This week’s game has become a serious time sink for me. I’ve always loved aerial combat, and Aces of World War II is a good multi-player implementation.

Technically, this is not a Flash based game. It uses the Unity web player to allow for the quick-responding real-time graphics. But that’s just a minor detail…

The game play itself can be infuriating at times. You start out with a fairly powerless plane, the Gladiator Mk. II. It takes over 700 Action Points to get to the next plane - and Action Points are awarded when you shoot down another plane. Your best bet is to get rockets as soon as possible - these are 100 APs, and last for a full day. With a bit of luck and skill, you’ll be able to shoot down a couple of enemies a day and eventually get the TBD Devastator - much more powerful, and very agile.

But before you dive into Dogfights, prepare yourself with some training missions. In the training, remember that rear-mounted guns have a hard time shooting under the plane it’s mounted in. And when you feel comfortable, go ahead and join the Dogfights. Just pay attention to what kind of scenario it is - in Team Dogfights, you can shoot down your team mates, but it doesn’t earn you points, and might piss them off…

There is a total of 44 planes available in the game, ranging from the Gladiator to P-51 Mustang and J7W1 Shinden. The only weapons upgrade available now is the rockets, but more is listed as coming soon, as are upgrades and stunts.

Good luck, happy hunting and Tally ho!