The plot of HighFleet revolves around Mark Sayadi, heir to the Romani empire. He was sent to suppress the Commonwealth revolution, but the vile rebels turned the capital of the empire into a nuclear ashes, killing the emperor in the process.
Left without a home and troops, Mark’s last hope is the city of Khiva. According to legend, there is a plutonium reactor the size of a mountain. If you get control over it, then there will be a chance to negotiate on equal terms with the Commonwealth. The problem is that Khiva is controlled by rebels and is on the other side of the world. Therefore, the heir will have to use all his tactical and strategic skills to get there alive.
Layered cake
HighFleet is a sophisticated multi-layered game in which you take on the role of a politician, diplomat, general, radio operator and pilot. All of these roles need to be taken seriously in order to successfully complete the campaign.
You start the game on the global map. It is full of cities, each of which has its own characteristics. Some sell rare modules, others have increased repair speed, and others have cheap fuel. The communication node shows the current location of enemy strike groups, aircraft carriers and transport ships.
Each city has a garrison of several ships. Before visiting there, you should send a small fleet for a surprise attack. If you attack with the main forces, then you will be detected and asked for support. In this case, a strike group of several elite ships, with strong armor and heavy weapons, will be sent to your soul. Such a meeting can put an end to the further passage, which encourages an accurate game.
Upon arrival in the city, a Moonlander-type mini-game begins. It is necessary to land on the platform, taking into account the wind speed, the level of roll and the rate of descent. If the landing gear is missing, the ship will be instantly destroyed.
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In the city itself, you can buy fuel, repair ships, buy shells. But you need to manage your finances carefully! Fuel is consumed quickly and costs a lot. It is on him that the lion’s share of gold goes. If you do not refuel in time, then your fleet will be stuck in the desert.
Interesting things happen from time to time. Say, after the battle, the surviving enemies will try to capture into slavery, and you have to decide what to do with them. That’s just a good-natured person in HighFleet will not work. In this world, the war never ends. Almost all people here are cruel and cynical, so piracy and robbery are encouraged here.
By committing war crimes, you will increase the morale of the fleet, as well as earn much-needed gold. Morale is also needed to replay unsuccessful battles. You can restore it during downtime in the city. If this is not done, then their own troops will rebel against you.
Tarkhans hide in some cities. These are the fleet headquarters officers who need to be recruited. During the meeting, a mini-game will start during which you give a speech (the speech style is shown as cards). Each of the Tarkhans has a unique character, and if you find an approach to it, then you will have a true ally. And as a bonus, you will receive a new ship, gold and a tip on the next tarkhan.
An ally can be asked for gold, support, shelter, or intelligence. But trust should not be abused! If you ask for help too often, then your comrades will leave you, leaving you without support during the final battle.
But you still have to live until the final battle! To do this, you need to avoid numerous enemy troops – if you see the enemy with the naked eye, then it’s too late!
Luckily you have a radar. Upon receiving a signal, the estimated location of the enemy is marked with a pencil. With the help of a ruler and a compass, its route and speed of movement are calculated. With the help of the radio, you tune into the frequency of the enemy, intercepting his messages. Thus, you can determine the type of enemy and begin to act in accordance with the information received.
It is worth remembering that if you see an enemy on the radar, then he probably noticed you too. And it will not be difficult for him to calculate your location (for this reason, the radar should be used as little as possible). Then fighters and strike groups will go in your direction. Luckily, you can also send out fighters/bombers. This requires aircraft carriers. It is with their help that you will weaken (or destroy) the enemy troops before the main forces approach.
Sometimes it comes to a direct collision. Then you choose the order of the advancement of the fleet, after which you start the battle.
The battle takes place in a small arena where you control one ship, and the enemy – up to three at a time. To destroy the enemy, you have ordinary shells, armor-piercing, incendiary, homing, bombs. All in order to destroy the armor and get to the fragile equipment. If your ship is seriously damaged (or runs out of fuel), you can always retreat, making way for a new one. But two things make combat in HighFleet especially interesting:
- Enemy projectiles are dangerous for all participants in the battle. Enemies have no immunity against them, so you can conduct battles in such a way that opponents interfere with each other.
- The enemies in this game are smart. They know how to shoot ahead. Or they line up in such a way as to fire from several directions at once. If you get too close to the enemy, then the rest will stop shooting – for fear of harming their comrade.
After the victory, you will have some time to delve into the wreckage of the ships. This time can be spent on rescuing survivors, draining fuel, collecting ammunition. In the cabin of the signalman there is a part of the cipher for deciphering radio messages. In the captain’s cabin, you can find a hint on the search for tarkhans. Well, screwed ship guns are sold at a good price. It remains only to make a choice what exactly you want to save.
The game also has an editor. In it, you can create any ship from scratch. The limit is just the tools and your imagination. The resulting creation can be tested directly in the editor.
Desert atmosphere in HighFleet
The HighFleet interface is designed in such a way that a feeling of full presence is created. Radio, radar, clock, panel with troops – all this looks like buttons, tubes, switches. And they blink, squeak, crackle. With all these devices, you start to believe that you are flying a gigantic air fleet.
Each tarkhan looks unique: a mixture of Soviet uniforms and oriental robes. The description of events is followed by colorful illustrations. When it rains, drops flow down directly on the monitor. During the battle, if you move too fast, the screen will darken.
The sound in HighFleet is also made at the highest level, whether it be the noise of engines, the beeping of instruments, the sounds of shots and the feeding of cartridges. During a landing, missile launch, or combat, comments can be heard over the radio. All this has a great effect on the atmosphere.
Untrained Ruler
Alas, even in such a game there are negative aspects, such as superficial training. It only affects the basic mechanics. Because of this, you have to either guess about everything else or read guides. There will be no hint that the button to launch the atomic weapon is on the top-right, and the control of the fighters is on the bottom-right. And this is very important information!
The game world is poorly developed. Information about him is given in scanty chunks. Some events repeat, although from a logical point of view they should not. Some of our decisions end in nothing.
HighFleet is a very intense game. We have to constantly intercept radio messages, decipher them, monitor the position of the enemy on the map. If your ships are seriously damaged, then they will not be able to be repaired normally – the locals will hand over to the Commonwealth. In battle, everything explodes, bullet holes appear in the screen, everything darkens, howls. Even with strong nerves, you can devote only a few hours a day to this game – it is exhausting!
There were no bugs either. Personally, when I started the game, the cursor started to go crazy (every 5-6 launches). It was treated through the task manager. And once every few hours, she steadily took off.
Diagnosis
This is a unique game with well-thought-out multi-level mechanics that allows you to feel like the commander of a giant fleet. The unique visual style sets HighFleet apart from many other games. But do not forget that this game is full of nuances. In it, any wrong decision can lead to fatal consequences, therefore, first of all, it is suitable for patient people with strong nerves.
Pros HighFleet
- High level of immersion
- Unique and beautiful art design
- Well-developed tactics and strategy
- Good sound
- Intense battles
- Smart Enemies
- Ship editor
Cons HighFleet
- Surface learning
- Poorly developed world and characters
- Departures
- Not suitable for nervous people