Project Wingman belongs to the combat flight simulator genre and was developed and published by Sector D2 and Humble Games, respectively. It has been available on Microsoft Windows since December 2020 and was recently released on Xbox One and Xbox Series X and S in October 2021. The game can be downloaded for free and has in-app purchases.

Addictive and Challenging Gameplay 

Project Wingman is an addictive and challenging game with its unique take on the popular tower. The player takes on the role of a commander in charge of defending his base from waves of invaders, who enter through the left and right sides of the screen. The player has to defend their base by shooting enemies from the sky, or the invading forces will overrun them.

Project Wingman is a game where players are tasked with defending against waves of enemy aircraft, tanks, ships, or submarines by shooting them down with their weapons or calling for air support from the wingman. In Project Wingman, players are made to fly fighter jets into battle. The player’s mission is to destroy as many enemy targets as possible. There are so many fighter jets to choose from, and each plane has a variety of special weapons players can use to complete their missions. 

Choosing Between the First and Second Person Perspective 

You can play the game from two perspectives, which are the first and third-person perspectives. When playing in first-person, you can choose to play using the cockpit view. The supported formats include virtual reality and hands-on throttle-and-stick. 

The game starts relatively easy but quickly ramps up to intense levels of difficulty. Players are tasked to take control of the skies over Europe during World War II as they defend against waves of enemy aircraft trying to destroy key targets on the ground. Project Wingman combines the mechanics of popular mobile games like Clash Royale.

Campaign Mode VS. Conquest Mode

There are two game modes in Project Wingman, namely the campaign mode and the conquest mode. 

In the campaign mode, an American mercenary pilot, “Monarch,” fights in an independence war with Cascadian rebels against the Pacific Federation under a contract with Sicario. A briefing is given to the player before each campaign mission. The given briefing usually contains the details of story events, the enemy composition, and the player’s objectives.

In the conquest mode, players are made to play a territorial capture game, aiming to execute given combat missions to capture territories. In this mode, the alert level starts from zero and gradually rises during combat missions. 

Each completed mission leads to an increase in the number and kinds of enemies. Players are rewarded with resources after each conquest mission to recruit pilots and buy flying warships. The player will gain access to new skills and abilities as they progress through the game. These abilities give the game a good level of progression and difficulty curve, making it potentially one of the most compelling tactical strategy games available at the moment. 

Twenty Missions, Three Levels, and a Single Feeling 

Project Wingman features over 20 missions. It took me approximately 30 minutes to complete each mission. I was also happy to learn that I could replay missions to earn higher points. The missions are quite easy to understand. There are different enemy forces at each level. The enemies are not just aircraft but also include boats, rail gun cannons, etc. There was even a gigantic fortress in one of the missions. 

Missions in Project Wingman are used to test the player’s ability in combat and gameplay. The missions are classified into different levels in the game. The levels include;

Combat: Missions with an emphasis on combat and shooting gameplay.

Stealth: Missions that focus on avoiding detection and engaging enemies stealthily.

Pilot: Missions that focus solely on piloting the SRV, often with a time limit.

In project Wingman, you can earn XP cash, and unlock new equipment. You can also level up by completing objectives in the game world.

You will be given a set of parameters for each mission which include location, objective, and target. The target will be either on-air or on the ground. You must destroy the targets to complete the mission.

A Selection of Real-Life Inspired Aircrafts 

There are over 20 types of aircraft in Project Wingman. You should, however, note that not all the aircraft are open at the beginning of the game. 

Beginners can choose between two aircraft from the 60s, the US F-4, and the Soviet MiG-21. The aircraft names have been slightly changed from the original names. The names were probably changed to avoid copyright problems, but the 3D models are identical. 

You can spend the coins you accumulated in the game to unlock newer aircraft. When you’ve played for a while, you will gain access to more advanced aircrafts such as the F-22 and Su-57 stealth fighters. There are also some fictional aircraft with impressive features. 

Get Ready for a Mind-Blowing Range of Weapons 

When I started playing project Wingman, I was very impressed with the range of weapons available and their unique features. Every aircraft has a unique loadout option and weapon. The diversity and uniqueness of the aircraft and weapons make the gameplay compelling and the game irresistible. 

There are three kinds of missiles, which are air-to-ground, anti-ship, and anti-air missiles. The missiles are of two categories, including the  IR seeking and semi-active missiles. There is also a variety of gun pods with different features. Some of the gun pods have low-power ammunition, and others have heavy-hitting rounds. Project Wingman also has several rockets and bombs that can be used in combat. There are over 40 weapons that players can choose from, which makes the game exciting. I always felt satisfied after each round of combat. 

Conclusion

If you are looking to embark on an adventurous mission where you get to ride some cool fighter jets and destroy as many enemies as possible, Project Wingman is the perfect game for you. The game is an interesting mix of the old arcade game and the more modern first-person shooter experience.