"Shot down over France, last October, flying a 262. Good plane?" "Aircraft." "I'm sorry?" "It was an aircraft. A wing is a plane. What the wings are attached to is an aircraft." – Major Barton and Flugkapitän Jürgen Rahl

My (mostly unrequited) love affair with flight sims started on the venerable Amiga 500, in the early 90s, when Microprose was king and games like Gunship 2000, B-17 Flying Fortress and Dogfight riveted my attention in ways platformers or shmups no longer could. Here were games that required you to know things. Not shot patterns, boss moves, or secret levels. Real things. Deflection shooting. Flight physics. Unit statistics and capabilities.

Having a keen eye, twitchy reflexes or a quick trigger-finger was not enough to succeed in sims and I loved how technical and in-depth they were about their subject matter... There was only one problem: I sucked.

To be a good sim player, you had to fully commit to its nuances; to become a savant of a given game's concepts, parameters and mechanics. To memorize extensive key-bindings and be able to employ them at a moment's notice. To learn new concepts and tactics and know when to put them to use... And while I was enamored by all of the technical specs, beautifully drawn briefing and equipment screens and the idea of devoting myself to the mastery of a single game, my wee piggy brain would wander and my forays into sim-land were largely fleeting, abortive affairs.

Which is not to say I learned nothing. Oh, I could out-ace Sierra's Red Baron, accurately air-drop cargo in Argonaut's Birds of Prey, sometimes win in Dogfight, or put up a decent showing in Knights of the Sky... But I had too much dreamer in me. I couldn't turn the tide in a losing engagement, or do something clever to gain the upper hand. I just picked up Some Skills and got better at 'em without ever addressing my shortcomings. Which meant that, so long as sims were geared towards a more hardcore audience, my time with 'em would always leave me feeling largely unfulfilled...

Cue obvious development.

Decades later, during my second brief foray into PS2 territory, I picked up a game called Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies on a whim. I didn't know the IP's history, had no clear idea what the game was about, and a grand total of zero expectations. The box had aircraft and explosions and looked neat. Maybe it would prove a distraction between things I Really Wanted to Play...

Sleepless nights later, I was still hooked. AC4 was unlike anything I had ever played before. From the accurate flight physics, satellite-imagery backdrops, "here but for minute (if you can call railguns minute) details" alternate reality; to the real-world-abstract aircraft and expertly woven story, the game seemed custom-made for a pig like me. It had all of the appeal of a flight sim, but none of the pesky "adjust fuel mixture and engage second supercharger gear around the 2000m mark for more efficient burning" barrier between player and enjoyment (meaning you, IL-2 Sturmovik).

It wasn't a sim – not really (for one thing, no fighter aircraft I know of can carry 80 air-to-air missiles); but it wasn't an arcade game, either. You had to understand the basics of dogfighting, grasp the mechanics of flight, and have some knowledge of tactics to succeed. It was just right for an amateur like me and I loved that game to bits, finishing it several times in succession to unlock all of the aircraft and paint schemes. AC4 got me hooked on simcade games and I couldn't wait to find another game like it to play...

...or rather, I had to.

On an offline, non-Steam PC, simcade fliers could be counted on one hand (thumb optional). There was Crimson Skies, which got the setting and plot right (what's not to love about being an air pirate), but had dated graphics and choppy gameplay; Lucasart's Secret Weapons Over Normandy, which was a hoot, but left no room for interpretation (you played a set-piece character); Blazing Angels 2, which had some interesting concepts but – at its core – was a SWON carbon-copy; and H.A.W.X., which successfully imitated the AC4 formula with an impressive aircraft roster and great LAN play, but had a bad case of Clancy-ism (U-S-A! U-S-A!). But while each of these games had bits and pieces of what had made AC4 great, none of them – as a whole – was better than AC4. I kept hoping someone would come along and either port Ace Combat to PC or Create a Game to do it Justice...

Cue obvious development. Again.

In the end, my savior turned out to be a student at Curtin University, in Western Australia, by the name of Abi Rahmani who, over the course of 5 years, turned a portfolio piece into a commercial success, Great Game, as heartfelt a love letter to Ace Combat as it is possible to craft, and Astounding Technical Achievement (AC4 had a staff of more than 100 and Rahmani did it justice with three people, on about 77K USD).

Everything I loved about AC4 is in Project Wingman.

Alternate Earth with enough real-world references to ground things and beyond-the-horizon super-weapon glee to make you grin? Check. Neutral setting you can easily dive into without feeling like you're pushing a National Agenda? Check. A roster of 17 unique real-world aircraft lightly salted with futuristic awesomeness? Nom! A well-constructed story? Check. Intuitive controls, beautiful graphics and an inspiring soundtrack? Check, check and double-check.

The game offers two modes of play (the plot-heavy, 21 mission, Campaign and rogue-like, 43 mission, Conquest), but the basic gameplay loop is the same in both: you watch a briefing, buy and equip your aircraft, fly a mission, rinse and repeat. It might sound simplistic (because it is), but the core gameplay is so enjoyable having less stuff to do before it is more of a boon than a shortcoming.

Speaking of which, Project Wingman only has one (and more of an annoyance than a problem, at that). Most of the game's story unfolds through briefings and in-flight chatter (because the game was made by two guys and cutscenes weren't on the table); and while the former do a commendable job, the latter fall prey to Project Wingman's awesome gameplay. Often times, you are so invested in dodging missiles and flak, or watching the world burn, that the finer details of exposition escape you.

Which is a shame, because the game's VOs (and the dialogue they narrate) are quite good. Over the course of 21 (Campaign) missions you get to know your squadmates pretty well and I just wish you didn't have to divide your attention between what they were saying and what's trying to shoot you down at any given moment.

