Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

First Eagles: The Great War 1918 delivers a flight simulation experience that captures the raw intensity of aerial combat during World War I. From the moment you throttle up your wooden-and-canvas machine, the game’s emphasis on realistic flight dynamics becomes evident. Control surfaces feel responsive yet authentic, requiring you to anticipate the aircraft’s inertia and maintain energy management throughout tight turns and steep climbs.

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The mission structure offers a balanced mix of patrols, dogfights, bomber escorts, and strafing runs over enemy trenches. Each sortie places you in the cockpit of legendary machines such as the Fokker D.VII, SPAD XIII C.1, or the R.A.F. S.E.5a, while adversaries fly Albatros D.Va and D.F.W. C.V. models. Squadron coordination and wingman AI play crucial roles: you can issue basic commands to your flight, and watching them weave around enemy fighters adds depth to every engagement.

Combat feels brutally unforgiving. One well-aimed burst from an enemy’s synchronized machine gun can rip through your fragile wings or puncture your engine, forcing an emergency landing or worse. There are no parachutes here—every decision at altitude carries real weight. This tension keeps you glued to your instruments and the skies ahead, making each victory immensely satisfying and each loss deeply personal.

For newcomers, a comprehensive tutorial and adjustable realism settings smooth the learning curve. You can dial back full-immersion features like engine management and wing-warp damage if you prefer a more arcade-style experience. Veteran simmers, however, will appreciate the game’s challenge as it demands precision, situational awareness, and respect for early aviation’s limitations.

Graphics

While First Eagles doesn’t match modern AAA visuals, it captures the gritty atmosphere of 1918 combat with surprising fidelity. The fields of France spread beneath you as an earthy tapestry of churned mud, barbed-wire entanglements, and thin puffs of smoke marking distant artillery impacts. Ground textures are detailed enough to convey the drab monotony of trench warfare, broken occasionally by the flash of a flare or the distant glint of an enemy machine.

Cockpit views are highly functional, with period-correct instrumentation and hand-painted gauges that ooze charm. The glass is slightly smudged, the wood is scratched, and the canvas canopy frames the sky with authenticity. Key visual cues—such as the sight picture for your Lewis or Vickers gun, wing-tip wobble, or fabric tears—are clearly represented, reinforcing the sense that you’re piloting a fragile contraption rather than a modern fighter.

Lighting and weather effects, though somewhat limited by the game’s age, still add flair to missions. Dawn patrols feature a muted golden glow, while overcast days feel oppressive and damp. Engine smoke trails and tracer fire streak through the air, helping you track both friendly and enemy rounds. Explosions upon impact are satisfying despite their simplicity, and aircraft fire looks suitably menacing against a grey sky.

Frame rates remain stable even when dozens of planes fill the horizon, thanks to Third Wire’s efficient engine. Although terrain detail drops off at high altitudes, this is a minor drawback that rarely distracts from the thrill of the chase. For its era, First Eagles strikes a fine balance between performance and immersion.

Story

Rather than a cinematic narrative, First Eagles unfolds its story through mission briefings, radio chatter, and the stark visuals of the Western Front. You are an allied aviator tasked with turning the tide against the “Hun,” escorting reconnaissance planes or diving onto ground targets to support infantry advances. The game lets you feel the weight of each mission’s historical significance without resorting to cutscenes or voice-overs.

Briefings are concise but informative: a few lines on strategic objectives, expected threats, and key landmarks keep you oriented. These snippets of context—mentioning mustard-gas attacks, creeping barrages, or anticipated Albatros interceptors—immerse you in an era when the skies were still a deadly testing ground for new technology. Every flight feels like a chapter in an ongoing air war rather than an isolated dogfight.

Player progression is tied to campaign performance. Success means new assignments and access to better aircraft, while setbacks can alter subsequent mission parameters. This dynamic approach lends an organic sense of momentum, as your squadron’s successes or failures ripple through the theater of war. Even without a heavily scripted storyline, you come to care about your fellow pilots and the fragile machines they fly.

Historical accuracy is a core strength. Aircraft models, paint schemes, and squadron markings reflect real-world references, and mission dates align with actual 1918 engagements. The absence of Hollywood dramatics enhances authenticity, leaving you to craft your own stories above the muddy trenches below.

Overall Experience

First Eagles: The Great War 1918 stands as a labor of love for fans of historical flight simulation. Its blend of precise flight mechanics, authentic aircraft rosters, and immersive audio-visual details transports you to a bygone era when aerial combat was a lethal game of cat and mouse. The steep learning curve may deter casual players, but those willing to invest the time will find immense satisfaction in mastering the rudimentary controls and nail-biting engagements.

The game’s presentation and mission design foster a genuine sense of presence: you hear the snap of gunfire through your headset, smell the acrid exhaust, and feel the wind roaring past your open cockpit. Tech-savvy pilots can further enhance immersion using head-tracking hardware or VR rigs, though the core experience remains compelling even on a standard monitor.

Caveats include dated textures at high altitudes and limited dynamic weather scenarios, but these minor shortcomings barely dent the overall package. The active modding community has produced texture packs, additional liveries, and custom mission packs, helping to extend replay value and variety beyond the base game.

For enthusiasts of World War I aviation and simulator aficionados alike, First Eagles: The Great War 1918 offers an evocative journey into the dawn of air combat. Its commitment to authenticity, challenging gameplay, and atmospheric presentation make it a standout title in Third Wire’s catalog—and a must-play for anyone seeking to taste the perilous freedom of early flight.

Retro Replay Score

null/10