IL2 Sturmovik - Forgotten Battles - PC review

16 December 2003 10:36 GMT / By Stuart Miles

The follow-up to the hugely popular IL-2 Sturmovik, IL-2 Sturmovik Forgotten Battles gives you the chance once again to take to the skies flying some 89 aircraft from the Second World War.

But it is not just the amount of planes that makes this game great - there are a further 49 planes that you will fight against - but the level of detail that Ubi Soft has managed to indulge in. Everything has been catered for whether you are a combat sim fan or merely a flight pilot wanting to fly the IL-2 Sturmovik once again.

Newcomers to the genre might feel a little overwhelmed, but the ability to switch off and on a number of setting means that there is plenty more than simply easy, normal and hard. As you would expect, players have the facility to control everything. What will make the engine stall to how the plane handles acrobatic manoeuvres are all customisable and it is the option to turn it on and off that makes it ideal for those still trying to get to grips with flight sims in general.

Levels are detailed, as is the campaign mode that guides you through the game and the only criticism is that levels can take time to load even on respectively fast PCs.

For the online aficionados out there, players can connect IL-2 Stumovik online or via a LAN and battle it out with 31 other players in co-operative or dogfight modes - quite impressive when you arrange a fly-by.

Verdict

Overall this flight sim offers plenty to both the newcomer and hardened fan alike. The difficulty levels make it idea to set your level of play as you grow in your capabilities and the built in tutorials offer plenty with the chance to learn more. With so many planes to chose and so many levels to conquer - including a number of single missions - this should offer plenty of hours of gaming throughout the night and beyond.

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Review Recap

Made by: Ubisoft
Price as reviewed: £35
The good: Nearly 50 more planes
The bad: Slightly more of a standalone mission pack than a full game
Quick verdict: Oleg Maddox is God to hardcore flight sim fans. The game’s almost as good as the original but thankfully that means it’s damn good.
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