Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

The Ancient Art of War in the Skies places you squarely in the pilot’s seat of World War I air combat, blending real-time strategy with hands-on side-scrolling dogfights. On the overhead map, you plot flight paths, allocate aircraft to different objectives, and manage critical resources such as fuel, ammunition, and reinforcements. The strategic layer demands careful planning: destroy an enemy’s factory, and you delay their ability to field new planes; cripple their airfields, and you force them into a defensive posture. Every decision made on this map ripples through the campaign’s ebb and flow.

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When engagements heat up, the game seamlessly transitions you into a side-scrolling combat screen. Here, you pilot your aircraft directly, maneuvering against enemy fighters or lining up bombing runs on strategic targets. The balance between manual control and automated resolution gives players choice: novices can rely on the computer to calculate outcomes, while veterans can test their reflexes and tactical instincts in real time. Releasing bombs at precisely the right moment or executing a perfect Immelmann turn to get on an adversary’s tail offers a palpable sense of achievement.

Campaigns span both historical and fictional theaters of war, each with unique objectives—be it annihilating the enemy’s flight force, besieging their capital, or grinding down their morale. An integrated editor ensures that the action never grows stale, allowing creation of bespoke scenarios complete with custom terrain, aircraft loadouts, and victory conditions. This dual-layered approach to gameplay, combining grand-scale command with intimate dogfighting, is where the title truly distinguishes itself.

Graphics

Visually, The Ancient Art of War in the Skies opts for a functional, 1990s-era aesthetic that prioritizes clarity over cinematic flair. On the strategic map, icons representing squadrons, factories, and cities are simple but effective, ensuring you can quickly glean the battlefield’s status at a glance. The palette of muted greens, browns, and grays evokes the trenches and fields of Europe, lending an authentic World War I atmosphere to the planning phase.

The side-scrolling combat segments present your biplane and its adversaries in slightly more detail. While pixelated by modern standards, the sprites are well-designed: you can differentiate between fighter models, bombers, and reconnaissance craft by shape and wing configuration. Flak bursts and smoke trails add dynamic flair, while the occasional explosion punctuates your bombing runs, providing satisfying visual feedback when a well-timed strike hits its mark.

Menus and HUD elements maintain the same retro charm. Data readouts—showing altitude, airspeed, and remaining ordnance—are displayed in clear text overlays. Though some players may find the interface dated compared to contemporary titles, it remains highly functional, ensuring that crucial information is always at your fingertips without obscuring the action.

Story

Unlike modern war games that weave intricate narratives and character arcs, The Ancient Art of War in the Skies delivers its story through strategic context and mission briefs. Each campaign mission unfolds as part of a broader conflict, with objectives tied to real or plausible WWI scenarios. This approach prioritizes player-driven outcomes over a scripted storyline, giving you agency in rewriting history through aerial dominance.

The lack of animated cutscenes or voiced dialogue means storytelling leans heavily on mission text and the evolving map state. Successfully destroying enemy supply lines or capturing airfields alters future mission parameters, creating a sense of continuity and consequence that few early strategy games achieved. The ebb and flow of resources and reinforcements serve as the narrative engine, reflecting the high stakes of total war in the early 20th century.

For history buffs, the blend of genuine and fictional battles provides both educational value and replayability. You might reenact famed skirmishes over the Somme one day, then test an alternate-history scenario the next. While the game doesn’t follow a single hero or squadron, it captures the broader story of aerial warfare’s infancy, illustrating how airpower shifted the dynamics of World War I.

Overall Experience

The Ancient Art of War in the Skies remains a compelling title for strategy enthusiasts and retro gaming aficionados alike. Its dual gameplay modes offer both high-level planning and moment-to-moment excitement, creating a balanced experience that rewards tactical foresight and piloting skill equally. The editor further extends the game’s lifespan, inviting players to craft endless new campaigns and challenges.

While modern gamers accustomed to lush 3D visuals and cinematic storytelling may find the presentation modest, the core mechanics still shine. The strategic overhead map is intuitive and deep, the side-scrolling combat is engaging, and the interplay between them keeps you invested throughout lengthy sessions. Its blend of macro-management and micro-engagement foreshadows design philosophies seen in later titles, underscoring its influence on the genre.

In sum, The Ancient Art of War in the Skies offers a rewarding blend of strategic depth and hands-on action, wrapped in a historical framework that emphasizes the pioneering spirit of early aviation. Whether you’re a veteran of classic war games or a newcomer intrigued by World War I aerial combat, this sequel delivers a richly layered experience that stands the test of time.

Retro Replay Score

7/10