USAF
by Electronic Arts

List Price: $14.99
Category: Video Games
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Product Summary

• PC Gamer (1-year)

Video Game Reviews of USAF

Customer Review: Flawed but fun
Summary: 4 Stars

The fun:
Smart alec "Scooter" Davis as IP. Just like a lot of IP's in the Air Force.

All the choices of aircraft to fly.

All the different campaigns.

Flight models generally realistic; i.e., you can't haul an F-105 around the sky like an F-16.

Graphics are not bad for someone with an older computer and Windows 98.

Flaws:
Avionics! USAF F-4E's did not have a HUD, nor did F-105's. The early F-16C modelled also did not have onboard ECM. And the A-10 does not have radar of any kind - the Warthog modelled here has both A/A and A/G radar.

Also, the MiG-29 is quite incorrect. The cockpit looks like an American jet with some pseudo-Cyrillic lettering. The Fulcrum is also displayed with a dorsal airbrake. The real thing has clamshell airbrakes between the engine nozzles.

The Quick Missions are kind of neat and good practise. However, you cannot choose the loadout for your bird beyond A/A or A/G modes - what they give you is what you get. It's kind of funny to fly a MiG-29 in the A/G mode, though - they give you US Mk 83 bombs! Also, it would be nice to be able to practise inflight refuelling and to have "backseaters" on the F-15E and F-4E.

The Fly Now mode is absolute insanity, but sometimes that's a good thing.

Overall, pretty good, but you HAVE to have the manual. I'm glad I bought the initial release with the manual. I have the jewel case versions of Jane's F-15E and F/A-18 and have barely played them because of the cheap PDF manual on the disk - I don't fancy going through a ream of paper and several ink cartridges just to have the manual.

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