DCS: Black Shark (PC CD)

Although I have been a gamer for many years (my first computer was an Acorn Electron, the little brother to the BBC micro, which kind of sets my timeframe!) and have played many of the current games, there is a very small list of games that I play often. This list includes Flashpoint/Armed Assault, the Total War Franchise, the Elder Scrolls series and IL2/Lock-on.

There are a few reasons that games get into this list, the main one being that these are not really video games. Instead, they are virtual sandboxes that simulate a particular time and space. Whether it's a combat simulation, an engaging high fantasy world, or a realistic `God game' the player can generally do what they want when in-game. These games also have large active web communities around them, so buying the game is only the start - longevity is ensured via free third party add-ons and modifications.

Sandbox games treat you like an adult. They tend to be hard and lack immediacy, but they are what gaming is all about for me - they create a breathing, realistic world for you to explore and become part of, rather than just `play'. You have to put in a couple of hours before you even know what is going on, but that couple of hours is repaid with a deep virtual world containing a complex but satisfying gaming experience that keeps you coming back.

Black Shark is already another game that is likely to get on my often played list. It meets all the requirements of a typical engaging, deep and realistic sandbox game. The helo is a great challenge to fly (in fact, Western military tends to agree that the KA50 Black Sharks main downfall is that it puts a large amount of instrument actions on the pilot - so Black shark is potentially a realistic simulation of the hardest Helicopter to fly. Now there's a challenging sandbox if ever there was one!).

There's a few gripes though. Most of them are almost personal niggles rather than criticisms, but they may be useful to other potential buyers...

Although the weapons and vehicles are highly detailed in Black Shark (BS), the terrain has not come as far. Although it is more detailed than Lock-on, BS still has some of the same texturing that Lock-on had. In particular, the trees and foliage are exactly the same. That's ok in an aircraft flight-sim like Lock-on, but low-poly foliage is much more obvious when flying a helicopter.

The game engine is still single core. No true multi-threading (although multi core makes the game run faster).

No out of box keycard, and the out-of-box printed manual gives only the most basic `getting started' information... and you may want to buy the full manuals when they come out, rather than wade through the 2x300 page on-DVD pdf manuals.

Doesn't support new DX10 features (engine seems to be DX9). Not a problem for me (I'm using Windows XP, and if anything, the BS engine seems to run faster on my system than Lock-on!), but may be an issue for others.

One final point - don't let the fact that the BS mission engine doesn't have dynamic campaign tools make you think it has a simple mission structure. Dynamic missions seem to get pretty boring very quickly IMO - there's usually only a few different mission types, and the campaign can get boring quickly because the AI rarely does anything surprising (plus the fact that a dynamic campaign and a compelling storyline rarely go well together). The BS system uses a triggered `campaign level' system is a much better approach in my opinion (it makes for a more action packed campaign storyline whilst allowing for a dynamically moving battlefield frontline).

*** update Feb 2010 ***
Given some of the negative reviews here, I think its important to re-iterate that this is a simulator of the old school. The game has a very slow pace, and most of your kills will be instrument only (i.e. you will rarely be in visual range of your target, so you will be firing at dots on the horizon). Added to that, a helicopter flies much slower than a jet, so you will not see the more visceral dogfighting and acrobatics of Lock-on. This is certainly not a game for everyone!

Disclaimers and setup:
I have played through the full game before review. I used the initial, unpatched DVD release. I had no problems whatsoever with the protection system.
I used a Radeon 4850 (1GB video ram) Q6600 (quad core) processor, 4GB system ram running on Windows XP. I experienced no crashes or glitches throughout the game (and I saw very good framerates throughout) at 1920x1200, all graphics set to max except water, which was set to 'normal'.

purchased DCS Shadow, If you want an amazing helicopter flight simulator, this is the software for you. Its amazing, detailed landscape, 125,000 sq ml of the European / Asian boarder. I have only been playing for two days, and I will have to take a more detailed look at the manual, as on the full simulation mode, you cannot just press one button and then take off, you have to go through the startup procedure which is switching on approx 48 switches.

The game also features full video instructions, and also some flight videos
.

You can do instant combat, and if you get shot down, you can get a replay, and view your flight from several views.

Probably the best simulation ever

This is not a game! Although playable as a game, at a basic level, this is a simulator; and probably the best (and certainly the most detailed) helicopter simulator going. So, if you aren't into helicopter simulation leave it alone but if you are; get ready for a long, involved training course. I am not sure that a 'fun rating' is the correct way to rate the game but it is certainly a very satisfying rpoduct of its kind.