Helicopter Gunship DEX
What is Helicopter Gunship DEX?
This game is aimed at finding the perfect middle ground between simulation and “arcade” action that similar games of the ’90s seemed to find with ease.
It is easy to pick up and fully playable with a gamepad and you won’t need to remember 10 different buttons just to turn the engine on. However, there are no unrealistic weapon load outs where you have 100s of missiles, the flight model is an accurate representation of helicopter physics and you will need to employ real-world tactics such as using terrain to mask yourself from RADAR and remain undetected and, of course, full HOTAS is supported.
However, while the flyable helicopters and other modelled vehicles may look similar to real-world units, they are purely fictional in terms of capabilities.
Key Points
- Fully playable from either 1st person or 3rd person perspectives.
- Full gamepad support as well as HOTAS.
- Realistic helicopter physics.
- Places you in direct control of both flying the helicopter and using the various targeting systems to designate and destroy targets.
- Easy to get into with simple, easy to understand controls.
- Robust mission generator allowing you to quickly get into the action.
Random Mission Generator
Missions are generated randomly depending on certain conditions chosen by you. e.g. Time of day, mission type, enemy forces / allied forces, technology era etc giving you an almost unlimited amount of re-playability.
Want to fight a 1970s equipped enemy in your state of the art helicopter? You can do that or, alternatively, set your self a challenge by engaging a modern armed foe in a low tech helicopter!
Missions will take place in various fictional conflict theatres around the world.
Weapons & Targeting
Weapon load outs are based on real world helicopter capabilities and you will use the same kind of real-world targeting systems such as “SACLOS”, “Laser”, “RADAR” etc to detect, designate and destroy your mission targets.
A slight departure from reality is that you, the pilot, will be direct control of designating targets and firing weapons even in helicopters that have co-pilot/gunner positions. Your CP/G will aid in target identification and spotting targets visually.
Weapon types and availability will depend on the “ERA” that your mission takes place e.g.
- Low Tech is approximately 1970s technology so expect to be using wired guided SACLOS missiles via limited optics
- Modern Tech is approximately 1990s technology so expect to be using laser guided missiles. RADAR guided missiles may be available but a in lower numbers.
- High Tech is approximately 2010+ technology so expect to be using RADAR guided missiles and advanced technology.
Flyable Helicopters
Currently there is 1 flyable helicopter (RAH-64 Centurion) with 3 different versions based on similar capabilities of an AH-64 A/D/E which cover the 3 different eras (1970s, 1990s & 2010+). More helicopters are planned for release further into Early Access and should include both Western and Eastern gunships allowing you to fight for either side.
Game Discussion
Steam User 15
This game badly needs an in game tutorial. Badly. The tutorial videos available in youtube are dated, uncomplete, hard to follow and don't cover everything.
Camera movement could be smoother, more polished.
Other than that, the flight model is OK, the helis are complex but rewarding to pilot, for a game that is more arcade than simulator. As with any Early Access, check how often there are updates before buying.
Hope the game will mature for the best.
For anyone interested, runs great on Linux via Wine/Proton.
Steam User 13
I LOVE THIS SIM!
It can be as simple as arcade and as complex as a proper SIM! TONS of content. TONS of random-ability.
Is it DCS?
Hell no. Thank you LORD!
No, it runs great, looks pretty good. And I love the explosions. Something DCS did not work on for almost 2 decades, as with most all other things important to their customer investors.
No, no study level cockpits with functionality to every button. BUT, they looks pretty good. They do the job well. The immersion is there. The SCALE of the world seems proper LARGE to me unlike DCS. DCS has always felt like you are in a ride traveling over a miniature world, like Pop's basement railroad...
The Dev LISTENS and adds and improves CONSTANTLY! VERY TALENTED too!
Would I like better graphics and cockpit details? SURE! But they are good enough for now.
I was out of the sim for a year. But I let it update. When I had time to again it was only a few minutes to get back into the swing of things easily. And what a STELLAR improvement that year made! Multiple new choppers added. EVERYTHING looked and ran better all across the board. Massive replayability additions provided....
I am a FAN!
I wish more devs were like this!
IF only DCS was more like this SIM! But they will never be. The only thing DCS is truly good at is being extremely overpriced and always 10 years too late listening to their player base; while they chase after forgotten projects and never finished scenery and aircraft modules. How are they still going?
DEX stands alone as-is. DEX does the job, and git's 'er done!
Dex will be around and growing for a long time to come. Thank you DEX devs!
Steam User 13
A very solid indie helicopter game that takes me back to the old Janes Longbow and DI Hind games. Only been flying in the "Sim" style controls with a HOTAS and aside from my own issues lasing/designating targets I have found it very easy and intuitive to pick up and start flying. I'm excited to see what this team does with it moving foward
Steam User 5
One of the few single-player attack helicopter games on Steam. Not too realistic but not too arcadey. Reminds me of Apache Air Assault by Gaijin. I found myself playing it for several days on end. Really fun game to have in your library and scratches that itch to fly that we all get. Weapon systems work well, but I found myself having to learn the game on my own since there aren't that many tutorials online and the guides created by the dev aren't up to date.
But overall I'd recommend it.
Steam User 6
Definitely has a learning curve, but it is rewarding when you are able to handle all the inputs and systems and make it your own! Very fun attack helicopter simulator. The developer has done a fantastic job at this! Doesn't feel very arcade but it is easy to pick up and just have fun with and set it down after a mission. ...or you feel like "just one more mission... it's my last one, I swear! Then I'm going to bed..." Thumbs up!
Steam User 6
An Amazing Light Sim that perfectly balances Realism with fun
You can play the game without HOTAS setup and still have fun, though I wish the Mouse controls would be improved as the Helicopter just rolls all over the place making it hard to control, so far the viable option i have is to set the Sensitivity of the Y Mouse Speed to low (25-40 Depending which Helicopter you fly)
Other than that, and Utterly amazing Game, Totally recommend, Worth the price for the amount of Helicopters and replayability it offers in early access.
I edit this to mention how pleased i am with this purchase
Steam User 16
This is an awesome "Light Sim". Just know that before you purchase. You won't get the depth of DCS World, but the key to this is the fact that it's easy to get into, and FUN.
I've been a simmer since my late teens, and I'm also a real life private pilot. Mostly fixed wing, but I have some rotary time as well. This sim reminds me of the very early simulations that got me into flight simming, and eventually into real flying.
Even though it's still at a very early stage, it's well worth the purchase, and the creator and the community have some great ideas to add to this with DLC in future and to keep expanding on it.
Don't think that you can "run and gun" with this sim though; you are really going to have to work out your tactics, or you well get your ass handed to you (as I have found out) :-) Even if Jimmy were to stop development now, I would still be happy with my purchase. It's well worth the price.
Hopefully in future we may see some additional terrains, I think naval / overwater and snow / winter would be a lot of fun. But I also know that building terrains is one of the most time consuming parts of a project like this.
Be patient and so much more is planned, you will see. And I will definitely be purchasing the developers next sim as well.
Thanks for all of your work Jimmy, know it's appreciated.