Rebel Raiders: Operation Nighthawk - PC

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Rebel Raiders: Operation Nighthawk (PC)
Also for: PS2
Viewed: 3D First-person / Third-person Genre:
Combat Game: Flying
Media: CD Arcade origin:No
Developer: Kando Soft. Co.: Kando
Publishers: Nobilis (GB)
Released: 3 Mar 2005 (GB)
Ratings: PEGI 12+
No Accessories: No Accessories

Summary

It’s strange. With the beginning of the 3D revolution, plenty of airborne shoot ‘em ups were queuing up to make the most of the new possibilities afforded by the technology. Most notable on PC were Lucasarts’ X-Wing and TIE Fighter, which took a genre that had begun with Afterburner and G-LOC to new levels. These days, it’s all gone up bit quiet on the 3D shmup front. Whilst there have been some examples recently – Xicat Interactive’s rather fun Iron Aces on Dreamcast springs to mind – the genre hasn’t received anything like the attention that, say, FPS games have been lavished with. So it’s entirely right that we should welcome the appearance of Rebel Raiders, published by the underdog championing Digital Jesters and developed by Paris based Kando games.

Kando’s avowed mission statement has been to make a game more exciting than a flight sim and more deep than an arcade game. Rebel Raiders is a fast paced aerial combat game with simple gameplay – and that’s just as well because it’s extremely fast. It’s the distant future and our inquisitive race has long conquered the solar system. But guess what? Humans are ruled over by cruel and greedy fascist governments and a long awaited uprising against the tyrants has begun. As a member of this bold group of freedom fighters, it’s your job to ensure a brighter future for generations to come.

The storyline is enriched with superb scenery and characters, and there’s plenty of gameplay – 16 missions in four chapters apiece tell your story as you fight for survival and justice against the World Nations Union. Choose from three different craft with different weapons and characteristics, or unlock new weapons and aircraft by undertaking the 32 challenges in game. Fast and exciting, Rebel Raiders deserves credit for reminding us that there are plenty of game genres that crave more exploration.