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The Best Combat Flight Sims of 2000
by Len "Viking1" HjalmarsonB-17 Flying Fortress: The Mighty 8th!
Category: WWII Bomber & Fighter Simulation
Developed By: Wayward Design, Ltd.
Published By: Microprose/Hasbro Interactive
Release Date: Released
Minimum Spec: Windows 95/98/Millenium; Intel Pentium II 300 or faster; 128MB RAM; Voodoo3 or higher; 8MB VRAM; DirectX Compatible Joystick.
Recommended Spec: Intel Pentium II 400 or faster; 256MB RAM; 16MB VRAM; Supports Hardware T&L; A3d Compatible Sound card; 400MB Swap file or larger.
Demo: None
Links: | Viking1's B-17 Tweaks | Iain Howe's B-17 Tweaks | Viking1's Review | Impaler's Review |
This second incarnation of B-17 goes beyond the first title in simulating the entire B-17 environment: internal environment and motion capture bring the crew to life, and the external combat environment is stunning in detail.
In fact, B-17 is less a flight simulator than a combat experience. While many of the systems are simulated in detail, others are not. The Norden bombsight or the Navigator’s position, for example, requires some familiarity in order to be successful. But the game is not recommended for those who want to fly fighters, and piloting the Fort itself can be a frustrating experience. Engine management was cut from the final release.
Where B-17 shines is with a fully dynamic campaign system, and up to 18 Fortresses in a flight. Furthermore, if offers the ability to play any of the ten crew positions in the famous bomber. Finally, the player can fly the escort or the opposition in one of six of the most famous WWII fighters including the P-51D and Me-262.
Even at the highest levels of realism B-17 is accessible to the novice. No interest in learning the ropes as a navigator or bombardier? No problem, hop into the tail turret and try your hand at defending the Fort. Making it all the way to target with constant Luftwaffe interceptions is a harrowing experience.
Crew management adds an amazing depth of immersion. While you can choose to set up the game so that the crew take care of themselves, just joining that living and breathing (and sometimes dying) community on board the B-17 will draw you in. You can issue orders, move the crew around, and generally listen and watch as they attempt to put the iron on target in a hostile environment.
Damage modeling adds greatly to the depth of the game. A twin-skinned model and new textures for almost every part of the ship will show you where the rounds have impacted. Naturally, damage affects systems as well as people. If you are slow to attend to a wounded crewman, your mission may suffer.
While B-17 has quick missions and historical missions for easy access, the heart of the game is the Bomber Commander or Squadron Commander mode. From one of these offices you can command a single bomber or the entire squadron. The SC mode allows you to choose the targets, plan the route, and transfer crewmen around in accord with their abilities and your strategic priorities.
With some of the most outstanding graphics yet seen on the PC, and support for hardware T&L, B-17 looks good and plays even better. Inevitably, not every system seems to like the game, and some players are complaining of system crashes or other odd problems. Wayward is looking into the situation and a patch is in the works.
B-17 is one of the most beautiful sims ever seen. Recommended system is PII 400 with 128MB RAM, but more is better. A 16MB video board is recommended. There is no multiplayer support.
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