Achtung Spitfire! is a war combat game developed by Big Time Software and released by Avalon Hill in the late nineties. It is considered a sister game to Over the Reich, and covers the World War II time frame between 1939 and 1943, the era just before Over the Reich takes over.
The user begins by looking at a clean, easy and intuitive user interface that can accomplish even the game’s most complex maneuvers in only a few clicks of the mouse. The user chooses which faction he would like to play: Germany, France or England. There are numerous campaigns and several smaller scenarios to choose from when beginning play. The user also has the option of generating his own quick mission.
Achtung Spitfire is an exciting game because it does an excellent job of recreating the tensions in the second world war. This is not so prevalent in the single scenario dogfights, but the campaigns are great. In command of the German Luftwaffe, the French Armee de l’Air, or the British R.A.F., the user has different goals for each campaign. For example, when playing as the R.A.F., the user must defend the south of Britain from German threats. The user controls how many squadrons of fighters to put in the air and how many should be at the ready. The user must monitor raids by the Germans and determine which ones should be addresssed and which are only gnats that warrant no attention. Each pilot has unique skills and statistics, and the user must manage which pilots are best suited for each battle. Conversely, if the user is playing the same scene from the perspective of a Luftwaffe commander, he must make many of the same decisions, such as what combination of bombers and fighters to send and what areas to raid.
There is a lot to micromanage in this game, making more than just a confrontation that is decided by force of numbers. The user not only has to be aware of how strong his fleet is, he must know his individual pilots personally in order to make the best decisions. This is a huge factor that requires a lot of attention from the user and adds to the sense of tension and personal investment in the game.
In short, Achtung Spitfire is a superior game and should be downloaded by any fan of the combat game or flight simulation. It is easy to learn and fits very well with other games of this nature.
Written by:
~dorento1
