A FPS on hardware with no second stick should not work, yet this handheld entry makes a convincing case that accessibility design can substitute for precision controls. Three Second World War campaigns span American, Canadian and British perspectives, from Sicily through the Scheldt to the Rhine crossing, each introduced by text panels supplying genuine historical context. There is no narrative beyond mission briefings and per-mission characters, and the tone stays pure wartime action with the occasional darkly comic line. As one of very few true FPSs on the platform, its very existence is the headline; its competence is the surprise.
The accessibility suite functions as a core pillar rather than a crutch. Auto aim and target lock compensate for face-button aiming, while regenerating health and frequent checkpoints keep failure from punishing a portable session. Hit markers prove genuinely useful on a small screen where visibility is limited, confirming contact that the display alone cannot always show. Together these systems let corridor-based squad combat flow at a pace the hardware supports, and the game plays far better than its control limitations suggest.
The B-17 bomber mission is the clear highlight. Gunning from nose, belly and tail positions with distinct callouts, and swapping stations mid-flight as waves of fighters close in, delivers a set-piece that later wartime shooters would reuse for good reason. Satchel charges and AA-gun destruction ground the rest of the combat in objective work, and the 14 levels across the three campaigns alternate assault and defence with reasonable variety. Visuals hold up better than expected for the platform, with environments reading clearly despite the small screen.
The control scheme remains the core weakness. No right stick means face-button aiming throughout, weapon swapping is unreliable and cannot be done while standing over a pickup, a real problem in the final convoy mission, and movement offers no sprint and feels slow. Grenades compound the friction: throws are short and finicky, and moving and throwing cannot be combined. Reload is possible even at full ammunition, a quirk that serves no purpose. Each flaw is survivable alone; stacked together they mark every encounter with small irritations.
Bugs and squadmate behaviour wear patience further. Companions constantly push forward into enemy fire and block movement, shoving the camera into danger rather than shielding it. Hitboxes and collision are inconsistent, with enemies absorbing shots without dying, trees stopping bullets, and solid stair geometry trapping movement entirely. One hard lock-up closed the Canadian campaign and demanded a restart, though progress survived. None of this breaks the experience, but all of it is noticeable.
Length is the final constraint. Three hours across 14 levels is brief by any measure, and the per-mission structure offers little reason to return once the credits pass. The brevity suits a handheld session in principle, and nothing outstays its welcome, but the package feels slight next to the series’ home-console entries. What is here is well tuned, with difficulty balanced around the assist systems rather than against them, and the pacing never sags.
Overall, this is a surprisingly competent handheld shooter that makes stick-less aiming workable through generous assist systems and an excellent bomber set-piece. The control scheme’s hard edges, the shoving squadmates and the brief runtime all limit it, yet the game outperforms what its platform should allow. As a closing chapter for the classic catalogue it lands better than it has any right to.
