October 17, 1943. USMC ace Gregory “Pappy” Boyington leads the “Black Sheep” squadron on a sweep over the Japanese airbase at Kahili. The squadron goes in as an unescorted dive-bomber squad, not fighter planes. Sixty Japanese zeroes rise to meet the squadron.

From clear blue Pacific skies, suddenly the air is full of silver and black-blue fighters spitting lead. Dive, roll, fire – it’s a free for all. There is no up or down, only targets and hunters. If you lack the skills, you will fall into the former category.

Microsoft’s Combat Flight Simulator 2 WWII Pacific Theater is a sim that challenges novice and experienced pilots, and beckons with terrific graphics.

There are many similarities to former flight sim incarnations. There is the conical pointer that indicates the direction of enemy units, a radar screen that shows the units and their locations in perspective to your plane. But Microsoft has added some great new features to this program – a sequel to the WWII Europe Series program. There is greater detail to the planes, new damage effects (if you take shrapnel, your plane bobs and pulls), a new virtual scrollable cockpit, missions that build upon the preceding one, wingman that can be coordinated for attack, a landing signal officer, improved AI for all computer-controlled planes, and a mission builder.

There are even new aircraft. The Japanese Air Force is represented by the Mitsubishi A6M2 Reisen Zero, the Mitsubishi A6M5 Zero, and the Kawanishi N1K2-J George. The U.S. forces are powered by the Lockheed P-38F Lightning, the Vought F4U-1A Corsair, Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat and Grumman F6f-3 Hellcat. The planes are shown in incredibly three-dimensions, and the cockpits are individual. And there are a host of other planes you will encounter during the missions.

For some reason, options also include flying as British or German forces, though there are no single or campaign missions for either of those two. The 10 training missions will teach you everything you need to know about piloting your aircraft. Here’s a little warning: While the game can be played using keyboard controls, the plane is much easier to navigate with a joystick.

Flight options include not only the training missions, but free flight, quick combat, single missions (10 for the Americans and seven for the Japanese), campaigns and multiplayer.

It’s time for liftoff, time to take on the Japanese. You are nestled into the cockpit of the corsair. A keyboard stroke and the engine coughs, then stutters to life, smoke rolling black and wispy off the engine.

The graphical elements are tremendous. The smoke from the engine looks incredibly real. The landscapes are textured and lush, and the action is intense. From distant specs, the enemy closes in a hurry, throwing out a stream of bullets interspersed with tracers. From behind, the metal rain falls, raking your ship. Typed reports roll down from the top of the screen, indicating damage taken. And then your plane fails. You have no choice. Eject and then hit the silk.

Microsoft has added a wonderful touch with comic book-style illustrations. If you fail, you are liable to see a weeping widow with a caption expressing the regrets of the Secretary of War.

The sound is what one would expect – solid engine noises, and reports from weapons.

The controls are similar to many other flight sims, so the learning curve is quite small.

Combat Flight Simulator 2 WWII Pacific Theater is a wonderful period flight program. With solid graphics and terrific game play, this program soars through the clouds and brings aerial combat into your lap.

Install: Medium. The install is 858.5 megs and takes some some time, but overall it runs smoothly.

Gameplay: 8. Immersive action over a huge game board gives this program a solid foundation.

Graphics: 8.5. Though the ground may lack some definition, the plane detail is amazing.

Sound: 7.5. Solid and well-rendered.

Difficulty: 8.5. It doesn’t matter if you use the easy keyboard configuration or opt for the Flight Simulator/CFSI key commands, this program is challenging and a topsy-turvy ride through hostile skies.

Concept: 7.5. Period flight games are not new, but when they are well-rendered, they are a delight to play.

Overall: 8.5. The action is furious, and the graphics are stunning – both of which add up to a terrific program.