I’ve recently started using OperaGX as my web browser after seeing all the ads for it. Mostly because it isn’t as big a processing hog as Chrome, but still has some neat features. The fact it also keeps track of gaming stuff is just a bonus. I mention all this to say how I found out about Aviators. It was on the list of free games on the browser home page and it caught my interest.

Aviators is a free WWII game about the Polish Airforce. It’s an edutainment game, but for adults, you aren’t matching colors and shapes here. The Polish government funded the game and it’s clear the main goal is to teach you a little bit about some oft unknown WWII history. It’s about 2 hours long, depending on how well you play. The art for the cutscenes is very striking and this game was dubbed in English, which does make for a weird disconnect as all our Polish aviators sound like posh British dandies.

The first chapter sees you taking on the role of an aviatrix who flies damaged planes from the front back to bases for maintenance. I’m really glad they included this bit because whether Polish, English, or American, female pilots were an instrumental part of the Allied war effort, even if they weren’t on the frontline. You start out in the hangar prepping for your flight. This part plays like an immersive sim. You go through a checklist; making sure the radio is tuned, the plane is fueled up, and you mark out your path on the navigation charts. I like that it shows the logistical side of the war. There’s little collectibles around the hangar that unlock entries in an encyclopedia where you can read more about the Polish side of the war.

Once you get your bomber ready to fly, the next chapter sees you manning the radio during your flight back to England. Eventually you are beset upon by German fighters. After manning the gun for a bit, shooting down fighters, a fire breaks out that you have to extinguish, then repair the radio to put out a distress call. It’s a fun level that delivers excitement while still being grounded in reality. Aviators nails the feeling of being a bomber crewman. You aren’t playing as the plane flying around, you are the person inside running up and down the fuselage that’s keeping this bird airborne. After you complete that mission, there’s a cutscene break to go over more WWII history. It sets up the Polish Airforce’s attempt to retake their country.

The next mission has our bomber plane circling around Warsaw during the night attack on the city. You jump around, playing as the different gunners shooting down a certain amount of ground vehicles, blockades, and enemy aircraft. On the return flight, you are chased by a German bomber and its fighter squadron. This was a tough fight as you have to shoot out the twin engines on the bomber while also keep the fighters from peppering you. Unfortunately, your plane goes down in occupied territory and we get the most video gamey part of Aviators. This is a forced stealth section where you have to sneak through German trenches avoiding spotlights and patrols. This is where I spent most of my playtime, having to restart fairly often. It plays like a Sly Cooper stealth section where you wait for spotlights to move so you can sneak by watch towers.

Once you sabotage some German anti-air emplacements and escape the trenches, the game comes to an end. There’s a epilogue that talks about the rest of the Polish war effort to retake the home land and the eventual arrival of the Russians from the Eastern front. Poland went from the frying pan into the fire, switching out Nazi occupation for Communist occupation.

All in all, this was a great, free, little edutainment game. It feels like the excerpt of a larger game and not a history lecture shoehorned into a slap-dash game. I knew that Poland had it rough during WWII, but this game really showed me just how rough that was. Still, the feeling of Polish pride in their efforts during the war surges as an undercurrent throughout this experience. If you are interested in WWII aviation history or WWII Polish history, I highly recommend this game.