Combat Flight Simulator
by Microsoft
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Video Game Reviews of Combat Flight Simulator
Customer Review: A Fine Flight Simulator For World War II buffs
Summary: 4 Stars
If you are a World War II buff and love flight simulators, Microsoft's Combat Flight Simulator - WWII Europe Series is for you.Using the same attention to detail as in its Flight Simulator series - indeed, you can import "worlds" from the civilian game to this war one - Combat Flight Simulator allows you to fly in two Campaigns, The Battle of Britain and The Battle for Europe, as a pilot in the RAF, Luftwaffe, or USAAF (U.S. Army Air Forces).
Combat Flight Simulator - Europe lets you fly many of the famous fighters in service in those three air forces. If you fly as a British pilot, you can expect to be at the controls of a Hawker Hurricane Mk. (Mark) I, a Supermarine Spitfire Mk. I, or a later variant, the Mk. IX. As a German pilot, you'll fly either the Messerchmitt Bf 109E or the Focke-Wulf Fw. 190A fighters. Finally, as a Yank in the USAAF, you'll man either the sturdy P-47D Thunderbolt or the sleek P-51 Mustang. All of these planes have their strengths and weaknesses, so try to read the manual (or the Help files) and do a bit of research before you hook up the joystick and take flight. Particularly challenging are the ammunition load limits to each plane; each plane has its own ammo load capacity, and players more familiar with fighter jet simulations (such as Microprose's famous F-15 Strike Eagle series) may find themselves shooting away all their ammo at one plane (if they choose realistic presets) and then being unable to shoot at anyone else because they have no bullets. I would advise rookie pilots to use Unlimited Ammo settings until they have had enough practice to shoot down enemy bombers and fighters without wasting precious rounds.
The simulation not only has the two Campaigns I mentioned earlier, but it has Free Flight, Quick Combat, Single Mission, and Training modes. Quick Combat, particularly, is good for players who like both flight simulations and arcade games. This option lets you choose what and how many enemy planes you can face off against, where the fight takes place, what weather conditions are like, time of day, and tactical situation. The enemy comes at you in waves, like in an arcade game, and as soon as you dispatch one wave, another appears. The challenge here is to shoot down as many planes as you can before you either run out of gas or are shot down. (Unlimited Ammo should be your choice in this sort of game no mater how good you are, unless you can shoot down one plane with one bullet. Here, skills learned in a jet fighter simulation will not help you!)
For players weaned on jet fighter games, it would be advisable to use the non-1940s HUD (Heads Up Display) view option. I (since I am new to this game myself) still use it in the Campaign mode since the "Cockpit" view option, while more realistic, is still a bit overwhelming to me. Purists and/or experienced pilots can set realism to 100% to their heart's content, but casual players or rookies should start out easy then gradually increase the realism settings.
The graphics are excellent, even for a 1998-era game. Being a Microsoft game it runs on most Windows platforms except 3.1, and I am sure no one reading this review still has that operating system. I particularly like the "worlds" depicted: you actually get a sense of flying over 1940s Europe. The sound is also good, and you can even hear your fellow pilots' radio calls. (Like the more advanced flight simulations, the Single Mission and Campaign games are very realistic in that you fly with a squadron, something I never experienced in F-15 Strike Eagles I-III. I did once own Microprose's F-14 Fleet Defender, a game that had AI wingmen, but I could never get it to run on any of my machines!)
Microsoft also offers a Pacific series counterpart, which I am hoping to get soon. Check to see if they have expansion kits. Many simulations ranging from flight to Star Wars starfighter games have them, and I believe Combat Flight Simulator is no exception.
Oh, yes. Good luck, happy landings, and good hunting!
Customer Review: A BASIC AND SPECIAL GAME
Summary: 5 Stars
IS SO EASY TO LEARN AND IS VERY COMPLETE, YOU CAN FELL THE EXPERIENCE OF FLIGHT, I LOVE THIS GAME, I'M THINK THATS THIS GAME IN THE FUTURE WILL BE A CLASSIC OF THE SIMULATORS GAMES, I'M SHURE OF THAT. THE GRAPHICS ARE SO BASIC BUT ITS NORMAL IF YOU THINK THAT THIS GAME IS THE BEGINNING OF THIS CLASS OF GAMES AND THE QUALITY IS VERY IMPORTANT, YOU CAN SEE ALL THE PLANES OF THE GAME WHITH RICH DETAILS AND I'M LIKE IT.Customer Review: Great starter simulator!
Summary: 5 Stars
Go ahead, fly! Sure, the game's a bit outdated. But hey, it's cheap and it's a fantastic starter game. If you're new to simulators or just want something to mess around with, this is for you! The graphics are altogether alright. Nothing fancy, but when you push that P-51 down through the ceiling and you are greeted below by a pair of Germans, you'll be thoroughly impressed. I haven't tried any other sims, and I assume my level of enthusiasm would be the same for any other, but all I can tell you is that I've had it for a couple of months and I'm still loving it.If it's graphics you're after, check out IL-2 Sturmovik, clearly the most beautiful game ever (though I have only seen screenshots, never played it). For anyone else, give this a try! It's cheap, fun, and thrilling!!!
Customer Review: Very good game
Summary: 3 Stars
Hi, Im a 12 year old flight sim freak:) A very good game, although the graphics could be better...(its good for an 1998 game though). The flight engine is also very good, and you can set the realsim to however much you want. One warning though, it only supports one controller. This means that if you don't have a CH Products or Thrustmaster HOTAS(Hands On Throttle And Stick), you can only have one joystick(unless your someknid of a electronics/software genius and tweak with the whole program). However, if you want an even better game, I would recommend Combat Flight Simulator 2.Customer Review: Extremely realistic sim!
Summary: 5 Stars
When I bought this game, I thought that the graphics would be horrible because I don't have a video card. However, they were better than in any other game I have! Flying planes is extremely fun but very complicated. The manual is easy to understand. The sound is awesome. I tried to fly using the keyboard, but it turned out nearly impossible since you don't feel how much you push or pull at the stick. But with joystick, it's an awesome experience. Try it!