I tell my pilot to climb as the flak begins to explode around us. We’re getting closer to our target, an airfield that I need to photograph for reconnaissance. I can’t stay at this height for too long as the temperature begins to drop but it’s safety from the AA-guns I’m looking for.

My navigator announces a new heading and as I tag it for the pilot, our rear gunner spots three enemies. He begins to shoot, tracers arcing into the distance. He’s shortly joined by the top gunner who I order to fire defensively. The fighters surround us and a vicious dogfight begins to take place.

I quickly open up the camera port and wait. The airfield is approaching rapidly and clouds are obscuring the lens. I tell the pilot to drop in altitude and the flak begins again, ripping holes in our wings. My navigator goes down and I realise the oxygen supply is dangerously low after taking a hit. As soon as I take the photo, we’re away. Climbing back to safety and heading to the sanctuary of our airfield, albeit without instruction from the navigator who is being patched up by my bomb bay operator.

As we limp back, I consider calling in a squad of Spitfires for an escort but thankfully the journey goes uneventfully.

Life in Bomber Crew is hectic to say the least. When I sat down to play at EGX 2017, I’d already written it off as a FTL: Faster Than Light clone. I couldn’t be more wrong.

The upcoming WWII-themed strategy game from UK developers Runner Duck is so much more. It’s a love letter to games like Cannon Fodder or B-17 Flying Fortress. It’s action-packed and strategic, cutesy yet meticulous in it’s depiction of a Lancaster bomber.

This level of detail is partly due to Dave Miller. Dave is one half of Runner Duck and the main point of contact at EGX. Dave has a connection with this particular period of history, he had family that flew Lancaster’s in the war. This fascination, along with an early passion for gaming in general, is what led to Bomber Crew being made.

At first glance, yes, it plays similarly to FTL. You recruit soldiers, you gear them out and watch them progress, you get far too attached as you order them around the inside of your bomber and you’re devastated when one of them takes a hit.

What it does better is the manic moments. You’re no longer in a sterile spaceship drifting through space. You’re flying through anti-aircraft fire with no hydraulics and a German fighter ace chasing you. There’s no pause button either so everything is playing out in real-time.

“It’s a love letter to games like Cannon Fodder or B-17 Flying Fortress“

It’s also got much more depth than a cursory glance would suggest. Dave tells me how he poured over original manuals for the Lancaster bomber to ensure that while it might not look hyper-realistic, it effectively performs at a simulation level with minor allowances for game-play purposes.

Hydraulics, oxygen levels, fuel and ammunition all have to be maintained. Location-based damage means you can lose wings or entire sections of the hull. There’s permadeath for both your crew and your planes. Emergency landings behind enemy lines can occur, with your characters chance of survival based on what gear you gave them at the start of the mission. Did you opt for heavy flak jackets and no rations? That might be the last time you see them.

Even the ‘mini-boss’ named enemies have links to real-life historical figures, utilising the same tactics they became famous for during the war.

As I talk through Bomber Crew with Dave, it becomes apparent where his inspiration comes from. Cannon Fodder is mentioned a lot and as a fellow fan, there’s streaks of the same genius in Bomber Crew. Anyone who played Cannon Fodder remembers the pain of losing Jools and Jops, you’re two starting soldiers. Runner Duck want to capture that same feeling for Bomber Crew, making you care for the young airmen who run and maintain your Lancaster.

Even the art style is similar, highly stylised with bold colours and excellent visual effects. Runner Duck are hoping that this makes Bomber Crew more accessible. Not only because they want the game to do well, but because they want to raise awareness of a tragic, heroic and very important part of history. In the same way that Cannon Fodder had a fairly strong anti-war message, Bomber Crew is looking to highlight something that goes beyond clicking on a cartoon aeroplane.

It seems to be doing the trick. Every time I walk past the booth it’s absolutely jam packed.

Bomber Crew is set to launch on PC on October 19, before making the jump to current consoles in 2018.