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HighFleet is just the start of Microprose’s retro sim revivalCarrier Command 2 and Tiny Combat Arena both look great, too
Carrier Command 2 and Tiny Combat Arena both look great, too
I don’t know where to start, so I’ll go alphabetically.Carrier Command 2is like being on the bridge of the Avenger’s Helicarrier, but in the 80s. The basic idea is you have control of the carrier and all its systems from the cockpit, while fighting for control of an archipelago. Each island has a lot of defenses. You decide which one to attack, and how you go about securing the whole area.
Every switch on the console works, every monitor has the correct information, and they’re all interactable. If you want to set a direction, you sit at the navigation station and plot a course. Need to know what sort of ammo your drones are toting? Hit their command console and scroll through the payload information. Approaching a target? Hop into an electronic periscope to tag it for attack. It’s the most VR game I’ve seen that’s not yet been confirmed for VR. It can be played alone, or in multiplayer.
Multiplayer! Everyone shouting at each other, asking for info, plotting together. I watched as much of multiplayer Let’s Play video as I could and it looks like a lot of fun. I won’t directly link to it, as the nature of the game means it’s very long, and I can’t guarantee that the ‘banter’ won’t get too uncomfortable (I had to stop watching to write this). But here’sa single-player missionthat’s full of the sense of wonder that I had when I first spotted the game. There was a demo on during Steam’s Summer Games Fest that I’m upset about missing. Instead, I’ve installed developer Geometa’s previous game,Stormworks: Build and Rescue.
Tiny Combat Arenais another simple-looking sim that’s otherwise rich in information, this time putting you in a jet’s cockpit. In a lot of ways, it’s similar to Carrier Command 2’s overall structure. The war will go on around you, and you need to pick your objectives and set-up your equipment accordingly. You’re just in control of your own jet.
Tiny Combat Arena Announcement TrailerWatch on YouTube
Tiny Combat Arena Announcement Trailer
It’s bizarre seeing a game that looks like a memory but running at a high frame rate. Flat surfaces, blue skies, flatpack buildings, and dithered contrails somehow in HD. I know less about the loop of Tiny Combat Arena than CC2, but the developers promise that the simulation, though complex, is there for the player’s enjoyment:
I’m keeping a lookout for both of these.Carrier Command 2has a Summer 2021 release date, whileTiny Combat Arenaplans to launch in September 2021.
