DESCRIPTION

The land of Hesperia was a blood-soaked land plagued by violence and darkness. As the brutally destructive civil war raged on, the land was spiraling towards a total collapse - a collapse of mankind with diminished hopes of peace. After generations of war, one man stood up and assumed leadership duties as the first emperor of Hesperia. His name was Atlanton II.

Atlanton II initiated an annual Air Battle Tournament to prevent further war and bloodshed. Held in the infamous Arena of the Giants, located in Southern Chalibar, the gladiatorial air tournament was fierce; prisoners of war had nothing left to fight for and took it out on their opponents. Because clans and tribes would still bicker, a league was set up in which the strongest member from each region would fight.

Now that the emperor has single-handedly brought peace to the land of Hesperia, it's your turn to take to the skies and fight for your brothers! Flying Heroes is a first-person air combat simulation filled with dogfights, multiple tournament arenas, devastating magical spells and over 20 large airships divided amongst tribes and clans. Among the various clans are the Lizard Riders, the arcane Magion, the secretive Hammercraft and the bird-like Sky Knights. Each clan has an array of airships, weaponry and combination attacks as well as clan-specific capabilities. As examples, the Magion utilize carpets and fierce spells such as Disintegrate and Acid Rain while the Hammercraft maneuver monstrous blimp-like ships along with machine guns and rockets.

Flying Heroes comes with a few gameplay options including Career, Single Match and Multi-Player modes. The Career mode is broken down into three stages — the Iron, Silver and Golden leagues with each league progressively more difficult. In order to qualify for tougher leagues, you'll have to destroy the opposition and do the best you possibly can. You'll also be awarded money for use in upgrading your battleship or purchasing new or enhanced weapons. Additionally, the Single Match option will hone your skills and familiarize you with fighting in the not-so-friendly skies as you prepare for Career mode.

You'll battle in over 10 tournament venues including the aforementioned Arena of the Giants, the Firladian Mountains, a Sand Temple complex and a Burning Abyss, filled with dark passageways and crimson colored lava. Additionally, your opponents (different for each league) each have characteristic traits. For example, Fakir of the Magion clan uses invisibility and deadly fireballs; the Lizard Riders' Wartooth is demented and unleashes unbridled assaults; and Hidden of the Hammercraft is a mysterious, though utterly devastating, opponent.

Before or after a Career battle, visit the Treasury of Hesperian Heroes and a dubious man known only as The Shark, who deals with investments, debts and loans. He charges high interest rates and will confiscate property if you cannot pay off your debts! Fortunately, you'll have an assistant pilot who will not only fight with you in battle but will also earn money for weapons or paying off debts.

Whether you're playing by LAN or Internet, multi-player options include Basic Deathmatch, Frag Limit, Tag, Destruction of Cannons, Object Acquisition, Elimination of Selected Opponents and Special Matches and Quests. Basic Deathmatch involves fragging a series of opponents while Frag Limit has a set number of opponents to frag. Whoever is tagged for the shortest period of time will win a Tag game. If you've been tagged (or touched) by another opponent, you're given a time limit in which to tag another player. If you fail to do so, you're out of the competition. The other multi-player modes are simply specialty assignments in which you'll destroy or obtain certain targets and objectives.

If you can triumph over the opposition, your name will go down in history as a fierce warrior of utmost skill. You'll be among the legendary Flying Heroes. ~ Matthew House, All Game Guide