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Altitude is really fantastic.
I mean, it’s simple. It’s not necessarily deep. But it has some really good things going for it.

For one, they get how an indie game should digitally distribute. I bought the game on Steam, but they have an online, web-based version of the game I can play anywhere. Alternatively, I can download the game onto any number of machines that I want from their website, even without using Steam. That’s the sort of access I want from a game like this. It puts use in my hands, to do with as I will. That’s a value add. Completely.

Additionally, the game really benefits from how simple and easy to get into it is. There’s no huge load. No 30 screens of developer logos to wait through. You can be in a match in 15 seconds, and just play. There’s no pressure if you quit, either, so you can stop just as fast. It is the perfect game for quick little sessions while you’re waiting for someone to do something, or waiting for a friend to show up. It works so well that way.

On top of it all, the game is actually pretty clever. You fly planes around on a 2-D map from a side view. There are five different types of planes with completely different weaponry. I like the Bomber, which fires grenades forward in its default configuration, but also has a backward-facing cannon as its secondary fire, to finish people off after you fly past them. I am also taking to the default weapons on the Biplane, which is a long distance cannon, and then a short range “machine gun,” which basically works like a melee attack, and shreds planes who get close, if you can get in range.
These are just the default weapons, though. You gain experience from playing, and level up, unlocking new planes and perks, much like Modern Warfare. Eventually you have 3 different weapon loadouts on each plane, each one a bit different from the last, so you can really strategize and pick your favorites. You also get to pick Blue and Green perks, which modify your weapon energy and your defenses respectively. As such, there is a decent amount of customization on each plane. Not a huge amount. Picking Heavy Armor over Rubberized Hull isn’t going to extremely change your strategy, but you can optimize for your playstyle.
It’s the subtleties of movement that really make the game shine, though. You’d think it would be a very simple affair to zip around the map, but these are planes, and they require finesse that you would expect from planes. If you bump into things, or fly straight up for too long, your plane will stall, and you’ll have to dive a bit to get the motor going again. You can also use this to your advantage: I enjoy stalling on purpose with the Biplane, so people get close, and then letting loose with my machine gun. If I didn’t suck at getting out of Stalls half the time, it would be really effective. Heh.

But yeah, Altitude is a simple game, but it really is a lot of fun. It plays great with a gamepad, if you have one, but works just fine with the keyboard, too. I put it on my lappy and on my main box, and I’ve been playing it off and on since I got it in the recent Steam Indie Pack. It would be a much easier recommendation at the $2 price point it was then. It’s a ton of value for what I paid for it. But even at $10, I think I would have been happy with my purchase. Check it out, and see if it’s something you can get into. It’s simple fun, and completely enjoyable.