Da Vinci Flight (gamezone)

- gamezone -

Da Vinci Flight is a game from Breakpoint that puts you in control of the titular Renaissance man as he attempts to sail his homemade flying machines over the Venetian canals. Aside from some control issues, the game is a quick and easy to get into, and is quite fun and has a lot of personality in its cartoony visuals. If you can get past it’s flaws, then Da Vinci Flight can be a pretty addicting experience.

Flying requires you to get a running start and take off in order to make it the farthest distance. When da Vinci starts his run off of the pier, you must hit the 5 key at the specific time in order to keep a rhythm going and pick up enough speed to get added distance. In order to help you keep the pace, two clacking balls appear at the top of the screen, merely requiring you to hit the 5 button at the correct times in order to gain speed.

Once you’ve taken off, you’re required to control da Vinci in mid-air, guiding him out of the way of seagulls and guiding him into the paths of health potions and other boosters.

The one main problem with the game is the controls. Guiding da Vinci is not terribly responsive, and there’s a slight delay in actions. This requires some foresight and anticipation, since some of the moves require you to hit the button at just the right time. It makes for a bit of a learning curve to get used to this, and may frustrate some players.

Graphically, Da Vinci Flight has a lot of character. Leonardo da Vinci himself has a very lighthearted and whimsical cartoon look to him, looking the part of the long-bearded, robed stock character. The vehicles also look good, drawing from Leonardo da Vinci’s actual work, and looking pretty detailed. The music is composed of some nice MIDI tunes that set the mood for the game.

Da Vinci Flight may have a few control issues, but generally the game is easy to get into and is a pretty fun experience.

Review Scoring Details for Da Vinci Flight

Gameplay: 7.0
The gameplay is simple enough to grasp, but the control issues are a bummer.

Graphics: 7.5
Da Vinci Flight is a good looking game with plenty of character and personality.

Sound: 7.5
MIDI tunes that reflect the game’s overall themes.

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 7.0
Not much in the way of features, aside from the main game.

Overall: 7.0
Da Vinci Flight has some unfortunate control problems, but the game is generally pretty fun and a little addicting.