IL 2 Sturmovik Birds of Prey | Xbox 360 | Flight Sim | September 8th, 2009

The latest in the IL 2 Sturmovik series brought to you by developer 1C and published by 505 Games brings in Birds of Prey. It’s a game that returns to the World War II front in its simulation glory but ushers in an arcade style for new players. The presentation is certainly of good quality, but is this the one flight simulator that isn’t another WW2 clone?

Birds of Prey takes place in World War 2 taking on different Air Force fronts throughout the war. Players will be able to take control of over 40 different historical aircraft all from those different time periods. The single player campaign offers the campaign mode which allows you too enter in the games story in famous and fierce battles of the pacific. The other mode is single mission mode, which are just shorter versions of the games main campaign missions. Your job is to clear out various objectives and each of them comes in all different shapes and sizes. Your objectives mostly have you destroying opposing forces or spotting Ariel spies amongst your fleet.

 

While you have your standard machine guns at your disposal, you’ll often get the chance to control bombs and missiles from time to time. Certain missions will just have you performing recon around your base, or evading enemy forces while not requiring you to fire a single shot. The online multiplayer allows for up to 16 player matches at once depending if you can actually find someone to play with. There is one on one battle which can test your extreme flight abilities in war. Or you can form up in teams with your party and take on many mission based objectives in 4 different modes.  The multiplayer holds up well and there isn’t many instances where we had lag issues...etc.

The single player campaign boasts up to around 5 hours of gameplay and the single mission mode extends that time with more content for you to play around with. The game itself is never too easy and has plenty of difficulty modes to suit both novices and veteran players. Arcade style caters to the novice crowd giving help to dangerous situations and keeping the plane under control so all you have to worry about is flying and shooting. As the difficulty increases, the assistance the game provides starts to decrease and you will be left to fend for your self when the plane goes haywire. So, you’ll be stalling more times then not forcing you to react quickly in certain situations. Don’t worry, there is a mandatory tutorial section before the campaign begins to help you along the way and get you right in the pilot’s seat.

 

The combat itself is pretty well engrossing. Once your enemy planes spot you, you’ll have to outsmart them in order to take them down. Some of them can be pretty easy targets at times but overall the AI is handled well and doesn’t impede too much on the experience. When you’re flying through bombing runs you’ll have to be on your feet as you could easily be shot down by enemy battleships and ground forces. It’s still a nice sight too see when you’re flying through enemy fire with explosions all around you. A nice addition to the game is the games physics engine. While fighting in combat you’ll notice any damage done to the plane completely changes your planes direction. So, if you get hit by machine gun fire or enemy missiles, the damage is quiet noticeable and affects your planes performance. So, you’ll have to be on your feet and watch where your plane is at all times.

 

Birds of Prey offer a lot of attention too detail and doesn’t stray far from giving you the full World War II experience. Up in the air, the vast landscapes look quite detailed and extravagant, however, up close it looks like everything was designed in MS Paint. However those occasions are rare and it isn’t necessary for you to dive that close to ground anyway. Outside of that, the plane damage looks great and explosions damage is done well. You’ll see everything from pierced wings too engine fires and more. The weather effects are another nice touch giving you even more trouble in controlling your plane and dealing with the elements. The soundtrack is sings a nice tune and gives you the feeling of the era your fighting in. The sound effects themselves are nicely done as well.

IL2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey is a decent entry into its long running air combat simulation. It isn’t too easy yet not too hard either and there is plenty of options too choose from to meet your challenge. The multiplayer is where you’ll most likely be spending most of your time if you can find someone to play with that is. The game is mostly catered to the hardcore group of Air combat gamers and flight sim players. It’s still a well built title with great customizable controls among other features. You won’t find the game too boring too quickly.

 

In the long run, you might not want to drop the full price for the game if you’re a first time player. Aside from a few bumps here and there, IL 2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey has certainly earned its wings too fly. You don’t want to miss this if you are looking to break away from the World War II shooters on the market.