For many among us, Microsoft is still a point of reference when it comes to realistic flight simulators – just think of MSFS 2000 - the game was so realistic you almost had to have a flying license to start the game! A few years ago, Microsoft released Combat Flight Sim, a game that took the player to the battlefields in the clouds above Europe. In part two, we are stationed in the Pacific…

An easy start

The first thing I noticed when starting Combat Flight Sim 2 is that the makers have chosen to recreate the feel of the forties. No full-3D-rendering as opening clip, no graphic feats to introduce the game, but cartoon-like flashes that tell the story of a young rookie pilot (you) that is sent to the Pacific. The game begins AFTER the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, so unfortunately I didn’t get to replay that battle. The cartoons are nicely done, but didn’t really pull me into the story – it was a little too clean for that. Anyway, after the opening clip I was introduced to the game’s interface. I noticed right away that this is much clearer than in Combat Flight Sim 1, and it’s a delight to navigate through it. (Message to the people of Crimson Skies: watch and learn. This game does NOT have hour-long loading times)

Go Japan!

The next thing I had to do was pick the side of the Japanese or the Americans. I recently saw “Pearl Harbor” at the movies, and if you read my review at http://www.lorinsilver.epinions.com/content_31691017860, you’ll understand why I chose to be Japanese…
Then it’s time to fly! You can opt for the Free Flight, Quick Combat, a loose campaign mission, or the whole historical campaign. All in all, if you count both sides, you have 120 missions to fly through. Now, just get off that carrier, and away we go! It hit me right away: the graphics are astonishing! I don’t say “wow” out loud often when playing a game, but all those planes took my breath away. Whereas in Combat Flight Sim 1, after an hour of dogfighting, your crate still looked like it had just flown through Sam’s Shiny Planewash, the planes in Combat Flight Sim 2 actually looks like it’s been in a war; bullet holes, rust spots, moving parts,… everything looks realistic. The terrain, against all odds (you fly over water with some small islands here and there), is varied enough not to be boring. The sound is spot-on, but nothing remarkable.

For weenies and toughies

Now for gameplay. Combat Flight Sim 2 is a game that can suit everybody: both absolute newbies, and experienced simheads will find something to their liking. It’s very easy to tweak the difficulty settings, so even a complete flight sim-virgin will get the hang of the game after a few tries. But if you’ve already earned your stripes (or wings) in other flight simulators, Combat Flight Sim 2 will still be quite a challenge. The dogfights are fast, foul, and furious. Contrary to the first game, when you have a bogey on your tail, it takes more than just a sharp turn to get him into your crosshairs… This time the enemies are a little bit tougher, and they offer a true challenge. There are about seven different planes to fly, and each one handles differently… The Zero is a lot more manoeuvrable than the Hellcat, but the latter is more forgiving when you make a mistake, but has poorer acceleration than other planes… Every plane has its pros and cons, so it’s quite interesting to test them all.

They really should make those carriers longer…

Because the campaign is set in the Pacific, you have to get your plane to the deck of your carrier too after each mission, preferably without rolling off the other side. And that is quite a challenge in its own, since crashing into your carrier means the mission was unsuccessful and you’ll have to do it all over again. Luckily there is an auto-landing function, so newbies won’t have to worry about it. Too bad the tutorial doesn’t give you any help on landing on a ship, though, it really is hard. The Landing Signal Officer who guides you in probably studied for truck driver or something…

Endless fun

If you manage to finish the game, the fun’s not over. Combat Flight Sim 2 comes with a complete mission editor, making the possibilities almost infinite – you can even import the complete first game, though the planes won’t look as good as this one’s. There’s also the possibility to download planes from the internet. And if you’re really tired of playing, you can always read the excellent manual – that ought to take you a week! Seems like we have a winner… or do we?

The dark side

Combat Flight Sim 2 is a winner… but not a champion. The multiplayer-option is a little too limited – there are only death matches and team death matches. So unfortunately you can’t play the missions in cooperative (or competitive) mode. Also, there are over 20 different planes in the game, you can only fly seven of them. The campaign is also a little too linear, and I didn’t get the real war-feeling that I did get when playing games like Enemy Engaged.

Conclusion

Combat Flight Sim 2 is a top of the line flight sim. I got it after buying the Microsoft Sidewinder Force Feedback 2 (read my review of it at http://www.lorinsilver.epinions.com/content_36074131076), and it plays like a dream with this particular joystick, making it even more realistic. Although the game has some minor cons, they didn’t spoil my fun. If you want to experience what it feels like to trade lead in a crappy plane, Combat Flight Sim 2 is your game.


Recommended: Yes