IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey Review

Written by: Darren Cartledge Posted: 22nd September 2009

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Birdsof prey are in real danger here.

IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey Details:

Goto IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey Game Page

	Simulation
	PlayStation 3/Xbox 360/PSP/Nintendo DS
	1C Company
	1C Company

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World War aerial combat games aren't a new concept on consoles, over the last couple of years we've seen a few titles letting gamers get behind the controls of some of histories most famous planes. Despite this though these nostalgic games have often passed me by and instead I have only ever experienced aerial combat games that let you pilot the most technologically advanced planes in history with an array of assisted systems. So with the release of WWII aerial combat game, IL2-Sturmovik: Birds of Prey I thought it was about time I experienced the early days of aerial combat when men were men and they flew on pure courage and skill!

When you initially start to play Birds of Prey the game has a very pick-up and play feel about it, due to the game being locked on its ‘Arcade’ difficulty setting. This of course makes the game highly accessible to the average gamer, unfortunately for those experienced at playing aerial combat games this can make Birds of Prey feel a little tame and often missions feels as they are simply passing you by as very little effort has to be put in to dispose of any enemy aircraft. To increase the challenge ‘Realistic’ and ‘Simulator’ difficulty settings can be unlocked by completing a series of tutorials. Both these settings increase the skill level of enemy pilots, but also give you other factors you have to consider. For instance your plane will now be subject to engine stalls which will put you into a spin and flying in general will be more of a challenge. This increased difficulty results in your having to rely more on your wingmen who you can issue orders to throughout the course of a mission.

The game runs at a pretty solid pace, allowing you to pull off all the twist and loops you would expect to see in a dogfight in a blockbuster movie. However, despite this the game largely fails to convey the intensity that existed in the skies during WWII. This is mainly due to the fact that you never feel under pressure from German fighters and throughout missions it always feels as if they are waiting for you to shoot them down as they are extremely hesitant about bringing the fight to you. However, when they do engage you they are capable of inflicting serious damage to your aircraft. This is reflected in visible damage to the flawlessly crafted plane models. The wings can often be seen tearing and smoke bellowing out of the engine compartment. Whilst playing with the Arcade difficulty setting this barely affects your plane however, in the higher difficulty settings you will have to make adjustments for any damage taken, which can have a serious detrimental affect on your planes ability to fly.

Missions mainly consist of dog fights between your squad and German fighters, although this isn’t all the game has to offer. Some missions will see you having to drop bombs on ships or fire rockets at land targets. The game also puts you in the cockpit of allied bombers, as well as a variety of fighters from both the allies and Russian air forces. Each of the planes in the game has three views to choose from, the default third person view allows you to see the various plane models in their fully glory, which have been crafted with minute details intact. The cockpit view is highly detailed but not only that, gives you access to a series of dials and instruments that can come in useful during flight. It’s also nice to see some detail put into the games sound design. Engine sounds and gun fire are all muffled from the cockpit view, however out side of the plane both these two elements can be heard in their full glory. Birds of Prey also features nice gun fire trails from your gun fire, this also aids you in aiming at the right spot in order to hit your intended target.

The games campaign is fairly short, with missions taking part on a small selection maps that see you taking part in battles over the coastal areas of Britain and land locked areas of Russia. These maps are all nicely detailed with 3D buildings, trees and other features which add a level of realism to the title. To compliment the campaign the multiplayer mode in Birds of Prey includes both head-to-head and team based game types. However, despite this, Birds of Prey, does seem to lack longevity as it can be quite a task actually finding a multiplayer game to take part in? This inclines me to think that in a few months the multiplayer component will be only being played by the most hardcore of fans.

IL2-Sturmovik is a solid aerial combat game that is accessible enough for anyone to pick-up and play, whilst still offering hardcore simulation fans the option to play the game in a fashion they feel comfortable with. The game does lack longevity but does put in a solid show without ever really excelling. This game is best left to flight fans.