Combat Flight Simulator 3 & strategy guide bundle

I've read a lot of reviews from flight simmers who are somewhat disgruntled with the jerky graphics and frequent 'freezes', so the the first thing I'd say is that to get the best from this sim you need to have a fairly high spec mahcine - I'm running a 3.06ghz P4 with a 256mb graphics card and a gig of RAM, and so far have had no problems. The graphics and detail are good and I've yet to experience any stuttering graphics or freezes. The second thing I would say is that while CFS3, in it's off the shelf format is good, you can make it so much better yourself. There are a number of excellent websites which cater for the CFS3 gamer, offering scenery add-ons, extra aircraft, missions and upgrades for the stock CFS3 aircraft. A few hours browsing sites like Avhistory and Ground Crew Design Team and you ca build yourself the daddy of all flight sims. My wife hates, which I reckon is a pretty good endorsement.

OK first off.. I can personally verify that most you've ever read about Microsofts Combat Flight Simulator 3 (CFS3) is true: The graphics engine has an annoying tendancy to stutter (regardless of graphics settings or system specs it seems), the cockpit grapics are oddly poor and the choices of aircraft odd.

Its not all bad though: for starters the graphics are generally very nice, especially the planes, weather and clouds. The engine includes dynamic lighting effects too (I suspect this is a prime suspect for the 'stuttering' effect though). Sound is OK.. not exactly mind blowing, but it occasionally surprises with some nice, immersive sounds (prime example is the creaking of you planes airframe as you pull excessive G). Flight modelling also seems generally hard to fault, with things like torque and gyro effects present, and the ability to change fuel mixtures on the ground.

Given that the core of CFS3 is a good flight sim, the developers then seem to have gone out of their way to make it 'seem' like an arcade game. Gunnery seems too easy and dogfights seem to take place at much too long a range, also there are a variety of unrealistic 'radar' type devices and 2002 style jet-plane HUD overlays active by default (although it is possible to turn them off). Locked in a knife-fight with a German BF-109, I was in a Spit taking pot shots at the enemy from about 550 meters range. The only confirmation I had that my bullets were hitting at that distance was a text alert on screen. After taking a few hits he dissapeared from view (I lost him) and I was informed sometime later that he'd 'Bought the Farm' (in the words of Chuck Yeager). This is all very different to similar experiences in IL2, where the only way you can confirm your hits is by seeing the smoke, burning oil and shrapnel fly off the enemy airfraft. Somehow, after Sturmovik, dogfights in CFS3 just don't feel 'visceral' enough..

Talking of planes, I actually think the selection of planes is a redeeming feature of the whole game. Not only the Spit, Mustang, Bf109 and FW190 are modelled, but also the Mosquito, the previously forgotten Typhoon and Lightning are in too. To add some variety, theres also some medium range bombers and three early jet fighters! Furthermore, you can take gunnery poitions in any of the bombers. Its a shame Miscrosoft felt they couldn't add some non-flyable planes too.. the skies feel oddly empty wihth only a few dozen aircraft types around.

Almost as though Miscrosoft realized they couldn't compete with IL2 in terms of the fidelity of the combat simulation, the developers have spent a lot of attention implementing a full blown dynamic campaign, as well as loads of single missions and a (fankly great fun) quick combat mode. This also manages to save the game from the dustbin, as its something thats lacking in IL2.

It came as a shock to find that the manual in the CD case was even smaller than that of 'Age of Mythology'. Fortunately, I soon realized that just about all the information usually available on paper has been included in the game via a database you can accesss at nearly any time whilst in the air, or on the ground. This is a great idea, and a first as far as I'm aware.. want to know about that plane your shooting at? hit F1 and look it up in the database. Think your cruising at too low an altitude? hit F2 and see how it should be done on the relevent checklist. This is much better than having to reach for the manual all the time and certainly accellerates the learning process. I can't help wondering weather the availability of the on-line documentation somehow affects the game performance though.

To summarize, if a certain other WWII Flight simulator didn't exist (think in Russian) CFS3 would be a great purchase, theres loads of fun stuff to do and a varied (if not representative) selection of planes to fly. Theres also enough depth in the simulation and campaign to keep both the hardcore and the casual gamer pretty happy for a good while. Unfortunately (for Microsoft anyway) it has to contend with being a poor second. And as such is only really recommended for those who are NUTS about flight simulators (guilty as charged).

A lot of the problems with CFS2 can be fixed in patches. Wether this happens or not is another question entirely.. and if it does, it would still be the inferior title for the real enthusiast. For the casual gamer with a fast PC whos interested in WW2 airplanes though, its not a bad way into the flight sim genre. Which can only be a good thing.

Microsoft seem to be stuck in the decision to bring out a new flight sim and combat flight sim every 2 years. This time the previous version (CFS2) was better! What has changed (not necessarily improved) is that we are back at the end game of WW2 in western Europe (probably because of the success of main competitor Il-2) and focussing on the ground attack rather than air to air combat. All the planes are new, with some strange prototypes from all 3 nations forming the novelty basis. Seems the historical accuracy of the whole thging is blown apart by doing that, in a way that "Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe" did a long long time ago.

Starting with rthe "sensible" planes, every nation gets their best fighters ereprsented. P-51's are in the "B" version and pleasantly rendered too, which is refreshing. Colours can also be somewhat adjusted. The usuall "D" version is also there, and the P-47 is probably the type that fits the scenario's best. The British are given Spitfire MkIX's, and a Typhoon and Tempest, with the strength of the outstanding "wooden wonder" Mosquito amply represented. Perhaps this is a mossie simulator after all? The Germans are givern the good old 109 and 190 combination, with Me-262's being the stars along with the Ju-88 in 2 versions, including the important fighter version wihich up until nowe has never been properly represented iun a flkight sim. Perhhaps for that alo0ne this is all wotrth it. Then come the bombers.

This latest thing is to be able to jump between the gunner/ bomb aimer position (in FS2002 you could literally slide into co-pilots seat!). Thius feature is under-used in CFS3 as their are only 3 planes (though each with different versions) that can use this. I was pleased that the B-26's are their, as again this type has not featured much or at all in previous sims. The gunner positions are well done, the turrets being the most satisfying, but all less that the best. Il-2 has better gunner positions, but NOT these planes!

All in all the ground scenery is such a step up, with almost as many trees to crash into as in war-time Europe. Water reflects its creators attention to detail too. Add-ons are there too, but not as common as for the previous CFS versions.