Reason being? It was basically the work of one man. IL-2 Sturmovik shat on every other flight sim from a height so great, you'd need the aforementioned platform shoes to even come close. All this detailed analysis, careful breakdown of the game's components, meaningless critique of various shoddy areas and so on. Only this time round your chances of actually getting anywhere near your target without resembling a perforated teabag lie on the good side ofwafer thin'. Example: anti-aircraft guns aren't nearly as accurate as they were before, meaning bombing runs are still a nerve-shatteringly dramatic affair, with tracer shells zipping and popping all around your cockpit. Ubi soft has done the same thing with IL-2 Sturmovik's sequel' Forgotten Battles, only this time round it isn't so blatant, Most of what's been improved lies under the bonnet - less buggy Al, more accurate flight models, and a somewhat more realistic experience. Was it a new game? Add-on masquerading as sequel? Con job? The jury was so far out it was wearing crushed velvet flares and platform boots so high they caused vertigo.
The problem was that the only ostensible difference between the two was the addition of a dynamic campaign engine.
Several years ago a vicious argument raged throughout the flight-sim community when then-leading developer DID released F-22 Total Air War - a full price revamped' version of its hit F-22 ADF. This all may sound a little spoddy, but it's enough to make a fully developed propellerhead throw back his flaxen locks and cry: Oh thank you God, never again will I.' Er. Three new ships are being added, modelled to the nth degree, and sinking them will be difficult.īut that's not all! Rumours abound that the final game will have searchlights, barrage balloons and an engine management system corresponding to the modelled aircraft type, which will include the use of radiators, superchargers and fuel mixture controls when necessary at different altitudes. The development work isn't just above-ground either - it's in the sea as well. The existing Russian and German rankings and awards are being extended to include both the Finnish and Hungarian military command. There's also scope for players to go for the medals and glory.
Plus, both the 109 and JU87 series have been extended and the Al given a bigger pool of aircraft too.
It jazzes up the flight model, reworks the entire Al, creates vastly improved terrain (sea that actually looks like sea!), and adds a load of new planes (Brewster Buffalo, Hurricane and P47 Thunderbolt to name but three). The game boasts 20 single and ten multiplayer missions covering both the Finnish and Hungarian theatres of combat during World War II. Originally Billed as an add-on pack for IL-2 Sturmovik, Forgotten Battles has now turned into a full-blown sequel.