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Best WWII flight sim

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 85 / 89
Date: October 29, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Note: this is out in Australia and I have played it, and I did pay for it:

The latest instalment of the IL-2 Sturmovik line of combat flight sims. First released in October 2000 IL-2 Sturmovik was met with praise for it's attention to detail and also for covering a area of conflict (the eastern front) that has up to that point been ignored. Following this was the release of IL-2 Sturmovik -Forgotten Battles (from this point on referred to as FB) in 2003. This was initially expected to be a add on to the original game, however this developed into having a greatly improved version and was released as a stand alone install. Earlier this year a expansion to FB was released; Aces Expansion Pack (from this point forward referred to as AEP). This included a new Western Europe theme with new maps and new aircraft.

Shortly after the release of AEP it was released that the next project would be a pacific theme combat flight sim called Pacific Fighters (PF). This was based on the FB game engine but would include aircraft carriers which was something that was missing to this point (no need for a aircraft carrier on the eastern front) along with a host of other refinements and additions to make it truly a Pacific combat sim.

I must admit that I have followed the development of this game with much anticipation and had high hopes for it. I really enjoy the FB + AEP (this refers to the game Forgotten Battles with the add on aces expansion pack) and am a regular online flier. So how did it hold up when I played it; love it!

But before I go on any further I need to clarify something. There are 2 options for installing this game.

1. install PF as a stand alone game
2. install it over FB+AEP

If you choose the stand alone option you get the aircraft that were developed for PF. The important thing to note is if you intend to fly online you can only play with others that have the PF stand alone install (sorry, no joining games that are FB+AEP+PF based.

The second option of installing the game over your FB+AEP installation will give you one mighty combat flight sim. You will have all of the content from the previous install plus everything new to PF. This gives you approximately 200 flyable aircraft! The same online restrictions apply for this install, you can not join a game on the internet that is a based on the PF stand alone install. Now with the Forgotten Battles Gold pack (this has FB + AEP bundled) out at a good price this option of installation is the way to go.

Moving along with the review. The level of playability is scalable to match different levels of skill. New people to this series of games have a entry level difficulty setting which will allow them to enjoy the game without getting frustrated. On the other hand if you want to change the settings to their hardest level you give yourself a challenge, and a step learning curve. Overall, a very flexible game to match all peoples wants.

How does it look? Fantastic is the word for it. The attention to detail in this game is amazing and the effects such as the water, smoke, explosions, clouds, not too mention the look of the planes is great. A great thing about this series of games is the ability to configure the graphics to match your PC. You don?t need a super computer to run it, but be warned. If you want the eye candy level up, you better have a machine that is has at least a 2.8Ghz CPU, 1Gb of RAM, and a video card along the lines of a ATI X800 (9800 line is good as well) or a NIVIDA 6800. It's a compromise on the look of the game and the playability. The only real concern that I have with the game is all of the anti aircraft fire from the carriers. While it looks impressive, it can cause you PC to chug along a bit.

The aircraft; a good selection of the important aircraft in the Pacific theatre during WWII though a little thin of the different types for the Japanese. My biggest gripe at the moment is that there are no carrier borne torpedo bombes in the game that are flyable (they are their, but they are AI controlled by the computer). In saying this however, there has been a long history of releasing free patches for the game that include new aircraft. In fact, there is a patch due very soon that will include more aircraft to fly. The word is that more planes were developed, they just couldn't fit them on the 2 disks. So expect over time new aircraft to be released (along with maps and bug fixes) and for free. The commitment to this game from the developers is well known, this is no drop it in the market and leave it with all it faults game, it's a evolution of the best combat flight sim ever made.

Carrier Operations - this is the new part of the game that I've personally being looking forward to, and it doesn't disappoint. Take off is the easy part, landing it isn't. But it is fun, and the rolling motion of the ship adds to the level of immersion (the amount that the ship rolls is weather dependant, so bad weather leads to a one rocking ship). Arrestor wires are fully animated, along with folding wings (for the aircraft that had them), tail hooks (to catch the wires with), and a new raise seating position (again, for the aircraft that had them). This last bit helps see over the nose when on approach to the carrier.

Training- This has always been a issue with the game. The training is bear bones and the manual is very light on information (something more and more common now days). There is some more information with the installation of the game (as pdfs) but it still leaves you wanting to know more. In saying that, there is a great community out there on the net with sites that provide guides and there is much help from people on the UBI forums. Don?t be afraid, ask them for help if you need to.

