This simulation has some of the most controversial terrain graphics ever. Up high, everything is breathtaking. The ground really looks like a 3-D version of a detailed satellite map, and the game has more real-world terrain than any game released around the same time. Move down low, however, and the visuals change into a muddy, pixelated eyesore. Elevation changes are modeled in great detail, letting players snake down canyons and weave between mountaintops, but it isn't pretty.

Objects in the game--like the myriad planes, buildings, and ground vehicles--use a completely different graphics engine and look great, considering the game's relatively low resolution. Those who can get past the graphics issues will find that Israeli Air Force is an entertaining (if not utterly realistic) way to relive some of the most intense real-life missions a modern air force has ever accomplished. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

• Models lots of planes
• Includes a CD-ROM containing the fascinating history of the Israeli Air Force
• Terrain looks great from on high

• Down low the terrain graphics really fall apart
• Lack of realism won't appeal to die-hard simulation fans