Eurofighter Typhoon Operation Icebreaker
Flying the campaign
Eurofighter Typhoon Operation Icebreaker has the feel of a hastily thrown together set of scripted missions. As scripted missions go they aren't too bad. The disappointment is that the original release - Eurofighter Typhoon - boasted a dynamic campaign with some scripted events base on an unfolding plotline delivered by video clips and news flashes.
You had some latitude in mission planning and felt you were part of an interactive environment in which your actions had consequences. My recommendation - get this release and play the original campaign which is included.
Mission 1: Dogfight
You start in the air just about to merge with a flock of MiGs !
This is a funny way to start a campaign in my opinion... a few moments to get your thoughts together would have been a nice idea. The only way I could survive the first onslaught was to pause the sim and:
- direct my wingman to attack
- adjust my radar and DASS range
- select a target
... then "un-pause" the sim and continue, launching missiles immediately..
... then cross my fingers...
Eurofighter Typhoon Operation Icebreaker - Mission 1
You start with one active pilot and the rest of your squad in dire straits...
Mission 02: Scramble
This time you start on the carrier deck... but a swarm of cruise missiles are only seconds away.
Arrrghhh.. too late... ah well, the ship kept afloat and I got a hot meal that night so I was happy.
Mission 3: Lynx Escort
A better mission - protecting the Lynx from some MiGs as it plucks one of your teammates from the icy sea.
... there's always time for a little showboating!
Mission 4: Carrier Defence 2
The briefing alerts you to several flights of Tu-22 bombers inbound to yoru carrier.
You can edit the waypoints on this mission (this option was unavailable on the first few missions). The default flight plan called for a fairly deep penetration into enemy territory so I moved the waypoints to avoid flying directly over the SAM sites.
As it turned out the action started right after takeoff and navigation went out the window as I struggled to deal with the Su-27 Flanker escorts. A good, satisfying mission.
Mission 5: Mountain Rescue
I thought I'd get creative with the waypoints on this one, so rather than taking the pre-planned coastal route I weaved my way between the SAM sites directly across the island.
Big mistake.
Sure we got to the target area early, sure we downed some choppers and fighters... but what about the rescue we were supposed to protect?
Mission 06: Airborne Attack
One of your team members is being held captive at a Russian base. Your mission is to attack the base, creating a diversion that will allow an SAS rescue team time to get in and recover the captured pilot.
Make sure you take out the control tower - it is marked by a waypoint in your mission plan.
I enjoyed this mission. You come under attack after takeoff but there are plenty if wingmen to help you out. Then it's a short hop to the airbase - scream in under the flak and take out the tower.
Mission 07: Prisoner Convoy Attack
OK - don't do what I did and dawdle along, enjoying the scenery... go high, go fast, and when you get there launch Brimstones at max range (about 10 miles), 3 per T-90. Heck - use 4 ! There are only 3 or 4 tanks to deal with but the attack apparently triggers a nasty response against your imprisoned team, so you have to hit quickly and with overwhelming force... makes sense!
Mission 08: An-255 Kill
Satellite site ? This is the first I'd heard of that !
There's a plot here somewhere...
Mission 09: Mobile Strike
Russian carriers ?
Where did they come from? According to the briefing they are only aboout 50 miles away. Funny we hadn't spotted them before now. In the original Eurofighter Typhoon campaign a Russian carrier group that close would have been dealing us a world of hurt by now.
Nevertheless this is a good anti-ship mission, with lots AAA and SAMs to dodge.
But... capturing the Russian carrier... ??
Mission 10: Carrier Defence 03
A word about our carrier "group". It consists of 2 carriers. That's it, just 2 carriers. No escort vessels, no supply vessels. Just 2 lone, naked carriers.
Nonetheless this is a good dogfight mission.
Mission 11: Carrier Capture
Okey dokey. Well suspending disbelief at the improbability of the mission goal allowed me to enjoy another good anti-shipping mission.
Mission 12: C-4 Strike
Uplink site ??
Hmm... more of the mystery plot unfolds...
There were quite a few fighter patrols up. I flew low, hugging the terrain, but not before the first group got a radar paint on us and launched long range radar guided missiles.
Rather than fight - and probably jeopardise my chances of hitting the radar site - I elected to fly straight between the oncoming fighters at full throttle and low.... below 200 feet. It worked... as you can see at right we managed to slip past.
On the way back I popped up briefly and let loose a barrage of Meteors, clipping a MiG-29.
Mission 13: Thermal Power Strike
NOTE - at the beginning of this mission you are prompted to save the game. This is a clue that the campaign is near the endgame. From this point on you can only save when prompted.
The defenses are pretty strong and I couldn't survive this mission.
Mission 14: Satellite Uplink Strike
NOTE - at the beginning of this mission you are prompted to save the game. This is a clue that the campaign is near the endgame. From this point on you can only save when prompted.
Aha - the old "orbital weapons platform".
I had 3 pilots left. Despite replaying the mission twice - and eventually getting all the pilots to the target - and dropping many thousands of pounds of high explosive - the antenna dome you remained obdurately intact.
How do you defeat this mission? I don't know. I do know that you have to be quick or the game skips to the "defeat" sequences. Suspecting that the dome might be as hard to destroy as the endgame "boss - fighters" in Eurofighter Typhoon, I gave up.
The end sequences look as if they were rendered on a game console machine... which leads me to thinking.
The bottom line
Eurofighter Typhoon Operation Icebreaker has the feel of a hastily thrown together set of scripted missions. As scripted missions go they aren't too bad.
The disappointment is that the original release - Eurofighter Typhoon - boasted a dynamic campaign with some scripted events base on an unfolding plotline delivered by video clips and news flashes. You had some latitude in mission planning and felt you were part of an interactive environment in which your actions had consequences.
This release has a constrained and linear feel.
The campaign engine is still there in Eurofighter Typhoon Operation Icebreaker - why wasn't it used?
Probably for the same reason that the meticulous attention to detail present in designing credible deployment of assets was neglected. A carrier group with 2 carriers... and no escorts!!! Cruising within eyesight of hostile enemy bases! Only 50 miles from a Russian carrier group?
Time = money, and obviously the agenda here was to get more sales out of the game engine, and focus on the console gamers. It looks like proper interactive campaign was on the drawing board, but didn't make it to market.
My recommendation - get Eurofighter Typhoon Operation Icebreaker and play the original campaign.