Combat Flight Simulator WWII Europe Series PC Game

Although similar in many ways to Microsoft Flight Simulator titles, the combat simulator has some major differences, the largest being mission-oriented combat during ~World War II as opposed to present-day civilian flying. Other changes range from nomenclature (e.g., auto-rudder versus auto-coordination) to modes of play. Whereas the civilian flight titles concentrate on challenges, adventures and lessons, Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator: WWII Europe Series provides free flight, quick combat, training, missions, and campaigns.

In single missions, you fly historically based assignments at rookie, veteran or ace skill levels that affect the number of enemies encountered. Each mission has a pre-flight briefing containing a map of the engagement with waypoints and a follow-up debriefing upon completion. Free flight mode allows you fly the countryside in ~WWII era aircraft and simply enjoy the scenery or practice maneuvering with no enemy return fire.

Quick combat inserts you instantly into air combat against enemy planes with the singular purpose of practicing moves, shooting down bombers or fighters, engaging in offensive, defensive or head-to-head maneuvers, and flying during the day or night in various types of weather. The core of the game is the campaign mode, in which your pilot builds a career and flies mission after mission within the context of a major campaign. The two major campaigns are the ~Battle of Britain (1940) and the ~Battle Over Europe (1943-1945).

Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator: WWII Europe Series puts you in the cockpit of eight vintage ~WWII aircraft, each designed to be historically accurate. For the ~RAF, you can fly the ~Hawker Hurricane Mk I with its eight ~Browning .303 machine guns, the similarly armored ~Supermarine Spitfire Mark I, plane of choice in the ~Battle of Britain, or the ~Supermarine Spitfire IX with its two 20-mm ~Hispano cannons and four ~.50 Browning machine guns.

Fly for the ~Luftwaffe and your choices include the ~Messerschmitt Bf 109E ("Emil"), counterpart to the British ~Spitfire Mark I, with its powerful armament of two 20-mm MG FF cannons, two 7.9-mm MG 17 machine guns and racks for either one 550-lb or four 110-lb bombs. Also available are the ~Messerschmitt Bf 109G ("Gustav"), introduced in late 1942, and the ~Focke-Wulf Fw 190A-8, which served as both fighter and bomber (similar to the 109G) and was the first fighter to offer a clear view canopy

The ~Republic P-47D Thunderbolt (a.k.a. the "Jug") is one of two ~USAAF airplanes provided in the game. Early configurations of its weaponry featured six or eight ~.50 Browning machine guns and one 500-lb bomb, while later loadouts included the same guns as well as a choice between two 1000-lb or three 500-lb bombs, or ten 5-in rockets. The second plane available for ~USAAF pilots is the ~North American P-51D Mustang (designed by a German and initially built for ~Britain), arguably the best fighter plane in the skies over ~World War II ~Europe.

Also featured in the game are eleven (seven ~Luftwaffe and four Allied) computer-controlled aircraft, configurable weather conditions, support for 3D acceleration cards, adjustable skill levels ranging from novice to ace, and a fact-filled manual that includes biographies, gameplay instructions, aircraft histories, mission and campaign details and more. You can also import scenery from the Microsoft Flight Simulator (imagine flying your Mustang through the skies over Las Vegas) to complement landscapes and war-torn cities (~Berlin, ~Paris and ~London) already included with the game.

Multiplayer action for up to eight is supported (cooperative or competitive) via the Internet at the ~Internet Gaming Zone (/www.zone.com). Are you ready to relive (or make) history in the skies over ~Europe in ~WWII combat action? Strap in and take-off in the Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator: WWII Europe Series ~ Michael L. House, All Game Guide