Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

X:Treme Velocity delivers an exceptionally deep and varied flight simulation experience by bundling three classics—EF 2000, ATF: Advanced Tactical Fighters, and AH-64D Longbow—under one roof. Each title retains its core mechanics, offering players everything from high-speed jet engagements to precise attack helicopter operations. The compilation’s menu makes it easy to switch between modes, so you can jump from supersonic dogfights in a Eurofighter Typhoon to precision strikes in the AH-64D Apache Longbow without fuss.

EF 2000 emphasizes air-to-air combat with a robust radar and weapons management system. You’ll find yourself juggling radar locks, missile queues, and ECM pings, making every sortie a tense ballet of radar blips and heat signatures. In contrast, ATF expands the fighter roster to include the F-22 Raptor, F-117 Nighthawk and other Cold War-era jets, adding stealth considerations and a wider mission variety. This title shifts the focus to beyond-visual-range engagements, introducing electronic warfare that keeps you on your toes.

Completing the package, AH-64D Longbow zeroes in on low-altitude, precision-attack tactics. Its Longbow radar lets you hunt ground targets while hidden behind terrain or foliage, rewarding careful positioning. Lock-and-leave capabilities blend with TADS targeting for a nuanced helicopter sim that balances lethality with vulnerability. From Marianas jungle operations to desert strike packages, each mission requires planning, threat assessment, and split-second decision making, ensuring veteran sim pilots stay hooked.

Graphics

While X:Treme Velocity’s visuals reflect late-’90s technology, they remain impressive considering their age. EF 2000’s terrain is a patchwork of drab greens and browns, but mountain ranges and coastlines offer enough geographic variety to keep missions fresh. Cockpit displays and heads-up indicators are sharply rendered, ensuring that instrument scans stay clear even in the midst of dogfight chaos. Night and all-weather operations benefit from dynamic lighting, providing an immersive sense of flying in real-world conditions.

ATF introduces enhanced textures and terrain detail compared to its predecessor, breathing new life into familiar skies. The F-117’s angular silhouette casts crisp shadows, and runway lights on nighttime sorties have a convincing glow. Aircraft models exhibit polygonal edges by today’s standards, but the reflective sheen on radar domes and the precise layout of cockpits preserve a high degree of authenticity. Combined with adjustable draw distances, the result feels surprisingly open and alive.

AH-64D Longbow’s graphics shine in close-quarters scenarios. Vegetation sways as you hover above tree lines, and the Longbow radar screen renders enemy armor formations with blocky yet distinct icons. Explosions create billowing smoke and fire flares, and the texture of desert sands or dense forest canopies adds to the sense of place. Although modern players may note the simplistic geometry, the careful use of lighting, shadow, and atmospheric effects keeps immersion levels high across all three titles.

Story

As a military simulation compilation, X:Treme Velocity doesn’t offer a traditional narrative but excels through mission-driven context and briefings. EF 2000 presents a hypothetical conflict in Europe, outlining escalating tensions with the Warsaw Pact. Each campaign mission builds on the last, framing your sorties as critical contributions to air supremacy. The economy of story is efficient: concise briefings, clear objectives, and periodic situational updates keep you plugged into the grand strategic picture.

ATF’s campaigns deepen the sense of scale with global hotspots and cutting-edge aircraft deployment. Briefings highlight the stakes behind each sortie—rescuing downed pilots, neutralizing stealth threats, or enforcing no-fly zones. The game’s sense of urgency is palpable; every radar ping and intercepted transmission feels consequential. Although characters remain faceless and the plot doesn’t branch, the high-stakes atmosphere ensures you remain invested from takeoff to landing.

In AH-64D Longbow, the narrative emerges through mission logs and radio chatter during helicopter insertions. You’ll coordinate with friendly ground forces, respond to last-minute intel, and adapt to evolving battlefield conditions. The lack of voiced cutscenes or scripted encounters speaks to the genre’s simulation origins, but the authenticity of the operational environment fills that void. Your role as an Apache pilot feels vital, whether you’re neutralizing armored columns or providing overwatch for allied convoys.

Overall Experience

X:Treme Velocity represents a timeless package for enthusiasts of military flight simulation. By combining three landmark titles, it delivers unmatched variety in aircraft types, mission profiles, and tactical demands. Novices might find the learning curve steep—each game demands mastery of complex controls and situational awareness—but the built-in tutorials and trainer missions ease you into the action. For dedicated sim fans, the compilation remains a must-own.

The user interface, though dated, is functional and consistent across all three titles. You can customize difficulty, HUD elements, and realism settings to tailor each flight to your preferred challenge level. Multiplayer head-to-head combat is still an option for those who can wrangle early-Internet connectivity or LAN setups, extending replayability beyond single-player missions. Even with newer sims on the market, these classics hold up thanks to their polished mechanics and robust mission editors.

Ultimately, X:Treme Velocity is a value-packed trip through the golden age of combat flight sims. It bridges high-intensity air combat and in-depth helicopter warfare, delivering hours of strategic gameplay and nostalgia. Whether you’re seeking to revisit a genre-defining era or experience these milestones for the first time, this compilation offers an engrossing, challenging, and rewarding aviation adventure.