Summary: A terrific game! Other reviews have covered the basics in good detail. I'd like to describe another feature of the game I really enjoy. You can set up an aerial battle and watch for 5-10 minutes as the planes go at it on autopilot. Its an amazing feature of this software! For example, put 4 fighters from each side at 20,000 ft., at noon, in clear weather, and start the action. As soon as the cockpit screen appears, click "A" for autopilot, then F5 to get behind your plane, diminish the plane to 1/4 or smaller size with the the pgdn key so more of the sky is visible. Then sit back an watch what happens! Each time the scenario is set up, it plays differently! If the action ends too quickly, try it again. Some of these encounters last for 10 minutes. I have watched a fighter stalk an enemy and make repeated misses, so its not a duck shoot. The encounter often ranges from 20,000 ft. right down to the tree tops. Sometimes, multiple friendly fighters will gang up on an enemy plane, or vice versa. Another great scenario is to put up 16 bombers at dusk or dawn so that the tracer patterns show vividly, and then have them attacked by 4 to 16 fighters. For this, reverse the enemy and allied roles so that you can watch from a German fighter. Again click "A" then F5 then pgdn to get more of the sky. The amount of fire coming from the turrets on the bombers and the arcing of the tracers thru the sky is fantastic! If your fighter happens to be hit, you can click "Alt R" to revive and continue watching.
I'm not a computer person, so I have no idea how so much action can come from a CD. Jane's and EA did a remarkable job on this simulation. I hope they know how appreciated it is!
I splurged for a Microsoft Force Feedback joystick. With the EA update patch, this provides gun recoil pulses. Highly recommended!
Rating Reviewed by: Colin G. Hooper(Unregistered User)
Review Date May 1, 2002
Overall Rating 5 of 5
Review NaN of 32
, from Australia
Price Paid:
$10.00
from Harvey Norman
Summary: A very surprising game indeed, this realistic sim leaves the gamer wanting for more but only because it is so good. A magnificent program that details actual events and scenarios with extreme accuracy, scene is set in Belgium in the winter of late 1944 with the user given the option of being allied or axis. Missions are widely varied and ease the novice into feeling compeditive at an early stage. If i could criticise, you feel like flying everything flown in ww2 but alas this is not possible. Overall I am addicted to this game, does that say enough?
Rating Reviewed by: hamas will pay(Unregistered User)
Review Date April 3, 2002
Overall Rating 4 of 5
Visitors rate this review 1.00 of 5,
1 votes
Review NaN of 32
, from death from above
Price Paid:
$2495.00
from amazon
Summary: I searched everywhere for this title, but only found it budled with 2 other games in Ultimate Flight Series, so I had to fork out 24.95 I'm pleased to say I think it was worth it, even though i'm not at all interested in the two games that were boxed along with WWII Fighters (Comanche Gold, and F-15) I have to say, after playing this for a little while, I know where the creators of IL-2 Sturmovik got there ideas from. IL-2 's gamplay, menu style, and flight models almost exactly mimic Janes WWII Fighters. IL-2 does have superior graphics engine and is a little more diverse, and allows for expansions and add ons, but thats another game... Bottom line, I'm impressed with the job the developers did on this game. Being a few years old and still competing with newer more advanced WWII sims is pretty impressive. Too bad they aren't still years ahead with Janes' new release of Attack Squadron....
Summary: Even though I bought the game over 3 years ago I am still addicted to it. It is hands down the BEST WWII sim ever created. It even beats out recent released like CFS2 and IL-2. It is a real shame EA closed up shop on Jane's Combat Simulations. With titles like WWII Fighters and USAF, JCS had great future potential in the sim world. The premise of the game is that you are fighting the Battle of the Bulge in late 1944. You can choose to be either the Allies, or the Germans.
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