Critical Alpha
A downloadable game for Windows, macOS, and Linux
Critical Alpha is an arcade combat flight-sim like I used to play in the early 90s. The best thing about those early flight sims was the up-close dog-fighting with guns, so I've tried to capture that feeling here.
There is no auto-aim, there are no missiles, just pure dog-fighting skill over procedurally generated landscapes, with procedurally generated missions.
Set across three different time-periods, you'll fight bad guys using biplanes, jet fighters, and futuristic spacecraft, each with a very different feel.
Controls are keyboard or joypad (tested using the PS4 dualshock 4 pad). I recommend using a joypad for the most enjoyable experience but the keyboard works just fine. (note: there are no mouse controls and this is a deliberate design decision, so please bear that in mind)
Critical Alpha was a collaborative project, developed in the Gamkedo club. Check it out for loads more free games developed by folks collaborating from all over the world.
Please note that the terrain has been updated to a low-poly, flat shaded style since the trailer was created. The screenshots are a better representation of the actual in-game visuals.
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Nice game. As a fan of low poly arcade flight simulators in amiga and DOS, This game feels great. Today's flight games(even the arcade ones) are too complicated and I don't like them, I want to see more simple flight games like these.
Would have been better if there was a seed randomizer since typing the seeds every time gets tedious. restarting the mission with randomizing seed would be good too.I'm glad you enjoyed the game. It's a fair point about the seed, that would have been better.
make the mouse control like in all flight simulators and arcades, uncomfortable
I'm not sure what you mean. Do you mean add mouse controls because there aren't any? In that case no, I won't do that, it was a very deliberate decision not to add mouse controls because I was trying to recapture the feel of old 90s flight sims which didn't have them. However, there is an updated version of Critical Alpha made by other members of the Gamkedo club that does have mouse controls here: https://gamkedo.itch.io/critical-alpha-afterburner
This game is awesome in every way except for the crippling lack of yaw control, I mean, this may just be me, but I can't dogfight very well without yaw control.
You know I spent a long time deciding whether or not to add yaw control and I eventually decided against it to try and keep the controls a bit more accessible. Also, the games that inspired this - ones I used to play in the early 90s - didn't have yaw control either and it was really the feel of those old games that I was trying to capture. I realise that different folks will feel differently about this and I appreciate your comment so I'll bear it in mind if I ever make another flight sim. I hope you enjoy playing it nonetheless.
Yeah, I understand, and many people own joysticks without a Z axis so I'm fine with that, it adds a type of challenge I haven't faced in a good while, still a very fun game that I think I'll be making a video on. I would like it if the zeppelin had more hp, but that's just a personal opinion, this is still a very fun game to play.
Well, that's very kind of you to say. It was a very personal project to me, trying to recapture the feel of those old games I enjoyed so much in my youth, so if anyone else enjoys it then so much the better. I look forward to seeing any video you make! Feel free to post in the comments as and when.
Outstanding! That was a lot of fun to watch, thank you for sharing it. You did amazingly well; that last 2017 mission is super tough and you nearly had it.