Let me start by saying that I am not an avid flight simulator fan. Until now I haven’t found many flying games that keep my attention that long.

The first thing I noticed was the cool “Top Gun” rock music that accompanies the install. I have a choice between either 450 MB or a complete 1.2 GB install. I would suggest the 1.2 GB install because it loads faster during the game. I tried the 450MB install also, and it took 45 seconds to get information loaded in from the CD compared to ten seconds with the 1.2GB install. The 1.2GB install takes about 10 minutes and is pretty boring. The game will also install the Microsoft Voice Recognition software with a full install. This allows you to use voice recognition for commands in the game rather than the keyboard. The game also came with a nice keyboard reference guide, which I used a lot, and a very thick manual that Jane’s is known to supply with their games.

With the install out of the way, I watch the beginning movies that make me want to enlist in the Air Force. You have four campaigns to choose from: Desert Storm, Vietnam, and two future campaigns. The past campaigns are based on actual events and are very well scripted. You can also play single-player missions, which count toward promotions and medals. Training is very nicely done. You are walked through each course step by step, and it allows you to pick up the controls very quickly. A nice element I liked was the FLY NOW option. This allows you to jump directly into combat and shoot at enemy aircraft. Also included is multiplayer, which is a nice feature for a flight simulator.

When first starting the game, you are a 2nd Lt. and must move up the ladder to become a 4-star general. You have a choice to fly 8 different aircrafts -- the F-16C, F-4E, A-10A, F-15, F-117A, F-105, and the F-22. Also, in multiplayer you can fly the Mig-29 Fulcrum. The cockpits of every aircraft are detailed and look authentic. Each aircraft has its own look and feel, but with the same keyboard commands in common. The cockpits are laid out so that they are not too complex and you don’t need to search around looking for a switch. The weapons are also well done and seem to be accurate in dogfights. Realism is a little to be desired on the flight models while flying. Weight seems to be lacking with some aircraft. I can fully load an aircraft down and go just as fast as light aircraft. Also, there was no experience of speed in the cockpit view. The “Flyby Camera” gives you a nice idea of how fast you are flying.

The graphics were awesome on my Voodoo3 3000. The aircraft looked fantastic and very detailed. I had excellent frame rates and great quality at 1024x768. The satellite photos of the terrain were incredible at high altitude, but patchy at ground level. That’s expected with today’s technology.

The game AI was good. The enemy aircraft was right on target, and with the difficult setting on veteran, they came fast and furious. The wingmen, on the other hand, were dumb as dirt. I kept crashing my wingmen into the ground because I kept making fast turns. They also didn’t do their objectives in certain campaigns I played. I hope a patch is released for that.

Multiplayer was really fun. I played for a few nights with little lag on a 56K and even better on an ISDN. You can team up with other players and take on enemy aircraft. I tend to play a wingman, since I can’t play like the veterans do. You can also use the voice recognition to talk to your other squad members.

There are a lot of nice features included in USAF. The ability to record your dogfights and watch them and learn from your mistakes is a nice feature. Also, the mission editor is very intense. Everything that you can think of is included in the editor. I am wondering if you can export the missions out so that you can place them on the net for everyone to share. You can also do the Kill and Capture feature that allows you to place your stats online for everyone to see. I think I will keep mine to myself.

This game has everything you would want out of a flight simulator. It’s very intense and fun to play. I believe veterans and rookies would enjoy this game as much as me. If you want to purchase a flight simulator, then this is the game for you.

Installation: 8. They try to make the install amusing with music and trivial information. The install is a little long, but worth the wait.

Game play: 9. Nice learning curve. Nice features make the game’s replay value very high.

Graphics: 9. Best graphics that any game of this genre has had.

Sound: 7. Annoying in game chat sounds. Nice background music.

Concept: 8. It’s the same concept as other flight simulators. You learn, you fly, and you shoot.

Difficulty: 8. It has excellent enemy AI. Some dogfights can last half an hour

Value: 9. Best flight simulator to date.

Overall: 8.3