Triplane Turmoil 2 may leave you needing some fresh air!

Triplane Turmoil 2, sequel to the Finnish shareware game Triplane Turmoil (1996) is a relatively good attempt at dog-fighting World War 1 arcade style game, available for $20 by digital download.

2D aircraft fighting in a semi 3D world, with all the major world powers featuring their own (partly) historically unique campaigns and a fun and simple to play “quick battle” mode that wraps up to make this a good time-breezier worth having a look at if you have nothing better to do. However, it is far from perfect and far harder then it first appears.

From the main menu, the game strongly advises that you play through the 6 tutorial levels first, and this is the games main flaw. In no way do these prepare you for the main campaign or the multiplayer feature, and are repetitive and tedious, and so comes the temptation to just take your chances and hop straight into the game.

The game does have some interesting ideas however – you have to individually decide how much bomb/bullets/fuel to equip your craft with, allowing for flexibility through the various campaign stages. Light fighter or heavy bomber each have there own uses and weaknesses in every level. When at last I reached the main campaigns, I was immediately struck by glitches and annoying game mechanics as the minute my plane was released from the hanger it was immediately called back in again.

Once past this annoyance I averaged an airtime of 15 seconds. Perseverance is more necessary here then skill alone, as the slightest stray bullet can knock your little craft out of the air to create a new crater. The tutorial covers nothing about how to avoid fire from the ground or other planes, so constant trial and error was needed, and with the slow panning camera going back to your hanger every time you crash, the feeling to lash out at something or rage quit is never far from your mind.

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The levels are hard and brutal, and you will need to retry them several times without fail, even on easy. I get the impression that there is only once correct pre-made craft for each level that will work, and since you only get 3 lives per level, you will be at your screen for quite a while.

But! The game does slightly redeem itself with its classic and retro feel. The graphics are far from ground-breaking or exciting, but it doesn’t attempt anything out of its league and is quite pretty to look at. The sounds are realistic and appropriate, and the controls are simple and easy (once you get the hang of it) and offer a lot of customization.

There is a strong feeling that the developers tried to hard however, and some of the more unnecessary details where actually a drag at times (e.g. waiting for the men to pull your craft out of the hanger then return, the slow flying speeds when you have a weighted craft, and the slow and predictable deaths). It’s a cute game, and a good time waster, worth a couple of quid, but $20? I can recommend free online flash games that are just as good, so all in all, fly clear of this game!

4/10

Pros:
Cute, colourful, fun during those 10 seconds your doing something well.
Cons:
Very hard, frustrating, slow and repetitive, may need a 5 minute cool-off after playing.