Dustoff Heli Rescue 1.2

Get to the choppa'! Well nobody thinks about the poor pilot! Yes, whether it's Full Metal Jacket or Platoon, the guys flying the birds always have it easy. They just drop you off in the beginning and then pick you up after you've went through hell. Easy-peasy, right? Well it's not that easy when the storm pushes your bird whichever way, missiles launchers are homing in, your grunts are running around in the swamp beneath you, and your chopper controls are weirder than the entire Apocalypse Now storyline.

Dustoff Heli Rescue is a dexterity based game where you will be controlling a helicopter by only two yaw like controls. It's a bit too complicated to explain, but rest assure, the control system is responsible for making the action look thrilling but also making you question your innate abilities.

The 3D backdrops look great, but the action itself is fixed within two dimensions. Over a course of 25 missions you will be entrusted to recover cargo, vehicles and more frequently, soldiers in need of rescue. The helicopter has unlimited fuel, but any bump or strong landing will reduce its health. Of course crashing head first into a rock will not come out well, but you will want to do it a couple of times since it looks really nice.

You will slowly progress from easy extractions clear ground to hellish terrain and weather conditions while advancing through continuous fire. Some levels also feature caves. Although that is not very realistic, you need to realize that nothing is actually realistic in this game. Besides the well known theme of the Vietnam War (which frankly would be missing if that ghastly event wouldn't have occurred some 40 years ago), the controls, the blocky characters and quirky physics make this helicopter game an arcade action experience.

As you complete levels, you will unlock bigger and better helicopters and also better mounted weapons, to fight off the VietCong. There's no actual dying in this game (except you getting smashed with whoever was on board). Gunposts and vehicles get abandoned after being destroyed and their occupants simply run away. No hard feelings.

Scattered in each level there are a number of dogtags that can be swiped from various places. Besides being ominous reminders of what war actually is, they serve as a collectible aspect to this otherwise simple(?) game.

Conclusion

Dustoff Heli Rescue is quite a challenge. Also great for players who like more action oriented games. What is great about it is that the difficulty is not impossible to overcome As you play you will actually begin to learn how to properly handle the helicopter controls and you will also develop a certain style of flying. Quite rare and very satisfying.