REVIEW: IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey

Developer: Gaijin| Publisher: 1C| Format: Xbox

Reviewer: Craig Jay Gallagher Modern aerial combat sims are somewhat clinical and lacking what one could call a sense of danger. Tracking enemy fighters from a mile away with the help of a tracking system doesn’t always make for the most challenging of gameplay. IL-2 Sturmovik sets out to redress this and by setting the battles during WWII the developers have ensured that it’s one of the most thrilling and exhilarating combat sims around.

First impressions are always the most important when it comes to gaming and the first thing one notices about the game is just how amazing everything looks. The planes all look authentic and the scenery glistens be it from a 100 or a 1000 feet. Disappointing then that Gaijin decided to straddle the game with such an awful HUD. Granted playing these games without a HUD is somewhat impossible but the HUD on offer here is garish and manages to shatter the authentic WWII feel that the game so successfully creates.

The second thing that you notice about the game is that as thrilling as the missions are they alone cannot hold the thin excuse for a plot together. In fact when you really look at it there is nothing resembling a traditional plot, instead you have a best of WWII package. While it’s not the worst thing that could happen it does make the whole endeavour somewhat less satisfying that it could have been. There’s no emotional involvement with your character and the come the final mission there’s no real sense of achievement. That said the missions are thrilling and more often than not you will find yourself revisiting missions time after time. Taking on tanks in the deserted streets of Stalingrad is one of the most exciting moments in games this year.

As excitation as single player is every game these days worth it’s own has to have a multi-player option and IL-2 is no different. Dogfight and Team Dogfight are pretty self explanatory, you fly around taking out other players. The real star here is Airfield which is a play on capture the flag. You must land your plane on an enemy airstrip and in doing so capture it. Once you land a clock beings running and your allies must defend you and the strip. It’s fast, furious fun which really shows just how enjoyable multi-player flight sims can be. There other mode on offer is Strike in which you and your team must defend your city while at the same time attempting to level your opponents. Like Airfield it’s bloody good fun. Unfortunately for all multi-player modes your really do need all 16 players playing at once. Smaller teams means a lot of empty space and in turn an awful lot of aimless flying .

IL-2 Sturmovik is one of the most entertaining flight sims in a long time and the best example available on any console. It’s a must for fans and has enough going for it to appeal to all gamers.