SpawnPoint - Where Game Begins

It's probably best to let Aerial Strike fly under the radar.

In Aerial Strike, you fill the role of Magnus Tide, a cocky ex-Marine who works as a mercenary pilot, or free-lancer. In the past, Magnus flew many freelance missions, including one mission for a corporation-state called Proteus, which ended disastrously. Now Magnus is back with a new ship and has one last chance to redeem himself to Proteus and patch his sullied free-lance reputation.

The ship which Magnus Tide pilots is a strange form of jet which operates in both a flight mode, in which it cruises around like a conventional fighter jet, and a hover mode, which allows the ship to move carefully up and down, forward and backward like a helicopter. While the fighter mode is more convenient for flying long distances over the huge landscape-levels of the game and for dog fighting, the hover mode comes in handy for landings at hangar bays or repair platforms, and for obtaining item packages which can be found in various spots throughout the game’s expansive worlds.

The game starts you out with various training missions acclimating your pilot to basic flight and targeting techniques, but quickly moves into high gear with attacks from Teutonic-in-a-funny-World-War-I-sorta-way Imperial fighters. Missions are challenging and fun without being too difficult; one early mission required locating a runaway freighter and taking it down while ensuring it won’t crash into populated areas (the game gives you only clues to finding the freighter, and requires that you search for it yourself).

Aerial Strike gives you plenty to shoot at, from tiny scout planes to massive battleships, which make for entertaining and nail-biting boss fights. In addition to the standard missions, the game also rewards exploration of its massive maps, and many side quests and flight challenges are available to those looking for extra fun.