If being in charge at an air traffic control tower is anything like the game ATC Pro, I’m not interested. ATC Pro can be enjoyable to play, but it has a pretty steep learning curve. (If you want to check out a demo in action, watch the video after the jump.)
The objective is to successfully land and manage takeoffs without it ending in disaster. The problem is that ATC Pro can get bogged down in quirky controls that are often counter-intuitive. I also found the commands sometimes slow to respond and ill-equipped for maneuvering the planes. If you are not patient, the game can quickly become cumbersome and frustrating.
ATC Pro begins with a tutorial to familiarize you with the surroundings. The instructions are a little lacking in some of the details, so be sure to play with the controls to make sure you have everything down. For example, to turn a plane you must tap one of the directional arrows and then hit the control tower icon for it to take effect. The goal is to manuever the planes to the proper altitude and distance from the runway so it can land.
Once it is time to land, a “LAND” button will appear on screen. But tap it fast, as it will disappear without warning. If the plane has been slowed down properly and is lined up, then it will land. But if not, prepare to fly the thing around again and make another attempt (another agitating process). The difficulty really ramps up after moving up the levels and juggling multiple planes and airports. There are currently two airport choices, Detroit and Chicago. Additional airports would be a nice future upgrade.
If you can handle frustration then you may have the temperament to be an air traffic controller. For those that do, ATC Pro may turn out to be an enjoyable game. It’s one of those addicting challenge games that infuriates you just enough to make you want to keep playing.
Here is a video of ATC Pro in action:
This app review has been expedited.
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app category: Expedited Review, Games, Strategy
