Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator Battle for Europe

Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator 3: Battle for Europe
by Microsoft
617 days in the top 100
Platform:   Windows 98 / 2000 / Me / XP
(180)

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With stunning graphics and accurate flight models, Combat Flight Simulator 3 lets you revisit the Western Front during World War II as a pilot in a variety of production and prototype period aircraft. Significant improvements have been made over the earlier versions of the series, such as the addition of a dynamic campaign and cooperative multiplayer mode. Plus there is incredible attention to detail--with a new graphics engine that combines the ability to render planes in flight with highly detailed terrain that looks great even at low levels, adding a new dimension to low-level bombing runs.

There is a price to pay for this attention to detail: performance. You're going to need a high-end processor and graphics card to get the most from this game. We would recommend a Pentium 4 and GeForce4 combination (or equivalent) to get full satisfaction. Anything less and you have to start compromising on the in-game detail settings, or accept stuttering frame rates.

There are 18 aircraft that you can fly in the game, plus many variant models, though there are some notable omissions. While you can happily take control of a Spitfire, Me-109, P51 Mustang, or Junkers 88, you won't come across a Flying Fortress anywhere in the game. The lack of heavy bombers is strange, especially considering the theatre of operations.

Criticisms aside, there is still plenty to enjoy. The flight models are excellent, especially when you switch on the realism settings, with each aircraft having distinct characteristics. The missions are well thought out, as is the campaign system, which enables you to gain access to more aircraft as you progress and acquire skills, which can improve your tolerance to G-forces for example.

Combat Flight Simulator 3 is a worthy addition to the genre. It has enough to keep long-time flight sim fans entertained and is also accessible enough for novices to pick up and play. --Jason Weston

Anti-aircraft fire blankets you. Blast debris hurls toward your propeller. And you wonder why you didn't join the navy. This ain't no free-flight, cloud-gunner, glory ride. This is ground assault: the real, gritty combat that can make or break a battle, and take your life in one massive explosion. Bombs shatter enemy airfields, trains, and tank columns as you streak across the European countryside in WWII's greatest planes, dodging small-arms fire, gripping your joystick with sweaty palms and white knuckles, pumped with adrenaline-living history.

As a U.S. Army Air Force, Royal Air Force, or Luftwaffe pilot in Microsoft's Combat Flight Simulator 3 you fly in the historical framework of the tactical air war in northwest Europe starting in mid-1943, but there's a significant difference. The skill and perseverance you and your squadron or Staffel bring to each battle can alter the tactical situation and the timeline of the campaign. This open-ended and flexible campaign means you can influence events, alter history, and extend the timeline to add new technology to your arsenal. How you handle these tactical and technological advantages will determine the outcome.

In Combat Flight Simulator 3, it's 1943, and no one knows what's going to happen.

New features include:

• Enhanced campaign play sends you on involved tactical missions in a campaign where success or failure can move the frontline, influence the quality of equipment available, and even change the outcome of the war
• New collection of 18 aircraft featuring bombers with crews (fly medium bombers and take control of the bombardier or gunner position), stunning 3-D cockpit detail, accurate performance and damage modeling, medium bomber operations, WWII state-of-the-art aircraft (including the first jet fighters)
• Custom graphics engine powers super-high detail ground-attack targets and improved scenery with enhanced 3-D modeling and texturing
• Cooperative multiplayer missions and free-for-all dogfights via the Internet and LAN
• Reactive world: areas of the campaign world will trigger events, spawn aircraft, generate flak, etc. in response to your presence
• Role playing elements: pilots have qualities like Bombing Skill, Vision, and Health
• Strategy: you make decisions that influence how the war is fought, where to put the pressure on the enemy, and what aircraft improvements are crucial to the war effort

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