Bomber Crew game

[Jade_Monkey]

I'm not sure it's for me but maybe someone on the forum is interested.

 

http://store.steampowered.com/app/537800/Bomber_Crew/

 

 

It's a cartoony arcade game about managing the crew of a WWII bomber.

 

Edited October 19, 2017 by Jade_Monkey

[Finkeren]

Definitely not a game for me, but it actually did make me want something. Those crew figures were super cute. I wish we could have a full-fledged combat flight sim with state-of-the art FM, DM and AI, where the graphics were cell-shaded and cartoony with exaggerated 3D models, pilots as cute little bubble-heads and over-the-top sound effects.

[Nic727]

Look like a fun game to play if you want to relax in arcade games

 

Thank you for sharing

[kestrel79]

Looks pretty fun. Always liked strategy type games like this.

[Feathered_IV]

I've been watching this one for a while.  The jokey game aesthetic really turns me off, but they have some very solid ideas about crew management and roleplaying that my poor little sim heart has been crying out for for a over decade.  Imagine having a bomber crew who actually did their jobs.  Navigators who navigated.  Flight engineers who looked after the engines.  The bomb aimer who guided you onto the bomb run.  Imagine leaving your seat and being able to walk the length of a Lancaster bomber.  Disconnect your oxygen and try to clamber over the mainspar in the dark.  Make your way back to the rear turret to check on the gunner who hadn't responded after that last burst of flak...

[56RAF_Roblex]

Who remembers 'Bombs Away'?   It simulated all the crew and all the startup procedures in a B17 down to the last button but ultimately failed because they wanted it to be Multi-player and could not get it to work.    I was really looking forward to it.  Imagine all your friends joining you as crew for an hours long trip to Berlin and back (can't remember if they shortened the distances, they must have)  A friend had it and you could fly SP but I am not sure I remember him flying all the way from England though I remember him doing the long startup so he must have.  I think it also had shorter missions you started over Germany half hour before the target because I remember the bomb run and some egress.

[TheBlackPenguin]

Look like a fun game to play if you want to relax in arcade games

 

Thank you for sharing

 

Its a fun arcade game, but not one which you can really relax in as its similar in aspects to FTL and you need to 'tag' each target in real time before your gunners open up on them.

[Royal_Flight]

The aesthetic puts me off completely, and almost makes me feel slightly... uncomfortable, I guess. Which is a shame as the concept for the game seems really solid.

 

I just don't understand where the inspiration for the visual style has come from at all, the subject matter is so brutal and intense that this makes it look like the devs are trivialising it.

If the goal is a cartoon crew management-esque arcade game, then why set it in Bomber Command's insanely high attritional, stressful, morally and strategically questionable meat grinder of a night campaign, a theatre with so much to unpack that it would be hard for even a serious game to do justice to?

If the goal is to present the stories of the real crews and show their experiences, why turn them into cartoon characters?

If the goal is to make you empathise with the stresses, why present it like it's a bit of light-hearted fun?

 

I don't understand the direction but the mood whiplash between the subject and the portrayal is a bit too weird for me. I don't think it's a game I'll pick up as I think I'd just find playing it too confusing.

 

I've got B-17 The Mighty Eighth, which I've never managed to work out how to post properly but maybe I'll dig that out and have a go.

[Finkeren]

If the goal is a cartoon crew management-esque arcade game, then why set it in Bomber Command's insanely high attritional, stressful, morally and strategically questionable meat grinder of a night campaign, a theatre with so much to unpack that it would be hard for even a serious game to do justice to?

If the goal is to present the stories of the real crews and show their experiences, why turn them into cartoon characters?

If the goal is to make you empathise with the stresses, why present it like it's a bit of light-hearted fun?

.

Because that would be awesome?

 

Don’t get me wrong, this doesn’t look like a game that would be fun for me.

 

However, having horrible, gruesome things happen to cute cartoony characters has a track record of being mighty good fun.

 

[No601_Prangster]

Unfortunately it will be an order of magnitude more profitable to the developer than any modern flight sim can hope for.

Edited October 21, 2017 by No601_Prangster

[Brano]

It would be hilarious if the lanc was crewed by happy tree friends :D

[Monostripezebra]

I think it is the right game for some but not for everyone. I really enjoyed watching my old RoF-pal Dukely play it in a dramatic flight..

But I probably won´t ever  buy it myeself.

 

 

[Royal_Flight]

Because that would be awesome?

 

Don’t get me wrong, this doesn’t look like a game that would be fun for me.

 

However, having horrible, gruesome things happen to cute cartoony characters has a track record of being mighty good fun.

 

To be honest, that's exactly why I find this to be quite so weird. Cute cartoon characters being subject to insane comedic violence is funny, mainly due to the contrast between those two extremes.