So there you have it, long winded (but I only covered the tip of the iceberg) but I think the game is fantastic. Well worth it regardless of whether or not you have FB+AEP installed. If you love flying, or have had a interest in combat sims, this is the one to get.

PS - I realise that I refer to PF as a game and a sim throughout this review, it's up to you as to what you think it is. To me, it?s a lot of fun!

Looking forward to going feet wet!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 11 / 18
Date: July 30, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Grumpy- your name says it all.

First off - how do you know I haven't played it? Many games use beta testers with signed NDA's.

Secondly - Considering the amount of quality flight simulators out there (which is almost nil) every good sim that comes out needs as much support as it can get - especially if it's as quality a product as those that come from 1:C Maddoc and Ubi-Soft.

Considering their past games - IL-2 and IL-2: Forgotten Battles - and knowing that this is based on the same engine with the same attention to detail, AND knowing the work first-hand by knowing some of their developers personally - trust me, it's going to be an amazing, fun, and challenging flight sim.

Anyone who has an interest in aviation games, flight sims, historical war theatres, and wants to know what it was like to fly a powerful warbird against tough odds without the benefit of impersonal guided missiles - PF and the IL-2 series are for you. It's realistic and accurate, giving you a taste of what it was like to fly in those intense dogfights and carrier raids.

Even if it was $50 (as opposed to $40) it'd still be a great buy. Definitely looking forward to this one.

============================

Oleg Maddox's crew seem to be on the verge of doing it yet again- this time in the Pacific Theatre of Operations. Now with carriers and maritime operations, the IL-2 series' world is getting opened up to whole new possibilities!

What's great is that, if you already own IL-2 Forgotten Battles and the Aces Expansion Pack, you have the option to install Pacific Fighers on TOP of that, as opposed to stand-alone. What this means, basically, is that you will be able to use all 200 or more flyable aircraft from IL-2 FB, the FB ACES expansion, AND Pacific Fighters within ONE simulator. I'm looking forward to some interesting online battles - Me-262's versus F4-U Corsairs, Val's versus Stukas, etc.

Out of the box, it includes something like 40 flyable aircaft and variants, some of which are:
* Flyable Japanese Aircraft: Zero, Ki-84, Aichi D3A1 Val, G4M2 Betty (and more)
* Flyable USA aircraft: F6F Hellcat, SBD Dauntless, and A-20 Havoc (and more)
* Flyable British aircraft: Supermarine Seafire (and more)

The newest aspect, of course, is carrier operations. Given the already difficult nature of landing high performance aircraft on LAND bases, I can only imagine how difficult it will be to put them down on a tiny, moving, swaying, rocking, and tilting carrier deck - under fire and with the wind blowing. I sense many a deck strike coming my way..

Makes high speed aerial combat look easy in comparison.

Defacto WWII Sim King

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 14 / 16
Date: November 03, 2005
Author: Amazon User

If you want a WWII combat flight sim, look no further! The graphics engine is a few years old, this game is an extension of Ubisoft's IL-2 flight sim. The textures, light and shade are excellent in the game. Game play is very scalable as well. There are a variety of missions included, and it can have multiple players on a LAN or the internet. There seems to be quite a community on the Ubisoft forums- where one can find custom plane skins, community-authored missions, and a screenshot thread in the forum at is over 118 pages and growing.

I can't say enough about this game. One of the more unique aspects about it is that it it isn't socio-centric in any sense: if you want to be German, Finnish, whatever-- you are not locked into just being American, or Russian. Most all the participants of WWII are represented. It is one of the good watersheds of globalization!

The only qualification I can think of is this: if you want the best performance and graphics, be prepared! A machine running 2+ghz processor and a 256mb video card will go a long way toward enhancing your immersive experience.

Buy it and enjoy! It is not the type of game you will play for a couple of months and put away. The publisher also offers free patches AND enhancements.

Triad

Let's get a few things straight.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 10 / 12
Date: October 16, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This is a good game. Not perfect by any means, but good and solid. If you'll read the negative reviews, it's pretty clear people only don't like it because they have unrealistic expectations. The game features are clearly written right here on this page, and they're also listed on the box. I have no idea why say the TBF Avenger isn't flyable, but it isn't listed on the box; so why are people complaining? If you want a TBF simulation, then by all means find one, and don't buy Pacific Fighters. And if you're interested in Pacific Fighters, read the feature list. They list all their features clearly. By the way, just to correct another reviews, Pearl Harbor is in there (the map is called Hawaii), and you fly over it in campaigns, as well as single missions.

