Review
Dropship: United Peace Force puts you in charge of a fleet of chunky VTOL aircraft and all the various tanks and weapons they can fit inside their metal tummies. Being politically correct is not what this game is about; when its clearly euphemistic subtitle refers to "peace force" it actually means "huge belligerent army", and by "united" it obviously means "run by the US". To add to the topicality, and the potential to offend, there's a bunch of rather unfortunate references to Afghanistan. But, hey, what the game lacks in sensitive storytelling it certainly makes up for in ambition. The core of the gameplay is a fairly involved--for a console--flight sim complete with two different control systems when your craft is flying and hovering. With AI-controlled wingmen, some highly percussive weapons and even a soupçon of real-time strategy, Dropship is clearly aiming high. Unfortunately, though, its aim is just off and the whole has conspired to be slightly less than the sum of its parts. Perhaps it's the frequently unfair AI and mission designs, or the non-intuitive controls, but Dropship requires just that bit too much effort to make it an instant purchase for everyone. The graphics are pretty good, though, and considerable effort has been expended on the game, so if you've got the patience unusual and rewarding gaming will be your reward. --David Jenkins