User Reviews (1 - 11 of 14)

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Rock and Roll

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: May 27, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This game hit the spot for a crving of flight and strategy. Beating it was not easy, but entertaining. Things can get complex (which isn't nececceraly bad), as in delivering one or a few bombs. Missing can be disappointing, but it makes up if you have patience. Meaning you have complete freedom to re-arm when you feel like it. Over all, a very good game. I liked the airfights in particular.

Best Hornet Sim By Far

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: September 17, 2002
Author: Amazon User

This is the best and most versatile Hornet Sim I've used, and I've owned a copy of every Hornet Sim available in the U.S. since Graphsim's original Hornet Sim for Mac from the late 1980's. It can be played easily by beginners or by experts when set to its highest difficulty. Don't let the large user's manual scare you-- The sim can be played with less than 10 keyboard commands, actually only 5 specialty keys need to be used if you already understand that F = Flaps, G = Gear, -/+ = Throttle, etc. At higher difficulty levels, the entire keyboard is needed to operate the sim's complex systems. Jane's F/A-18 has perhaps a little more refined scenery, but Xicat's F/A-18 Precision Strike Fighter has BY FAR the absolutely best cockpit rendering of any Hornet sim. Since 100% of my flying is done from the cockpit, this makes all the difference for me.

Very challenging

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: July 20, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I too have played other flight sims but to date this is the most challenging and realistic. Also very addictive and adreline pushing. I have played for about 3 months and am still learning. That is what makes this worth getting. I am nowhere tired of playing the programmed missions and have not even tried online yet. This has alot to offer and will get updates or next version. You must have fast computer and good joystick, xicat offers many page manual that can be printed.

Very Impressive Graphics on the Box

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 6 / 17
Date: May 19, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I'm an Avid PC Gamer and an Resident Expert on the F/A-18's Superior Rival - The F14 Tomcat. Despite this, I figured that I would give the F/A-18 Precisoin Strike Fighter Game a try. Well, my expectations were not met. The graphics and performance of the game itself was....marginal at best. I cannot and would not recommend this particular game to anyone who has not already made the big mistake of purchasing it in the first place. It is tedious in the mechanics of switching back and forth between the keyboard and joystick controls and (I don't care what anyone may say about how wonderful mulling through an exhaustive array of written verbage associated with the instruction manual is) the game is hardly worth the investment of time and energy. Sorry, but the payoff is just not there. Consider thyself warned. If you should decide to purchase this game anyway, you do so at your own peril and a lighter wallet or purse.

Fairly good

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: April 05, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Sure, the manual is long, but you have to expect that if the real thing costs in the tens of millions of US dollars. The training videos and classrom lessons provided help out, but you might need to take a lesson over and over a few times (i.e, landing, and the use of certian wepons). But maby not, if your a fast learner, or a vetran of fighter jets. The demo video is verry cool, proving the reason why this plane is used by the US Naval and Marine forces as well as the Air Forces of Many other countries. Try not to get into the habit of ejecting because you cant land on the USS Enterprise well enough. One has to know the uses of each weapon (as well as the weight limit of the plane, to allow it to get off that training funway in Hawaii!) and if you'll need extra fuel for long-range missions. Just look in the table of contents of the manual, and learn the methods you need. not a bad game

WAY too hard to play

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 9 / 12
Date: March 26, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I guess if your in the market for a true combat sim, this is for you. It's a 100 something page instruction booklet. I've been playing computer and video games all my life and I never got so frustrated after spending money on a computer game. If your not a SERIOUS flight sim gamer, you will end up like me. I wanted some cool missions, some cool weapons, and some flying fun. It will take the average person 3-5 hours to even START to be able to play this game with any level of success. I guess I should have stuck to playstations Top Gun or Air Combat.

F/A-18

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 6
Date: February 12, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I Love this game the mission editor is coll but you can only fly the F/A-18 the graphices on the F/A-18 is great but the graphics on the other planes are very bad!

Falls Short of Expectations

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 9 / 11
Date: January 14, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Being a recent release, I expected a lot more from this game as far as graphics and joystick support goes. The clouds in the game appear to be volumetric and are excellent, but the ocean is just bad.... no waves or anything, just a static texture map to represent the ocean. I would have expected more comprehenisve Direct Input Support like in Combat Flight Simulator 2... but despite the claims of "USB Support" the game only supports a single input device instead of allowing multiple devices (as would be used for a USB forcefeedback joystick, USB rudder pedals, USB throttle etc... all connected together). The manual is good, but the lack of a proper keyboard map (as provided with Jane's F/A-18) makes the game very difficult to learn and not fun to play. The downloadable keyboard shortcuts on the xicat websight does not appear to be complete. Really the only thing good about the game is the realism of the avionics and radar systems. Unlike Jane's however, it does not allow you to use the mouse to manipulate the cockpit buttons and switches... this further makes the game harder to play.... it's like using WordPerfect 5.0 for DOS over again without a menubar, mouse or keyboard template.

Not an easy start, but worth the work ...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: December 31, 2001
Author: Amazon User

This sim is perhaps one of the best out there from what I hear. I'm not the veteran of similar programs, but I am a veteran of the Armed Forces and am amazed at the realistic systems and chances of survival - if nothing else, this game will help you appreciate the intricacies and complexities of what our forces do every day. It is indeed very complex and not easy to get into and used to, but it is well worth it. Use the training programs available which are very extensive and you'll find that you're much better off for it.

Enjoy!

Target Locked!! And so is your computer.

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 8 / 12
Date: December 09, 2001
Author: Amazon User

It has all the appeal of a flying game, but it locks your computer up and forces you to reboot! Try flying a mission, completing that mission, and successfully landing at home base only to lose everything to a unpredictable system lockup.

(...)P>The instruction manual doesn't have a keyboard shortcut section either, but if you dig around then it can be found on their website.

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