea. The details on the planes is impressive as well and with the variety available you do appreciate having a nice rendering to look at.

The game definitely isn't easy. You have to do some very precise flying to get through some of the levels, and I can see how someone new to this type of game could get frustrated. The key is to be patient and practice.

Above all, this game is *fun*. There are many other games I play which are frustrating when you're doing poorly and you just want to get them over with. When you do well it hardly seems worth it. With this one, you pour hours into it because you really do get a sense that you're achieving something, you're getting better, your skills are improving, you are reaching objectives. The fast thinking and hand-eye coordination really are useful in the "real world".

The characters are enthusiastic, the music is stirring, the graphics draw you into the world and the enemies are a challenge, but in a good way. They help you hone your skills and improve.

We really enjoyed this game a great deal, and look forward to any new releases from this set of developers. Well recommended!

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