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- Jane's WWII Fighters
Jane's WWII Fighters
- January 01, 2000 00:00 AM PST
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Vive la difference. I can?t think of a better way to sum up the wave of WWII combat flight sims to hit the shelves recently. No sooner does Microsoft deal us Combat Flight Simulator than we have Microprose upping the ante with their highly immersive and lovingly crafted European Air War. Although hitting the table a little later than the others, Jane?s WWII Fighters brings more than enough chips to the game to qualify as another serious player in a competition where all flight sim fans end up as winners.
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With this release Jane?s reinforces its reputation as a leading publisher of quality, cutting edge flight sims. Although the Word War II arena is something of a departure for them, they have done an excellent job of recreating seven of the most storied warplanes from the era. Not a task to be taken lightly (flight sim fans are notoriously demanding when it comes to their favorite planes) Jane?s has succeeded in creating a remarkably detailed simulation that advances the genre in a number of key areas.
The graphics in WWII Fighters are spectacular even by Jane?s high standards. A remarkable combination of light sourcing, reflection and shading almost had me believing that the Spitfire IX in the game was bursting straight out of the famous limited edition print by Barrie Clark. Highly detailed 3D cockpits, superb propeller animations, transparent 3D clouds and some of the best explosions and special effects to make their way into a combat flight sim will provide hours of eye-popping immersion if you have the necessary horsepower to view them. Glide or D3D acceleration is required in WWII Fighters but expect to be turning some options off if you don?t have a fast Pentium II mated to a Voodoo 2 or TNT card.
WWII Fighters also incorporates an amazing level of detail in its damage modeling. Each of the aircraft have been coded with multiple ?hit points? that display appropriate destructive effects when enemy cannon fire finds its mark. Bullet holes are clearly visible, wings tear off, engines fall out and, if the wreckage is extensive enough, you can even see torn and twisted bulkheads protruding from your wounded bird. The game?s flight model - which is very challenging to master at the higher difficulty settings - will respond properly to these ?redesigns? and the plane, if still flyable, may require a heavy hand on the stick to nurse home. (Thankfully, belly landings are permitted).
PC fighter jocks tend to place a high premium on four key elements when grading new sims and Jane?s manages to deliver the goods on all but one of these. Although it offers unparalleled visuals, exceptional AI and a solid flight model, WWII Fighters still presents a relatively weak campaign structure. Its linear set of Allied and Axis missions are little more than a collection of scripted single flights with no opportunity to earn promotions and medals. Most of these begin in the air and, although you can ?hot-seat? your way into a wingie?s plane, there is no comms structure to issue them any commands. The game?s healthy collection of single and training missions, powerful mission builder and excellent multiplayer support on Jane?s Combat Net earns the game some well deserved points but, for serious flyers, the ?Instant Action? campaign still remains an unforgivable oversight.
Jane?s WWII Fighters is a remarkable simulation that could easily have established complete air superiority over its competition if it offered a more ?complete? and immersive experience like the one found in European Air War. As it stands it is still a must-have product for anyone who appreciates flight sim craftsmanship at its best.
