Synopsis:
In the summer of 1940 the German Luftwaffe launched a series of air raids on Britain which would change the course the of the war. With the German Navy too small to control the Channel long enough for an invasion fleet to cross, the Luftwaffe were given the task of neutralising the RAF protected airspace over southern England and pave the way for the invasion of England. Defending our shores were the young pilots of the RAF, ready to save their homeland from destruction in their country's greatest hour of need.
Take to the sky in the latest simulation from the makers of Flying Corp and MiG Alley. Fly for the RAF or Luftwaffe as either a pilot or commander in a game that recreates some of the most decisive air battles of the Second World War. With over 800 miles of airspace and 5 different flyable aircraft 'Rowans Battle of Britain' brings to life the skill and courage required to battle against a seemingly invincible enemy.
Review:
It's a rare combat flight sim that can be all things to all people, but Battle of Britain comes close. The designers set out to model the entire pivotal WWII conflict and succeeded admirably, creating some of the best flight models and visuals this genre has ever seen. With all the realism options turned off, it's basically reduced to the level of an arcade game, but with those same options enabled, even the most jaded virtual pilots will have their hands full. This is the kind of simulation that lets players manually tweak the pitch of their propellers, and makes players deal with issues like carbureted vs. fuel-injected engines, engine torque, and blackouts from pulling too many g's.
The designers certainly didn't focus on minute details at the expense of Battle of Britain's strategic possibilities. The game engine is capable of throwing hundreds of planes in the air at once, and it simulates raids whether they are part your particular mission or not. It's possible to take off with the intention of intercepting a small flight of Stuka dive-bombers only to end up responding to a massive raid of heavy bombers attacking a town miles away. Few games give the player such a sense of playing a bit part on the stage of battle.
That's not to say the gamers' actions and input are inconsequential. Battle of Britain also comes with a campaign mode that lets players make strategic decisions as either the British or the Germans. As the British players, receive reports on incoming raids and apportion your meager resources to effectively meet each threat. German commanders get to deal with the problem of assigning fighter escorts to the bombers, knowing that the fighters can't spend more than 20 minutes over enemy soil because of fuel limitations. Those are just a few of the situations players face. It's also possible to jump into any plane in the campaign mode to play out a mission in the simulation mode.
- Review copyright T. Byrl Baker, Amazon.com
Minimum System Requirements:
Published by: Empire Interactive - View official site
Downloads Thus Far: 6346
Date Added: 12-May-2002
Visitor Rating: 7.00 (from 35 votes) - Add your rating
File Size: 43MB
File Type: Playable Demo