ATC 4.0

Control the whole sky! Direct air traffic and enjoy the beautiful scenery! Satisfy your God Complex!

When I read these words in C3 Software’s ATC 4.0 posting on iPhone App Index.com I knew I had to take this app for a test drive. God complex? I have a HUGE God complex!

ATC 4.0 puts you in the role of Air Traffic Controller and your job is to safely direct a whole mess of airplanes to their destinations. Most simply need to fly off the screen at any one of four exit points, but some need to land on airstrips which is trickier because they’re so damn small from your top-down aerial point of view. Just like in real life ATC towers, screwing up means that planes crash & burn which ends your game.  

The “main” game in ATC has you directing flight traffic under all kinds of less-than-ideal conditions ranging from night time to hurricane winds to blizzards, and if you play long enough you’ll eventually see ATC’s computer crash which really screws you over in a big way. You’ll also get different types of aircraft flying around which messes up your timing… jumbo jets, fighter planes, and small prop planes all travel at different speeds just to screw with your head.

The thing I like most is the Survival game where you simply need to clear as many planes as you can before the inevitable mid-air collision ruins your day in the tower. ATC 4.0 has a really nice global scoreboard which, for me, is a major plus because I’m such a shameless attention whore.

C3 Software did an awesome job on ATC 4.0. The graphics are nice, the sound is good and will respect your iPod and the iPhone’s silent switch, and the whole package feels very much like a premium-quality app. A tutorial is provided to help you get used to controlling the planes by tapping waypoints for the little tiny pilots to navigate to, but it’s really not all that hard once you get the hang of it.

My one caution to would-be Air Traffic Controllers is that this is definitely NOT a game for fat fingers! The planes are small and the airspace gets crowded pretty fast, so if your fingers look like sausage links you should be prepared for a lot of on-the-job misery.

Of course not everyone is going to love ATC, but I feel pretty good in saying this app is totally worth $2.99. It’s different, it’s engaging, the production quality is way up there, and most people should be able to get three bucks worth of fun out of it in short order.