IL-2 Sturmovik: Forgotten Battles

* IL-2 Sturmovik: Forgotten Battles

* Secret Weapons Over Normandy

* Aero Elite: Combat Academy

This month's "Virtual Pilot" revisits old friends. The three products discussed herein-IL-2 Sturmovik: Forgotten Battles; Aero Elite: Combat Academy; and the newly announced Secret Weapons Over Normandy are all the latest iterations, either in name or in spirit, of some of the most popular and beloved PC and console flight simulators and games of the last decade.

As one of the most popular WW II air-combat sims released over the last few years, Ubisoft's IL-2 Sturmovik, developed by Oleg Maddox and his team at 1C:Maddox Games, raised the bar as far as armchair pilots' expectations go. Stunning visuals, high-fidelity flight models and rigorous attention to detail have earned the game a small army of fans. Now Maddox seeks to improve it even further with the release of IL-2 Sturmovik: Forgotten Battles (FB), a standalone sequel to the first game.

Chief among the new features introduced in FB is a hangar full of new aircraft, including the P-47 Thunderbolt and Ju 87 Stuka. The game's focus is still very much on the Eastern Front during WW II, but the addition of new aircraft as well as new single- and multiplayer maps adds a great deal to the table. A new dynamic campaign option adds additional depth to gameplay, although I wish the campaign better related the player to the plight of his pilot in the game. Previous sims in this category have offered more immersive and atmospheric campaigns.

A host of other new features and improvements rounds out the package, and I'm happy to report that the stunning visuals that the original is renowned for have been improved even further. Despite intense competition from all quarters, the IL-2 series remains the leader in the realm of realistic visuals. Other than some pokey loading times at infrequent spots throughout the game (exacerbated if you have an older PC), there aren't many other nits to pick with this one. Whether you own the original game or are new to WW II air combat, FB is well worth the price of admission.

Copyright Air Age Publishing Aug 2003
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