Which is hard to do, by the by, because Wingman is. So. Darn. Pretty. As is to be expected from a fast-paced action game, the visuals are top-notch. So top-notch, in fact, that they have cost me an aircraft more than once, because I was too busy gaping to jink.

The music suits the game perfectly, with orchestral tracks that dim during lulls in the action and swell triumphantly when, say, the world catches fire. I am not acquainted with Jose Pavli's other work, but his site does list awards – including a BAFTA. By the quality of what he accomplished for Project Wingman, I'm inclined to say he deserves it and is probably due a few more before long.

Honestly, I have nothing bad to say about Project Wingman. Even the aircraft selection, while not as extensive as that of H.A.W.X., shows it was made by someone truly devoted to his work. Every flight sim player has flown Fishbeds, Tomcats, Phantoms and Floggers ad nauseum. An Avro Arrow, though? Yeah, neither had I – until Wingman. Which is odd, because – until it was scrapped, largely due to US political pressure – the Arrow was set to be a revolutionary interceptor well ahead of its time. I'm not saying a single, obscure aircraft makes a difference but – in a game this good – it's like the proverbial cherry on top.

If you are a fan of the flight simcade genre, have played AC games before and are hungry for more, or just want to try being a fighter pilot for a day in the Best Way Imaginable, give Project Wingman a try. Like every decent simcade, it's the best of both worlds, but – unlike most of 'em – it's a Great Game in its own right as well.

As of February 2022, a future update has been announced (1.5, if memory serves) which will expand gameplay, add new aircraft, and implement a few fixes (although to what, I can't guess; the game's pretty much flawless as-is). The "when" of it might be hard to pin down (largely because, far as I know, D2 Sector is still mostly poor Rahmani by his lonesome); but I am more than happy to wait.

"Content is king", as I always (sometimes) say (in my head); and – with a Game This Great – more of the same would be most welcome. Until then, I have to finish my second Campaign play-through to save up bundles for the titular Mk. 1. Even in an alternate reality, OP aircraft don't come cheap.

It took me actual months, but I finally figured out how to grab screens for the game. I'll try to post more over the course of the week. Stay tuned.

Pig Recommends:

• Crimson Skies – set in an inter-war, sorta-steampunk world where prop aircraft still rule the skies and giant zeppelins roam, Crimson Skies had great lore and an interesting customization mechanic that let you design Your Ideal Machine, but was hampered by dated graphics and less-than-ideal mission design (I vividly remember one level where you were forced to race through closing floodgates, or something, turning the game into an adhoc flying platformer); still, despite its age and shortcomings, the world-building and atmosphere were great and it's definitely worth a try (if you can find it);

• Secret Weapons Over Normandy, Blazing Angels 2, H.A.W.X. – I bundled them together because they are pretty much the same game; "play a daring US pilot as he (naturally) Saves The World From Peril" (because it's not like Alternatives Exist); the premise is kind of meh, but they are all Good Games in their own right; SWON has the best production values (aircraft sounds recorded from Actual Aircraft? Yes, please); H.A.W.X. – the most extensive roster (an Avenger II, Draken, Jaguar, Mirage IV and Prowler under the same roof? You spoil us, Mr. Darcy) and really fun multiplayer (or it used to – back when the servers still worked); and Blazing Angels 2... welp, it has a Shinden, anyway, and some neat boss-fights (like a tesla-coil-backed BV 238);

Honorable (non-simcade, non-game) Mentions:

• IL-2: Sturmovik – while IL-2 is a sim's-sim (it'll take you a few hours just to learn how to taxi and takeoff), it has a huge mod scene and offers unparalelled gameplay for those willing to put in the time; my issue with it was a lack of middle ground: on realistic settings, I was never good enough; and turning realism off felt like cheating; but if you don't mind the (steep, steeep) learning curve and really want to learn how to fly, IL-2 is the best combat flight sim around;

• Slipstream by Simon Bovey – if you like your WW2 tales with a dash of sci-fi and a pinch of anti-war sentiment, this radio drama is a great listen (like pretty much all of Simon Bovey's work); you can find it on archive.org, and sometimes on YouTube;

• Royal Space Force: The Wings Of Honneamise (movie) – while it is mostly about a country developing its space program, there's a brilliant bit in the middle where an astronaut flies in an aircraft that showcases animation the likes of which we will likely never see again; the rest of the anime is pretty decent, too, though it is more contemplative than entertaining and One Scene in Particular has been known to rankle audiences;

• Porco Rosso (movie) – the hero is a pig and I am completely unbiased... seriously, though, even though this Ghibli classic may seem carefree and innocent, it has a lot of heart and might poke you hard in the tenders when you least expect it; the story is great, the animation – amazing – and the dogfighting scenes eerily realistic despite the vibrant colors and cartoonish style;

• Sky Crawlers – a depressing movie (oh, Mamoru – will you ever cheer up?) about the vicious cycle of war, it nonetheless explores some intriguing topics like war for profit, cloning, and the idea that – good as you are – there is always someone better; also, it has mutliple Shindens and exceedingly well-executed aerial animation (is that Production I.G. I smell?);

• The Wind Rises – a wonderful Ghibli yarn-slash-history-lesson about Jiro Horikoshi (a nearsighted dreamer who, denied his goal of becoming a pilot, went on to design aircraft — including the legendary A6M), the movie weaves Horikoshi's personal life, career, and daydreams into a beautiful whole that I, sadly, can't bear to watch again (it makes this pig cry); still, it's a great watch for any aircraft enthusiasts, history buffs, romantics or, indeed, fellow dreamers;