IL-2 Sturmovik: 1946 (includes 4 games!)

when I first started looking at ww2 flight sims, Il-2 was a title that kept coming up in forum pages as a very "complete " game. It has some of the best graphics with great attention to detail, the developers have painstakingly recreated each aircraft for the game, the physics are accurate, the damage modelling superb, which enhances the game experience.

The multi player community is large and continues to grow, with a diverse range of flyers out there. having played a lot of ww2 sims, i rank this as the choice for people who want a very “real” flight experience, rather than zooming around on a magic carpet. this is the sort of game that takes time to understand and play as it relies on the pilot knowing his aircraft and its limits.

on any modern pc this title will look superlative as it was released a while ago. nothing but great things to say about this title. get a copy while you can.....

Having owned this game for nearly two years I can safley say this is the best WW2 combat flight sim ever made. Nothing comes close to creating the immersion of being in a world war two fighter. Where Combat Flight simulator 3 failed, IL2 1946 sucseeds.

The plane models are fantastic, from the moody and vicious flight characteristics of the Bf109G, the docile and easy going characteristics of the La5Fn to the highly manourverable a6m zero, all planes are modelled with the love and care that only a developer like maddox games could give. The graphics while not the greatest out there are still beutiful despite the fact that the game engine is 10 years old.

Stability is perfect and bugs are nil and the game will even work on windows seven. Multiplayer is a blast, with many dedicated servers running, all with excperienced pilots who are more than willing to help out a noob and turn them from a rookie to an ace in no time at all (teamspeak is a must). The game recives constant support from its developer with patches being released regularly, the latest being 4.09m by diadolos games. Each new patch improves the game by adding more aircraft and more feautures such as triggers (in the 4.09). The games flexibility is fantastic and with the easy to use full mission bulider you can be making missions and movies in no time (ever wondered what would happen if a Fw190 intercepted a B29). the games campaings are not the best aspect of il2 but still serve their purpose well.

If you are looking for an easy arcade flight game this game is not for you, however if you are looking for the most immersive, head shaking, bone jarring, g-force pulling, prop pitch adjusting flight sim this game is most certainly for you!

I bought Il-2 when it first came out and was getting about 1 frame every 2 seconds, even in the menu screens. I put the game aside till I could upgrade my machine, which didn't even have a 3D graphics card at the time. After buying a new graphics card (Geforce 4 Ti4200) I found the game to run flawlessly and even with the settings up high I was getting smooth frame rates and the graphics were stunning.
I would often just fly straight and level and swing around the outside of the aircraft in flight lowering flaps and raising and lowering the gear and jumping to different positions in the aircraft like navigator or gun mount positions. All the controls can be set and it has the capacity to allow you to control everything for up to 8 engined aircraft with individual engine controls for each engine and propeller, including prop pitch, throttle setting, fuel richness setting, etc etc. You can open canopies, drop external drop tanks, lower arrester hooks, lock tailwheels, and even release parasite fighters from bombers.
Now with this package you basically get 4 games on one DVD so installation is much easier too.
If you like WWII aircraft at all it is worth it just to view the aircraft sitting on the ground or in free flight with no enemy.
If you suck at flight sims you can set your plane as invulnerable with unlimited fuel and ammo… The only way you can die is crash into trees or water.
I have read that some developers are working on a WWI simulator as a mod for this game so even if WWII is too fast for you there will be a stringbag mod for this game out soon too.

i have been playing this game for years and have never grown tired of playing it online. recently a new community of modders has sprang up breathing new life into the game in the form of video effects mods, additional aircraft and and paintwork.. google for All Aircraft Arcade to find this website dedicated to mods for the il2 community

IL2 is an old game . even tho its been constantly updated , graphically its not going to amaze you . but you play IL2 for the awesome realisim it gives you . there is Nothing that is close . now unfortunantly the WW2 CFS community has very Few title's to choose from , & this one isnt just the best of the bunch – its VERY good at what it does . as far as simulations go , IL2 is a must-own