Total Air War

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Realistic Sim
Review: I like flight sims. Hard Core sims and some of the light weights. This is one of my all time favorites but it isn't for everyone. If you are a hard core sim fan, this one is truely great.

Rating:
Summary: I love flight sims, this one is in the same class as Jane's
Review: If you like TAW, then you will love F-22 Lightning 3 by Novalogic. I was looking for a great F-22 flight sim game and wanted something better than my Lightning 3. I took all of the reviews given by the people that have tried TAW and figured that it must be a good game. I learned not to believe the reviews. The graphics look like those on Jane's sims, very poor. I can't change anything on the joystick buttons because there are no options for it. I have seen actual video footage of the HUD display on an F-22 and this one is nothing like it. The joystick controls the jet at 600 or 700 kts. like I am reaching out and grabbing the wings myself and moving them. I have never seen a jet move that sharp at 700 kts. It's not possible. There are however a lot of different features on TAW that are not on Lightning 3, but I love good graphics and realism. I also love watching the real video footage that is on the overview of the Lightning 3 game. If DID and Novalogic could combine both the graphics of Lightning 3 and the features of TAW, then we would have the perfect flight sim. If anybody knows of an F-22 flight sim like that, then please let me know because I am still looking. I think I will give this game to my brother and stick with Lightning 3.

Rating:
Summary: Best of the F-22 games
Review: Ironically, the best of the F-22 games doesn't have the term "F-22" in its title. This entry in the category of F-22 flight simulation games is the one I've been searching for. A sequel to DiD Software's "F-22: ADF", TAW has you flying in a comprehensive and dynamic campaign in any of several scenarios. Now, not only do you fly missions, but you can direct them as well from an AWACS flying control center. the F-22 in this game isn't quite as "arcadey" as the plane in Novalogic's original
"F-22, Lightning 2", and the immersive campaign (in which you're fielding radio calls for air support) seem way more believable than the canned, Hollywood dialog of Novalogic's sequel, "F-22, Raptor. Also, the ground (that is, both the terrain and any structures built on it) seem more believable than anything I saw in "iF-22" (though I've yet to try "iF-22: 5.0" or, for that matter, "F-22, Lightning 3"). Other sims aside, TAW excels with a pretty thorough tour of the F-22's insides. You start with a flight panel with three multi-function displays, each ringed with buttons. Though the flight panel isn't fully clickable as on "iF-22", and many of the buttons are redundant (the "Auto-EMCON" button that allows a computer to choose when to turn on radar or EW countermeasures, can be found on each of the three main MFD's), the interior still has a convincing feel to it, one reminescent of those in DiD's earlier classic, EF2000. While the realism of the F-22 handling is subject to debate, the DiD model captures more of the fluid dynamics of flight than iF-22 (which feels like its glued to rails, and plods on even when the machmeter says you're supersonic), yet manages to remain more of a handful than Novalogic's video-arcade F-22. Best of all, I'm finally flying a jetfighter that has satisfying jet-engine sounds. Like EF2000, the F-22 bounces up and down on the ground, convincing you that you're strapped to a large and heavy aircraft. Compared to the EF2000 of DiD's earlier games, the F-22 feels much more overpowered, though that may reflect actual differences between the two planes, and if you feel things are way to easy, you can always take one for a hop against a angry quartet of Su-27. AI seems questionable at this point. MiG-27 and Su-25 fighter-bombers (which I'd never been told were very agile) seem to handle as if they were being flown by "Blue Angels". On the other hand, a formation of Su-27's seemed pretty unimpressed even after I shredded some of them. I know the F-22 is stealthy, and with AWACS I don't need to reveal myself with radar, but you think the sight of seeing your wingman suddenly burst into flames would motivate you to do something.

In sum, I think this is a great sim in the F-22 class, but I've got a few problems. I would have preferred a more comprehensive cockpit with fewer redundant switches, something a visble step beyond EF2000. I ran this sim on my P4 2GHz and haven't and any problems yet on winXP. My Savage 4 card isn't recognized so my graphics are stuck in Direct3d mode. Strangely, the colors are bright enough to come out even on my flat screen monitor. If you're looking for a modern flight sim, are dissatisfied with rudimentary survey sims (Like Jane's USAF or IAF) or arcade-like games (like "F-22 Raptor" or "MiG-29/F-16 MRF") but are easily intimidated by comprehensive sims like "Su-27" or Jane's F/A-18, F-15 or "Longbow", this is the sim for you.

