AC-130 Operation Devastation

AC-130 Operation Devastation is a modern war simulator. It puts you in command of the guns on an AC-130 Gunship, one of the deadliest military aircraft in existence.

The ship usually carries a rather large array of weapons, but in the game you are limited to 25mm, 40mm and 105 mm rounds.

During the missions available in the single player campaign, you are to support ground troops or initiate an air attack by hitting ground targets from the air. You do not control the movement of the plane at all, though. You simply direct the fire to targets in the ground. You can switch between the guns, depending on the type of unit that you are aiming at. For example, 105 mm rounds are better for striking buildings and large concentrations of enemies, but they take longer to reload after each shot, so you might want to use the 25mm rounds for enemy personnel and fast vehicles.

Graphically, the game isn't really that elaborate, but the views you get from the air are bird-eye views, so they look pretty realistic. The game is quite short, but it is also cheap, so it kind of evens out. Controlling the guns is quite easy, though it takes some getting used to. Seeing the great destruction that you can cause is very satisfying. During the game, you get tips from the commanding officer, pointing out new targets and giving you hints as to how to complete the missions.