This Warhammer 40,000: Dakka Squadron FLYBOYZ EDITION review is played and tested on the Nintendo Switch. The game is available for $19.99/19.99 Euro on the Nintendo Switch and is also available for PC on Steam.
The Warhammer Imperium has never shied away from letting developers, big and small, take on their expanded universe and create games based on it. With such a vast stream of games, however, quality can vary greatly. Recently, Warhammer 40K: Darktide and Boltgun turned out really well. So, as of late, the turnout is decent and above average. Warhammer 40K: Dakka Squadron FLYBOYZ Edition is a game that was first released on mobile and later on PC before being ported to the Nintendo Switch.
I love me some gud ork banta
Dakka Squadron delves into the Ork side of the Warhammer universe, allowing you to join the Dakka Squadron in a Crimson Skies-like arcade air combat game. As expected, the game is steeped in Warhammer lore, particularly Orc lore. Despite not being too familiar with the source material myself, I found the Warhammer elements to be well-executed. Most pre-mission banter is voiced, delivered in the beloved Orks’ own Cockney-speak.
Enough dakka, too much dakka?
As “Dakka” is the Orks’ onomatopoeic phrase for firing guns or engaging in warfare in general, you should have an idea of what to expect by now. As a member of the Dakka Squadron, you’ll engage in dogfights against other Ork factions, provide support for ground troops, or undertake missions with the objective of destroying ground targets. Particularly enjoyable are the one-on-one dogfights against ace pilots of opposing Ork factions.
However, the game suffers from a lack of variety. There’s a heavy focus on escort and ground target missions, which aren’t the most enjoyable. This is somewhat disappointing; for example, Crimson Skies offered a lot more mission variety, including air races to mix things up.
Update? anyone? hello, ‘der?
In essence, Dakka Squadron offers a solid core gameplay experience, with an upgrade system and different planets to conquer. However, its performance is where the game falls short. Despite giving the game a good month to release an update to address the numerous issues with this Switch port, none of the updates thus far have brought the game to an acceptable state.
Orks did da port’n ere
We’re not Digital Foundry, nor do I have a deep knowledge of game development, but it seems that this game has fallen victim to lazy porting. Firstly, the game’s resolution, both in menus and during gameplay, is subpar, with somewhat distorted and jagged edges. My initial assumption was that this might be due to some sort of anti-aliasing issue, but it seems more likely that the game is stuck in a dynamic resolution loop, where performance issues lead to endless resolution adjustments. Perhaps this is due to its mobile origins. Regardless, it’s not our job to diagnose the problem; it’s the developer’s responsibility to fix it, and so far, that fix hasn’t materialized.
Why do yer stutta so much
Secondly, there’s a noticeable frame stutter, occurring about every second, which is arguably more bothersome than the aforementioned resolution issues. It feels like, once again, there’s some untested instability with game engine plugins that don’t mesh well with the Switch’s hardware. This problem persists even a month after launch.
Yer ui sucks
My final major complaint with Dakka Squadron is the poorly adapted UI. It is clearly designed for PC rather than the Switch, especially in handheld mode. The developer has simply emulated mouse controls with the thumbstick. At the very least, I would have expected the text and buttons to be readable. Unfortunately, this is never the case due to the game’s low resolution and menus designed for PC. Result: a big ol’ UI mess.
I’ll smack wun frame outta yer second. Every second!
As far as I’m aware, the PC version of Dakka Squadron doesn’t suffer from severe frame loss or resolution issues and includes a multitude of additional visual features and effects completely absent from the Switch version. Additionally, from gameplay footage, it’s evident that the ground texture details are much more sophisticated in the PC version. At its best, Dakka Squadron on the Switch resembles a late PS2 game. As the production value is there, with alle the voice over work, world design and tight controls, it is a mystery why Phosphor Game Studio didn’t put in the effort to either port the game correctly or applied some quality control. At best this is a missed opportunity.
Oh, and did I mention the game crashes from time to time?
Thanks to Ork Translator!
If you want to enjoy the overall solid Cockney airborne arcade gameplay, by all means, purchase the PC version. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any information on who ported this game to the Switch. Whether it was done in-house by Phosphor Game Studios or by an external partner, it's safe to say that the individuals responsible for this port either displayed laziness, carelessness, or incompetence. Possibly a combination of all three. Avoid this version of the game at all costs.
Pros:
- Solid Crimson Skies like gameplay
- It's Dakka.. al lot of dakka
The cons:
- So much dakka, but all very samey
- Resolution issues are making this a blurry mess
- Frame drop issues
- UI issues and barely readable
- Occasional crashes