And regarding the 'patches' that are supposedly needed for this game. Those aren't patches; they're free add-ons. The game is perfectly playable out of the box, and these downloads are only needed to add new content to the game, which includes tons of new flyable aircraft, as well as new maps and campaigns such as Singapore for Japan and Great Britain.

The game looks amazing. No other flight sim comes close. The water is beautiful, aircraft and cockpits are highly detailed and meticilously historically accurate, and the special effect are amazing. The game plays great and is incredible fun. The range of possibilities is unmatched, from taking off a carrier in a fighter and intercepting kamikazes, to strafing and dropping para-frags on enemy airfields.

And best of all, this game can be merged with the ETO / Russian Front variant (Forgotten Battle) to create an incredibly detailed, realistic flight simulation covering virtually the entire WWII air war, with well over a hundred flyable aircraft. No other sim does anything remotely close.

In short, if your idea of a flight sim is to absolutely, positively have to fly the TBF Avenger, and stall out of the sky, then unfortunately you'll have to wait for some flight sim not yet released. And if you want to fly beautiful aircraft around beautiful scenery, and take part in all sorts of air combat done as realistically as it ever got on the PC, Pacific Fighters is definitely a great game for that. Just read the game description. They deliver everything they promise.

The Best WW2 Airwarfare Game Available

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 10
Date: June 27, 2005
Author: Amazon User

While some may complain about patches being released, the simple fact is that the game developers of Il-2 listen to their customer base and make the sort of updates that players request.

With the number of flyable airplanes growing with each free upgrade in addition to the number of maps and ground targets, the mission opportunities for this game are limitless. A mission builder allows you to set-up exactly the sort of missions that you want to fly.

Excellent and effortless multiplayer support is simply the jewel in the crown of this excellent game. I can't recommend it highly enough.

IL2 Pacific Fighters.....

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 10
Date: January 15, 2006
Author: Amazon User

In the tradition of IL2 Sturmovik, Forgotten Battles and The Aces Expansion Pack, Pacific Fighters takes the high quality that 1C has become famous for in the flight sim community and transfers that to the Pacific Theater. Pacific Fighters can be run as a standalone sim or as a merged installation with the previous IL2 Forgotten Battles and The Forgotten Battles Aces Expansion Pack (It is NOT compatible with the original IL2). While as a stand alone sim Pacific Fighters will only serve to whet your appetite... as a merged sim with the other two afore mentioned titles (Both can be had in one package with the Forgotten Battles GOLD edition) it is indeed a force to be reconed with and hands dow the absolute best WW2 Air Combat simulator on the market to date..... bar NONE. Stunning graphics, high scalability, great flight and damage models and a very involved communitymake this sim along with it's prdecessors for the merged installation a MUST.

History Buff

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 8
Date: February 10, 2005
Author: Amazon User

As a pilot and WWII History fanatic, I found this sim extremely fun and exciting (especially when married with the IL2 AEP-FB packages). I think the flight model is pretty good, though I think the high speed stalls are a little exaggerated. This is by-far the best WWII flight sim I've found in terms of detail, number of aircraft types (and varients) available to fly and fight against, and over-all realism. Looking forward to further expansion of the series.

This is an awesome game!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 14
Date: September 30, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I don't see why anyone would not like this game.. The only reason that I can think of why you wouldn't like it is if you look down on life. It is an overall GREAT game!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why don't people RTFM?

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 10
Date: October 04, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This is a first class game. It has its faults, all minor, which can be fixed with patches. Some aircraft are missing from the game due to licensing issues, Pearl harbor is present and has been from the start. Since release the game has been frequently updated with aircraft and new maps as well as a new more realistic Flight Model.

Some of the reviews here are hopelessly inaccurate. For example a reviewer criticised the inability to tip the wing of a V2 Rocket ??!! Please I ask you! You CAN tip the wing of V1 flying bomb which is historically accurate. In case you still dont get it the V2 was a rocket, flew approx Mach 5, no plane could catch it.

Although copy protection is used it is not 'Starforce' The game can be run by following a few simple instructions available on the forums.

If you are going to review a game please ensure you can run it properly by:
1. reading the readme file
2. RTFM!!
3. Visit the forums which will help you iron out any problems

Awsome Game!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 8
Date: May 20, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Pacific fighters installed with AEP+FB(ace extension pack and forgotten battles)...is awsome!. I hghly recomond the joint installation of the 3 games! AEP+FB+PF...and for such a low price.I must have for all simlulation-plane lovers.

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