But I think Happy Tree Friends would be less fun to watch if it were set in the Battle of the Somme, or a concentration camp, or something, when it's put into a recognisable, real setting. Like with this game, the subject matter is at odds with the presentation a bit.

 

Not like I'm stating a moral objection to the game or anything, I find it a bit odd but am not bothered, but it's not one that I'd play myself.

Which is a shame because a 'crew simulator' like this could be awesome, like Silent Hunter set at 35,000 ft.

 

Just my thoughts anyway.

[216th_Lucas_From_Hell]

Creators often go for simple, lighter ways to depict heavy subjects when trying to appeal to a widespread audience. That makes it easier for someone who is not usually interested in WW2 or other conflicts to get a window into it and, if it catches their interest, they can look into more accurate portrayals and ultimately learn in depth about the struggles faced by RAF aircrew. In the long picture, you teach a very important part history to someone who would never have bothered looking more into it since they probably don't want to see hyper realistic portrayals of innocent young people torn to shreds by shrapnel during their free time.

[Lusekofte]

I flew a couple of B 17 bomber crew games with almost the same interface. The first was good and the 2 v was bad. Both did have a simulation part of it, like the flying itself and navigation. They also showed the importance of the whole crew and what could happened if one crew was disabled . It showed in particular how important the wireless ops was. In a way I think this is too, but there is no navigation, the crew seemingly not getting better for every mission, and there is no simulation of flight. And what turned me off was the phrase used in  several places " a good game to waist your time"

Now this is obviously not a game for middlle-age people, I see no reason for wasting my time.

 

If someone took the FSX B 17, made it a strategic internal game and kept it as a simulator flight wise . Put a good navigation interface with historical tools , same for the bombaimer. I would ditch all other simulators and probably ditch my wife too

Edited October 22, 2017 by 216th_LuseKofte

[ElPerk]

It's a great if somewhat repetitive game, which could use a bit of asset variation. Bomber aspect is just dressing for the core dynamics, which are multitasking, prioritization and role flexibility. A mission where your crew survives, you complete at least the main objective and get your plane back to base in some condition is a clear success. Usually you end up screaming and cursing at your computer.

The immediate and obvious comparison is FTL - after all, we're talking about moving crew members to problem points - but differences are significant. In FTL, you can pause the game, which is not possible in Bomber Crew. In FTL, you will eventually be in position of strength, whereas in Bomber Crew you never enjoy a moment of superiority. You also start to love your crew members very fast!

Example: I am flying over English Channel to bomb an ammo dump. Over the channel, I am attacked by a number of German fighters, which I start to fight off. As I approach the target, I realize my bombardier is in my gunners seat, so I move him there to bomb the target. However, my hydraulic system gets damaged, so my engineer must move to repair it. This leads me to forget to focus on the bombardier, and too late I realize the bomb bay doors are closed. I cannot bomb. I turn around for another go. Meanwhile, my gunners have ran out of ammo, but I don't have time to order them around. I bomb the ammo dump and turn towards the recon target. But since my gunners are out of ammo, the fighters have had a field day with me. Two of my engines are on fire. I first get the gunners to get more ammo, then order the fire extinguishers to put out the fires. While my gunners are getting more ammo, I have overshot the recon target, and now the same engines are AGAIN on fire. I turn tail and get the hell out of there. I manage to land with no casualties on two engines. This entire ordeal takes about 4-5 minutes. 

I find taking off in Wings of Liberty during rush hours about 1 % as stressfulas this game.

[216th_Lucas_From_Hell]

Nice review, thanks

[ElPerk]

Nice review, thanks

It's a fast "quick fix" game, with maybe 5-10 minute missions and 5 minute intervals, making it good for when you just want to do something for a while. I find 2 missions to be a good set and 3 to be somewhat dangerous, since this game requires focus and you don't want to lose your crew. At third consequent run, the number of mistakes you do becomes a real issue. As I said, this is a game about decision making, not really about Bomber Command. I have had some hours to contemplate about the game, and since you seemed to like the review aspect, I decided to write a bit more about it.

 

The tempo of the game is quite nice and makes it certain you will be overwhelmed every now and then. There are some obvious things that could be added to such a game, such as multiplayer, more liveries or even another bomber model, and a bit more transparent speed mechanism. Steam achievements are perfect for this sort of game, too, and have been made to emphasize the core game mechanics and reward a solid performance by player.

 

There are issues, too. The crew controls require a bit too much scrolling and the default internal zoom is a bit too close for hectic situations.The crew station don't "pop" nearly enough, leading to some unnecessary misclicks (ammo boxes around the floor, anyone?), and targeting mode feels somewhat needlessly narrow. Without these controller issues, however minor they are, the game could up the tempo a bit while remaining challenging. There's a whiff of "early access" to the game.

 

Overall, I give the game a solid 4+ or even 4½, and it feels a really, really good game. I'll see how it changes when I get further up in the difficulty chain.

Edited October 25, 2017 by ElPerk