As soon as the game loads, the music explodes, filling player’s ears with the metallic twangs and shredding of an electric guitar. Headphones are recommended but for players who find the music too extreme; the button to mute it is in the bottom right corner. Before staring the game, players can switch the functions of the arrow keys under the options or check the game’s high scores. The play button throws players right into the action.
Like its prequel, once the game starts it can be paused by the button in the lower right hand corner. The time counter in the top right corner of the original flash game has been replaced by a fuel bar. While it can be fun to just fly around, players may find themselves crashing from the lack of fuel. Boosting through the levels will use more fuel. On the flip side, players can increase their chance of attaining a high score by using less fuel to receive the fuel score bonus at the end of the level. The fuel bonus has replaced the time bonus of the original.
Trees dot mostly barren landscapes that are inhabited by tiny people, large rock formations and racing pylons. Sharing the skies with players are blue and white hot air balloons and zeppelins. Particular rings will trigger explosions from large gray flammable objects that resemble giant propane tanks. The explosions can bring down many of the other obstacles. Crashing into any of these obstacles will send the plane careening down toward the ground in a burning fiery ball of death. Some objects may provide a destruction score bonus when they go up in smoke.
In this flash game players can pick up score bonus coins to try and achieve a high score. Reaching the coins often requires risky maneuvers. Other coins are fired from cannons into the air at the player and are worth more. Following some levels is a bonus level that has players trying to stay on an indicated path. The paths curve through obstacles and haphazardly flying through the course will likely land the player without an increased score multiplier. Those that can stay directly on top of the path will find it bursts into flames and greatly increases the players score and score multiplier.
Collecting the coins that spell out the word “LIFE” is the only way to increase the player’s life count; which starts at five. When players lose a life, regardless of what they crash into, they also lose their score multiplier. Earlier levels are much easier and new players are encouraged to practice their flying and boosting skills in the first few levels.
Stunt Pilot 2 also adds a level editor that includes not only all the obstacles and background objects but also the bonus point and life coins. Users of the editor can create unique courses of varying difficulties. These levels can then be saved and played later. Or if creators would like to share their levels with others they can do so via the provided URL for their specific level. The editor is only available to those with an Rock Solid Arcade account.
