Operation Hormuz

Operation Hormuz description

Should start with the fact that this game is one of the most valuable items in our website, amazing rare that today you will not find in any Internet site. By itself it – letalka with a side view, perhaps part of the arcade, but still not the most simple operation, and most importantly – almost futuristic. After release, the game was presented, however, as a simulator, but, let's be honest, still is not so.

Its action takes place in the Persian Gulf. The game released in 1989, before "desert Storm", so that the conflict in question is not very clear. The point is that some "evil forces" seized seven military bases in the area is extremely important to the economy of the Western world's oil fields, and us, driving fast and powerful attack aircraft AV 8A Harrier, you must destroy them all while surviving. Interestingly, the opposing planes are MiGs, so probably a hypothetical conflict, not without participation of our compatriots...

The essence of the gameplay is the following. There is a carrier on which are combat aircraft a total of three pieces on a mission (similar to "lives"). You need to take off from its deck (which is not always easy – after all the game is not quite the arcade) and go in search of the very enemy base, destroy it and return to your ship. Take off preferably quickly, because the attack of the enemy planes always starts almost immediately.

Formally, a time-limit mission not, but it should be remembered that the amount of ammo and fuel you are limited to refill and replenish ammunition only possible on an aircraft carrier. Please note that as you progress on the map mission, the aircraft carrier will also move to follow you, so if something's not possible in progress of the mission to return to him for fuel and weapons, but it is sometimes quite difficult (and not even because of the distance and because of the situation). Among the enemies – enemy aircraft, air defense systems, ground equipment, but you can easily die and just crashing into the ground or water (because altitude is also a must to adjust).

In the lower-left corner is the radar (quite a useful thing), a little to the right of the screen various messages, above all kinds of weapons (because our plane carries different weapons – four types: two types of missiles, bombs, and side guns) that you can choose to attack; in the lower right corner scale designating the quantity of available fuel, the number of mission points (for arcade game after all) and the number of remaining aircraft"lives". Pleased to note that our plane in this game does not die from one enemy hit (in most cases, of course, plus in a collision with land and water he will die at once), and to track its condition at the left and right of the main screen are the special of the scale, fixing the damage.

An important aspect of the gameplay in "airplane" missions is the need for indirect protection of your carrier, because he continues to exist. If flying over water, you suddenly see the enemy small ships, then you need to make every effort to destroy them. If this is not done, then they get to the carrier, and without your presence it will not be able to resist them (well, at once did not destroy it, so theoretically you can then go back and finish these little ships, but better not to risk it).

The most serious opponents are, of course, the MiG-21, shooting homing missiles. The only way to get rid of them is to run your plane's heat-seeking missiles that will bring down the system of infrared targeting an enemy. On approaching the enemy base – a key object in each mission, requiring the destruction always warn a private message. Please note that to destroy this object can only bombs (no other ammunition will not help), this is done in quite a long time, and, of course, each base is very well guarded.

The graphics are quite beautiful, though perhaps somewhat inferior in "colorful" and clarity of the drawing versions from other platforms. However, really challenging and fun flying (and Operation Hormuz to such games, no doubt, applies) graph the important point is not. If we also add the dynamic of the gameplay, the awareness that playing is phenomenal and almost completely forgotten rarity, the verdict becomes clear: this is just another great old game finally returned to the people.

Wish to enjoy your afternoon playing some classic videogames? Play Operation Hormuz online for free here.

Source: Archive.org, Mobygames.com