February 26, 1999
Web posted at: 4:53 p.m. EST

ALSO: Part one: PC gamers take flights of fantasy to battlefields of the future Part two: Flights of Fantasy: Part two-Flying and fighting the virtual F16

By Steve Baxter
CNN Interactive Technology Editor

(CNN) -- The trend was evident at last year's Electronic Entertainment Expo. Almost every major computer game publisher was preparing a World War II flight simulator. There have been many successful historical flight sims over the years, but the latest collection of products break new ground in graphic detail and flight/fight realism.

For many computer gamers, historic flight sims are preferred over modern simulations. Vintage combat flyers don't rely on radar and high-tech missiles that eliminate enemies 50 miles away. They want to see their opponents close-up. They want that fly-by-the-seat-of-the-pants experience where everything relies on good eye sight, quick reaction and pure instinct.

"WWII Fighters" from Jane's Combat Simulations, Microprose's "European Air War" and "Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator: WWII Europe Series" are a few of the better flight sims based on the air war over Europe. They give players a historic glimpse of what air combat was like over 50 years ago. All three are excellent examples of state-of-the-art simulation techniques put to work to simulate 50-year-old technology. These aren't just games; they depict a unique slice of history.

"European Air War" from Microprose is very respectable simulation. What impresses the user first is the cool "retro" design of the software's interface. Players can learn more about WWII aircraft by thumbing through decks of silhouette flash cards, looking at old newsreel footage from the war and examining 3D aircraft models.

"European Air War" from Microprose

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In "European Air War" players can fly any of 20 different British, German or American fighter planes in quick-start, single or history-based campaign missions. It offers customizable gameplay for any skill level and support for force-feedback joysticks.

The airplanes fly very much like the real thing. The buffeting of the simulated wind against the fuselage and control surfaces makes the first-person point of view very bumpy. Players hear all sorts of metallic sounds as the airframe stresses against simulated forces, but the engine sounds are obviously looped and become annoying after long periods of time.

The graphics in "European Air War" are good but not great. The terrain looks fine from high altitude but is unremarkable when flying on the deck. Microprose offers both Direct 3D and 3Dfx graphics accelerator support but the quality is not as good as the Microsoft and Jane's products.

After years of nothing but civil aviation the folks in Redmond must have gotten tired of flying Cessna 180s and Lear Jets so they created "Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator: WWII Europe Series." It lets users fly eight accurate models of U.S., British and German fighter planes in WWII combat scenarios.

Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator

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There is a lot of attention to detail found in this simulation. The computer models of the aircraft are tuned for maximum graphic detail and realistic control. The flight physics and graphic presentation is reminiscent of WWII gun camera footage. When bullets hit enemy planes they seem to hesitate while simulated gravity and momentum combine to rend the craft into a shower of metal, smoke and flames.

The flight characteristics of each plane are unique, with combat damage affecting its ability to fly. Bullet holes can appear in the windscreen, the cockpit may fill with smoke and the simulated systems that are shot up will misbehave.

High quality audio elements make for added realism. The machine guns sound like the real thing, not like wimpy, poorly done sound effects. Nearby planes can also be heard as they zoom past.

Players can jump instantly into dogfights against dozens of computer controlled aircraft. They can fly individual missions or fly as either British, American or German pilots in two different campaign scenarios.

Player/pilots have three visual options in the game. The standard straight-ahead view with detailed instruments, a rather blocky looking virtual cockpit that gives players an uninterrupted 360-degree view and a more appealing clear view with an aiming device center screen and heading, altitude and speed data in the upper-right.

"Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator" is a solid, no-nonsense flight simulation. Designers made very good use of force-feedback technology. Players can feel the difference between taxiing and takeoff, feel the landing gear lock into place, the shudder of machine guns firing and the thuds of enemy bullets hitting the fuselage.

The terrain looks great from a high altitude but it leaves a lot to be desired when flying low.

It was the beginning of the end for Hitler's Germany. Six months after the landings at Normandy the German army launched its last offensive against advancing Allied forces. The Battle of the Bulge was the greatest and most costly engagement fought by Americans in the Second World War.

That's where "WWII Fighters" begins. Players find themselves in the middle of one of the most fascinating episodes of WWII. They can fly the best technology that 1944 had to offer. For the Allied side, the P-51 Mustang, P-47 Thunderbolt, P-38 Lightning and the Supermarine Spitfire. Luftwaffe aircraft represented are the Messerschmitt Bf109, Focke-Wulf Fw190 and the first operational jet fighter in the world, the Messerschmitt Me262.

Jane's WWII Fighters

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Multiple gameplay options from novice to expert makes "WWII Fighters" a simulation anyone will enjoy. Training missions and branching campaigns can be played from either the Allied or Axis point-of-view. A detailed mission editor lets pilots customize existing missions or create their own. "WWII Fighters" also supports eight-player multiplayer mode on LANs or on Jane's Combat.Net on the World Wide Web.

"WWII Fighters" is one of the best looking flight sims ever made. There is extreme graphic detail built into the simulation. The exterior views of the aircraft are breathtaking. When glancing over at your wingman the 3D pilot will actually turn his head and look back. Blaze away with a burst of machinegun fire from an external view and the smoke and spent shell casings can be seen spilling out of the wings. When a plane gets hit by enemy fire or crashes the airframe will disintegrate in a most realistic fashion.

A film-style music score is surprisingly effective in adding to the drama of whatever is happening on the screen. Of the three products "WWII Fighters" has the best clouds. They are true 3D and that means they can be used to hide from hungry enemy planes.

But "WWII Fighters" is much more than pretty pixels. Each plane is a delight to fly, with its own unique flight characteristics. The trick for virtual aces is to learn the strengths and weaknesses of each aircraft.

If you like the historic flight simulation genre, look for more products soon from Activision and Psygnosis.

It's interesting that more than 50 years after the end of a horrible world war so many people are re-enacting its deadly air battles.

Col. Clarence E. "Bud" Anderson flew two tours of duty over Europe in a P-51 and was the leading ace in his squadron. He consulted with Jane's in the development of "WWII Fighters." Interviews with him and other WWII aces are part of the "Museum" part of the program. He says historic flight simulators stimulate an interest in aviation and keep history alive by teaching people a little bit about what the war years were like.

Anderson is amazed at how advanced flight simulation technology is and how multiplayer games over the Internet can promote friendships.

"I just can't believe it, you know, I'd much rather see us fighting with games than being out there doing it for real. I'd rather see Japanese kids bomb Pearl Harbor on the Internet and have our guys fight them on the Internet and make friends that way."

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