Wings Remastered Review

Previously a hit on the Amiga back in the 1990s, Wings Remastered has made its way to iOS. It’s a pretty enjoyable arcade style flight game too, with more variety than you’d expect.

Set during World War I, you’re a combat pilot undertaking a series of dangerous missions. You’re rarely alone in battle, but your comrades can be shot down, and you will feel a tinge of guilt when the game tells you their name. In which case, you’d better get the hang of those controls fast.

There’s a choice of tilt or touch based, but I’d immediately recommend the touch controls. When flying from a first person perspective, things are tricky enough without considering calibration. At first, it’ll seem awkward but those sequences are quite fun. The scenery is incredibly forgettable and basic, but chasing down planes and, every once in a while, performing a loop the loop is pretty fun. Firing is a matter of hitting the correct button but don’t overdo it. This is a World War I plane, meaning the guns jam quite easily.

Besides the main structure of these first person segments, you can also perform strafing runs and bombing missions. These are conducted via a third person perspective, involving you lining up the targets. Again, it’s simple stuff, but it keeps things a little more interesting than solely first person based.

Wings Remastered could do with a few more creative visual flourishes, but it’s still quite fun nonetheless. The World War I theme is reinforced by small storytelling segments interspersed amongst the action, and that all-important matter of giving names to your fellow pilots. It’s not as emotive as something like Cannon Fodder, but it adds some personality that ensures Wings Remastered isn’t as plain as it could have been. It's also worth noting that $4.99 is pricey for those who won't benefit from the nostalgia factor, even despite offering plenty of missions.