Rating: 
Summary: Great Sim, confusing game!
Review: As a flight simulator, it is near perfect! Incredible realism and attention to details. It consumes you so much, that you will always remember the day you shoot down your first Me-109. At the same time, the game has extremely confusing, not particularly user-friendly interface. It just takes way too much time to figure out how things work. For example, the way the missions end in the 'career mode' is not only counter-intuitive, but also plain boring. So, if you love aviation and ww2 air combat and are ready to forgive some idiosyncrasies of the game ' il2 Sturmovik is for you. Just be patient and persistent. And use il2's great online community for the answers. Also check out third-party add-ons to the game, such as Il-2 Campaign Generator, Il-2 Stub, il-2 Manager and others. Most of them are free (this game has a lot of friends) and make the game much more user-friendly and interesting.
Rating: 
Summary: "Best Seen To Date"
Review: I'm not normally a big fan of flight sims. I find they're usually too touchy, this as well as the lack of full vision, makes it harder to "fly" most sims than actual aircraft let alone fight them properly. Additionally, WW2 combat flight simulators don't fully understand how reflector sights (especially gyro-stabilized sights) really worked/were employed. So it was with pretty low expectations that I installed IL2. Needless to say, this sim is outstanding in nearly every respect.
First the joystick interface has enough built in "feel" that a lot of the typical over-sensitivity is dampened. Also if you throw in a force-feeback joystick you will find the aircraft much more "realistic" in control. Secondly, the problem of flying while looking through a soda-straw is minimized by either using the "hat" on the joystick or the mouse. Also the direction you look stays until you move it; rather than the disorienting quick look in other sims. Once you get used to it, the mouse works quite well with the joystick. Finally, the sights ALMOST work as their actual counterparts did. The reflector sight was developed primarily to keep the pilot from having to align his sight line with the aircraft-if his head was moving in rough air/maneuvering then he could not accurately shoot. A reflector sight keeps the sightlines constant; and you see this as the sights seem to "move" as one maneuvers. FIrst time I've ever seen this. The other reason was to estimate range: when the target wingspan fills the circle, it's in range. To this end, most sights had an adjuster that the pilot could set for his target. This part is not implemented in IL2-not a major problem though.
The sim itself has much historical detail with just about every major German and Soviet combat aircraft available, plus well rendered ground targets. (The historian in me especially likes any medium that brings the WW2 Eastern Front to the average western consumer.) The detail is such that one can even adjust the harmonization of your own guns (this is the range that all the guns merge their fire-most successful pilots used 200-250 meters). Given the technical sophisication of the sim engine, plus the outstanding historical research, this sim is highly recommended for the gamer or even a military simulation enthusiast.
Rating:
Summary: best WW2 sim ever!!!
Review: This I have to say is the best WW2 sim that I ever played. The highlights of this game is the startling realistic detailed graphics. For example, you see the dust behind the tanks when they are moving and the detailed ground targets and cities. The planes are also very detailed. The flight model is more involved than other sims. Sometimes, when your plane is shot you continue to fly but the speed is less from the damage, etc. The rockets and cannons are a challenge to use also. From what I can see, the only negative aspect is the lack of a dynamic campaign. But because of all the other positive aspects of the game, the game is still a winner all the way. I would recommend the game to anybody who wants a realistic, WW2 game which has great graphics.