Rating:
Summary: Best of the F-22 games
Review: Ironically, the best of the F-22 games doesn't have the term "F-22" in its title. This entry in the category of F-22 flight simulation games is the one I've been searching for. A sequel to DiD Software's "F-22: ADF", TAW has you flying in a comprehensive and dynamic campaign in any of several scenarios. Now, not only do you fly missions, but you can direct them as well from an AWACS flying control center. the F-22 in this game isn't quite as "arcadey" as the plane in Novalogic's original
"F-22, Lightning 2", and the immersive campaign (in which you're fielding radio calls for air support) seem way more believable than the canned, Hollywood dialog of Novalogic's sequel, "F-22, Raptor. Also, the ground (that is, both the terrain and any structures built on it) seem more believable than anything I saw in "iF-22" (though I've yet to try "iF-22: 5.0" or, for that matter, "F-22, Lightning 3"). Other sims aside, TAW excels with a pretty thorough tour of the F-22's insides. You start with a flight panel with three multi-function displays, each ringed with buttons. Though the flight panel isn't fully clickable as on "iF-22", and many of the buttons are redundant (the "Auto-EMCON" button that allows a computer to choose when to turn on radar or EW countermeasures, can be found on each of the three main MFD's), the interior still has a convincing feel to it, one reminescent of those in DiD's earlier classic, EF2000. While the realism of the F-22 handling is subject to debate, the DiD model captures more of the fluid dynamics of flight than iF-22 (which feels like its glued to rails, and plods on even when the machmeter says you're supersonic), yet manages to remain more of a handful than Novalogic's video-arcade F-22. Best of all, I'm finally flying a jetfighter that has satisfying jet-engine sounds. Like EF2000, the F-22 bounces up and down on the ground, convincing you that you're strapped to a large and heavy aircraft. Compared to the EF2000 of DiD's earlier games, the F-22 feels much more overpowered, though that may reflect actual differences between the two planes, and if you feel things are way to easy, you can always take one for a hop against a angry quartet of Su-27. AI seems questionable at this point. MiG-27 and Su-25 fighter-bombers (which I'd never been told were very agile) seem to handle as if they were being flown by "Blue Angels". On the other hand, a formation of Su-27's seemed pretty unimpressed even after I shredded some of them. I know the F-22 is stealthy, and with AWACS I don't need to reveal myself with radar, but you think the sight of seeing your wingman suddenly burst into flames would motivate you to do something.

In sum, I think this is a great sim in the F-22 class, but I've got a few problems. I would have preferred a more comprehensive cockpit with fewer redundant switches, something a visble step beyond EF2000. I ran this sim on my P4 2GHz and haven't and any problems yet on winXP. My Savage 4 card isn't recognized so my graphics are stuck in Direct3d mode. Strangely, the colors are bright enough to come out even on my flat screen monitor. If you're looking for a modern flight sim, are dissatisfied with rudimentary survey sims (Like Jane's USAF or IAF) or arcade-like games (like "F-22 Raptor" or "MiG-29/F-16 MRF") but are easily intimidated by comprehensive sims like "Su-27" or Jane's F/A-18, F-15 or "Longbow", this is the sim for you.

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Realistic Sim
Review: Total air war is a good game. It is a serious simulation, not for the casual gamer. Graphics are ok, not so great but adequate. Gameplay is great, actually this is where the game strong point is. Sound is cool, rattling of the engines, sound of missles passing by, pretty good. Overall this is a good serious air combat simulation but not for the casual gamer.

Rating:
Summary: An ok game
Review: Total air war is a good game. It is a serious simulation, not for the casual gamer. Graphics are ok, not so great but adequate. Gameplay is great, actually this is where the game strong point is. Sound is cool, rattling of the engines, sound of missles passing by, pretty good. Overall this is a good serious air combat simulation but not for the casual gamer.