Rating: 
Summary: Rock and Roll
Review: This game hit the spot for a crving of flight and strategy. Beating it was not easy, but entertaining. Things can get complex (which isn't nececceraly bad), as in delivering one or a few bombs. Missing can be disappointing, but it makes up if you have patience. Meaning you have complete freedom to re-arm when you feel like it. Over all, a very good game. I liked the airfights in particular.
Rating:
Summary: F/A-18 Korea Reborn
Review: This is quite simply F/A-18 Korea reborn for use on most all PC graphics cards. The original was only for Voodoo cards, this is just an upgraded version for the, now more popular, OpenGL type graphics cards. It was purchased by Xicat from Graphic Simulations "www.graphsim.com", the original creator of the sim. Those of us already familiar, and veterans of F/A-18 Korea, know that this is a no-brainer purchase. Lot's of us thought that we'd lost this sim forever after we bought new PC's with non-compatible cards. The first thing that came to mind when I first found out that it was being re-released was an involuntary "YAHOOOO!!". Although the graphics are now outdated, it's STILL arguably the best combat sim available!
Rating:
Summary: Best Hornet Sim By Far
Review: This is the best and most versatile Hornet Sim I've used, and I've owned a copy of every Hornet Sim available in the U.S. since Graphsim's original Hornet Sim for Mac from the late 1980's. It can be played easily by beginners or by experts when set to its highest difficulty. Don't let the large user's manual scare you-- The sim can be played with less than 10 keyboard commands, actually only 5 specialty keys need to be used if you already understand that F = Flaps, G = Gear, -/+ = Throttle, etc. At higher difficulty levels, the entire keyboard is needed to operate the sim's complex systems. Jane's F/A-18 has perhaps a little more refined scenery, but Xicat's F/A-18 Precision Strike Fighter has BY FAR the absolutely best cockpit rendering of any Hornet sim. Since 100% of my flying is done from the cockpit, this makes all the difference for me.
Rating: 
Summary: ...
Review: This program may have a nifty new title, but many of us combat sim nuts have already played this game some time back when 3dfx was something new. It's GSC's "F18 Korea" in sheep's clothing. For those of you who have played this before, you can skip the next few paragraphs.
For those of you who haven't, this is actually a pretty decent combat flight sim centered around the versatile F18. Training missions are flown around Hawaii, a desert area near Nellis AFB is used for multiplayer missions (no, there isn't any Las Vegas scenery), and combat missions take place in Korea. The combat missions are available through a "Korean Campaign" menu, but don't be fooled; these are just sets of individual missions that have no effect on any greater conflict. If you want a true campaign where you plan your own missions and your performance has an ultimate effect on the enemy's overall forces and such, then you need to get Falcon 4.0.
I found the flight model to have a good mix of realism and ease of flying. Turns and climbs bleed off speed nicely. This is no arcade fighter that can maneuver with impunity, nor climb straight up without any loss of airspeed, yet the model is still very managable for novice flyers and landings are fairly easy. Radar and instruments can be a bit complex for some, but not nearly so much as in F18 Super Hornet or Falcon.
Combat can be tricky, in that enemy missiles are VERY difficult to evade. I don't know enough about real modern air combat to judge, but the key in this game to winning, is identifying and firing first. At least enemy aircraft have an equally tough time evading your missiles. Wingman commands are relatively simple and easy to execute. Overall, I thought the AI was pretty good. The selection of available weapons does not compare to Falcon 4.0, but it suffices. I did greatly appreciate the availability of tactical nukes.
The mission editor, a necessity with any combat sim, is nicely done. It provides a good set of tools and variables, without being overly cluttered and confusing and I found it easy to work with.
When F18 Korea first came out, I thought the graphics were incomparable. The day/night shading and dynamic lighting effects were far better than anything on the market. Surprisingly, the atmospherics still hold up fairly well today, but the models and texturing to do not compare to games like USAF, Falcon, and Super Hornet. Though the perspective seems true, the terrain is woefully pyramidal in shape. This is supposed to be an updated version, but the only graphic improvment I noticed was the addition of sub-par 3d clouds. NPC aircraft are particularly lacking in detail. Even so, the sim manages to maintain a certain look that I can still enjoy.
Make no mistake, I loved playing GSC's F18 - when it first came out years ago. I still enjoy this game to a certain extent today. Watching the sunset turning to night on the cirrocumulus clouds can still bring tears to my eyes, ... The package claims this game has been updated, but the only updating I noticed was a few 3d clouds and compatibility with newer video cards. They didn't even bother to update the FA18 model with more realistic landing gear.
Seems the folks at Graphsim wanted one last shot at cashing in on an old title. Well, I bit, and out of respect to Graphsim, I didn't return it. I wrote it off as a gift to an old friend, though I doubt others will be so generous.
Rating: 
Summary: Not an easy start, but worth the work ...
Review: This sim is perhaps one of the best out there from what I hear. I'm not the veteran of similar programs, but I am a veteran of the Armed Forces and am amazed at the realistic systems and chances of survival - if nothing else, this game will help you appreciate the intricacies and complexities of what our forces do every day. It is indeed very complex and not easy to get into and used to, but it is well worth it. Use the training programs available which are very extensive and you'll find that you're much better off for it.Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Not an easy start, but worth the work ...
Review: This sim is perhaps one of the best out there from what I hear. I'm not the veteran of similar programs, but I am a veteran of the Armed Forces and am amazed at the realistic systems and chances of survival - if nothing else, this game will help you appreciate the intricacies and complexities of what our forces do every day. It is indeed very complex and not easy to get into and used to, but it is well worth it. Use the training programs available which are very extensive and you'll find that you're much better off for it. Enjoy!
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