Combat Flight Simulator 3
Software Review by James M. GarnesCombat Flight Simulator 3 (CFS3) is a World War II PC combat flight simulator, allowing you to experience what flying was really like as a WWII combat pilot over Europe. The software program covers Europe from 1943 to the end of the war, wherein you can fly for the US Army Air Force, Britain's Royal Air Force, or as a German Luftwaffe pilot. With an emphasis on tactical air power, many of the missions focus on Air Superiority, Close Air Support, and Tactical Bombing. The feeling is real as you strafe enemy positions at 350 mph, 600 feet above the European countryside, with guns blazing and bombs blasting. You can fly either as a pilot, gunner, or a bomber.
CFS3 also lets you focus on the ground army along with dogfighting. Players can be a gunner or bombardier in over 18 planes. These include the P-47D, B26G Maurauder, Fw190, and aircraft that didn't make it to service, such as the Gotha Go 229A-0 and the P80a Shooting Star. For some reason the B17 Flying Fortress is strangely missing.
Combat Flight Simulator 3 has six key features: (1) players to lead exciting high-speed, low-altitude strafing runs to bomb strategic enemy targets; (2) you fly a great collection of 18 WWII aircraft, including the first jet fighters in history; (3) there’s a new graphics engine designed specifically to showoff highly-detailed and enhanced 3D models and textures while flying in fast, low altitude action; (4) pilots can manage new character role-playing attributes, including G-force tolerance, vision and physical health that change throughout the course of the war campaign; (5) with enhanced online cooperative multiplayer action, players coordinate with friends to influence how battles are fought; and, (6) playing with friends, you can become a wingmen as a player or coordinate to man a bomber, playing the role of either bombardier or gunner in an ongoing campaign.
As was mentioned above, you have access to 34 variations of 18 different planes. Now imagine the rigors of a particular mission! For example, lets look at Campaign mode wherein you need to use your strategic skills to push the enemy lines back to their capital city earning medals and promotions. If you choose to fly a particular mission you will first have to go to a briefing where your superiors will fill you in on the combat at hand. Then before you can have any success in battle you have to understand the controls and cockpit instrumentation that are incredibly realistic. And while you can use only your keyboard and mouse to operate the controls, it’s recommended that by using either a Flight Yoke or Joystick, it makes the simulation much more realistic. While most of your actions can be controlled with a Joystick, the keyboard stills remains your most important tool with this software program.WWII buffs, people interested in flying, and those interested in realistic games will enjoy this software.
Finally, Combat Flight Simulator 3 requirements are: Windows 98/Me/XP/2000, PC with 400 MHz or higher processor, Soundcard, speakers or headphones, 128 Mb RAM for 2000/XP and 64 Mb for 98/Me, 16 Mb Video Card, 4x or faster CD-ROM, mouse, and a modem for online multi-players.
Combat Flight Simulator 3
Microsoft Corporation
Microsoft Games Studios
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, Washington 98052-6399
http://www.microsoft.com
Full Version - $29.00