Rating:
Summary: Online dogfighting ROCKS! Everything about this game is fun
Review: What can I say - this game is just about the best, most complete flight simulator. And the types of planes and flying you do is fun. I think the best function with this is the fact that you can dogfight with other people through the internet. The dogfighting is well rendered and there's no lag when manouvering. The internet play has some drawbacks (to be expected, sometimes it hangs up or certain players with bad internet connections fly unprecitably), but if you have a good broadband connection the dogfighting is super fun. The standalone game is great fun as well and I get sensless joy from blowing up tanks and shooting down Nazis. Every element of the graphics is VERY realistic. Frankly must be as good as the military simulators they use these days. Lots of fun if you like to fly planes!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding game
Review: Hi, This is the best combat flight simulation game available; the flight mechanics and artificial intelligence outstrip any other combat flight simulator I have played so far (including CFS3) and that is before we even get to how good the graphics are/attention to detail. I don't consider that I have a particularly high-end system (AMD1600XP+, GeForce2MX400 graphics) and this game plays excellently with no slowdown - more than can be said for 'similar' games touting similar graphics. Just do to the UBI forum to see the following this has. Any flight simmer liking combat should buy this. Cheers,
Juice
Rating:
Summary: IL-2 forever
Review: The developer spent more than 3 years to create IL-2 sturmovik. They still listen to customers to make this game better! Many casual gamers misundertand flight sim is hard and boring, but this is not. Just buy it and you'll love it. Also, I can't wait for upcoming 'Forgotten Battle'!!!
Rating:
Summary: IL-2 Sturmovik
Review: The best combat flight sim available. I also own Combat Flight Simulator 3 and it doesn't compare to IL-2.
Rating:
Summary: WOW!
Review: Now this is a flight sim!The Planes look incredible and have a tramendous amout of detail!This game realy makes you feel like your flying in world war 2!And fighting off the Nazi army.But this game does take a whole lot of space and a fast computer.But i dont have that problem.This game can be very difficolt if you dont read the instrution manual.This game has great graphics and excelent scenery. but a close line of sight.Meaning you cant see but only a few kilomiters ahead of you wich makes finding the runway to land on very difficult.But overall this is still the best flight sim ive every played and i have like 8 others and they dont even compare!BUT YOU REALY WANT TO USE A JOYSTICK WITH THIS GAME!!! I hope this was helpfull
Rating:
Summary: Nothing else even comes close!
Review: IL2 Sturmovik is amazing. Since I started playing it 3 months ago, it has taken over my every free moment. While I like to play 1st person shooters like Medal of Honor, Soldier of Fortune II and Return to Castle Wolfenstein, this is by far the most immersive and amazing game I have ever played. Unlike first person shooters, there is no set script in this game therefore it offer endless challenge and entertainment. I just shot down my first FW190 last night while flying a Russian Yak 3 and I am still on a high. Yes the game is tough but this is part of the challenge. Easy = boring in my books, and this game is never boring. Just imagine closing in on an enemy fighter for the kill, you are almost there and your tigger finger is itching to fire...when tracers flash over your wing. A determined enemy is on your tail. You press on...any second now and you will have a kill. But damn, hits!! Your plane shutters and a wing is blown off, you are heading for earth. Damn it, it only you had another couple of seconds, you could have gotten a kill and escaped....That's what happened to me last night. Incredible. Do yourself a favour, buy this game - or even better the upcoming FORGOTTEN BATTLES and take a week off work. It will be the best vacation you ever had!
Rating:
Summary: Extremely realistic
Review: This flight simulator makes you understand that planes are really made of iron. Simply trying to take off with the IL-2 is extremely difficult: First keeping the plane straight in the runway takes some skill; if you try to climb a little bit too steeply the plane will stall; flying very close to the ground until the plane gains speed requires concentration and very subtle movements of the stick. This gets worse if the plane is fully loaded with rockets and bombs. But taking off is only a child's game compared to landing (specially a Bf109) or trying to shoot down a bomber.
The only drawback I can find is that maybe the scenery simulation is not that much realistic. The lighting, clouds, etc. is excellent, but you don't get to see the objects unless you are very close, and this requires that you learn the landscape, specially for landing, flying around many times. You will not see the landing field until you are two kilometers away, and that's a bit too late for proper alignment. You can always zoom your view though, but I feel it is more realistic to have the view from inside the cockpit.
All that said the game is very fun to play. I have expended many hours playing without noticing. Even if you don't run missions, just flying the different planes is fenomenal.
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