Conclusion
So in summing up, what have we got here?Well, as a stand alone game we've got 20 or so actual different planes to fly with a handful of missions across different maps which all look the same because there's lots of sea involved. We've not got some of the planes that are advertised as being in the game and will have to wait for the patch to fly them. We have career modes that are boring at best and, more usually, bugged so badly as to be unplayable. We've got sniper like AI with amazing flying abilities that defy the laws of physics making dog fighting a question of getting a good hit on the first pass or face getting out-flown by a guy with a kite compared to your uber-machine. All in all we've got a bugged and badly executed piece of software, which, if I was new to the genre or series, I'd take back for a refund and buy something else.
Looking at PF from the viewpoint of already owning FB and AEP, you get even less. You still get the same bugged mission and dreadful AI but this time, you get even less in the plane set as most of the varieties of aircraft are already available to you through FB and AEP. All you get here are some more maps and some unenjoyable missions, unplayable careers and the chance to land on or attack carriers, though torpedoing them is out of the question unless you cheat and use a ground based plane off a carrier.
Now don't forget that this is being sold as a full priced game.
You've got to ask yourself, is it worth it? I'd say no, it isn't. As a stand alone game, with its glaring omissions, major and minor bugs and unbalanced gameplay it just isn't worth the asking price. As an add-on for FB+AEP the value in there is even less. You'll already have most of the planes, so why pay for the flight model all over again? From the viewpoint of someone already owning FB+AEP, there simply isn't enough in here to justify the full game price. There's only just enough here to call it an add-on and charge a price in line with an add-on pack. On top of that, given the different compatibilities for different installs, a new player wanting to play with the huge online community is going to be left with little choice but to buy FB and AEP too… so that's two full price games and an add-on just to play online, and, let's face it, there's so little that works in here for the single player, online will be the only way to get any longevity out of it.
All in all, this effort from 1C Maddox positively reeks of being a rushed job. No doubt UbiSoft's thinking is to get the game out before people go and blow their money on Half Life 2 and Christmas. If Ubi had an inkling of what their fans for this series is like, they'd know that the fans will buy this no matter when the game comes out. It would've been far better to have actually play tested this game and eliminated enough of the bugs to make it playable than to have released this poor effort, especially since Ubi thinks they can demand a full game price for unfinished work. If I were you, I'd wait until the game is patched to a playable level before investing. Save your pennies for Half Life 2 and make Ubi wait for your cash until they give you something worth the £35 they're asking.
FOOTNOTE: Throughout the history of the IL2 series, one thing that has always been obvious is the support the games continue to receive from the developers after release. This review is of the boxed copy, retail copy and as such, reflects what you get in that box, NOT what is promised but as yet undelivered. I will re-visit the review after the game has been patched, and if necessary, I will adjust the score.
Score
Pros
It's by 1C MaddoxFirst prop based carrier sim
Authentic everything
Absolutely HUGE maps
Compatible with FB and AEP (if you have them)
Cons
Bugged all over the placeIt's an unfinished game, simple as that.
Plane set not that big, especially if you have FB+AEP
No torpedo bombers in a carrier based sim
Not enough single player missions
Career mode shot to hell
Maps too large
Tedious amount of flying before anything happens
Forgoes fun for authenticity
Not enough content, even as standalone, to justify price
AI either very dumb or too accurate
Code not optimised for latest GFX cards
