Whenever wars are discussed or talked about, there are a few that obviously have taken place over the past centuries. None seem to be as widely re-created in movies and games as World War II though, and tons of console and PC titles ranging from Blitzkrieg to the more widely known Medal of Honor have filled the collections of gamers in many a home.  One increasingly popular style for the WWII era that is springing up is flight sims, and various titles have come out that really try to capture the feel and drama that took place while flying during this turbulent time in history.

Battle of Britain (BoB from this point forward), the newest WWII flight sim release from IENT, is unique in a few ways from other titles that have come out. Sure it has a campaign mode that has you flying through various missions, a free flight mode, and a training mode. Yes it takes place in 1940, yes it uses actual WWII plane models, and yes it is a flight sim, but it also goes a little above and beyond for a couple of reasons.

For starters, I love flight sims, whether they be war time or peace time, but to be perfectly honest I’m not the best player when it comes to some of the flight mechanics like takeoff and landing (90% of my pilot’s deaths are usually due to one of these things), even if there is a detailed tutorial present. Well, BoB gives you the option to click a “fly me” button that can be used for not only those things, but flying and corrections as well and can be turned on and off when needed to help you enjoy the game a little more. While I am practicing at getting the plane up and bringing it back down, it came in really handy when I just felt like flying and having a good time instead of worrying about crashing my plane when I needed to land and re-supply. The offline mode also has targeting boxes to help with leading targets during dogfights or an X on the ground to help you with bombing runs, which makes it easy for even the most novice pilot to get into and have fun with.

Another neat feature to BoB is in the variety of the “instant action” game. Any of these missions can be selected to play in, which is nothing new, but not all of them will necessarily have you flying a plane. That’s right … if you don’t really feel like flying at the moment, you can man the tailgunning position of a bomber to fend off enemy fighters or even man the AA gun from a battleship deck to shoot down the circling enemies trying to sink your fleet. If you do feel like being a flyboy (or girl), there is also plenty of variety to the missions and a little something for whatever your mood … dogfighting or bombing.  The campaign mode also has a good variety to it as well, so it is available for practice or to run through a set series of missions.

Here’s another neat tidbit for ya … BoB not only contains actual plane models from May to November 1940 for detail and realism, but also is the only fight sim that I am aware of that actually carries a license by The History Channel. That’s right … for BoB, History Channel provided assistance to the creators for content, sound, and video to try and maximize the WWII flying experience.

So, you want some online battles to play with friends too, huh? Well, BoB hasn’t forgotten to add that in either, so you can head to the skies in your fighter or bomber and play with other pilots online. The free arena has enough capacity to hold up to 500 players at one time, which of course can make for some really heavy bombing formations, fighter escorts, or dogfighting action for everyone.

Overall, there are many different WWII combat flight sims out on the market that you could choose from which offer detail, realism, and actual plane models … but I don’t know of many that offer the features that make BoB stand out against the rest. It’s easy to pick up and play format and optional AI control to help in areas that you may be a little rough in were great ideas, and help ensure that even the beginner or young pilot can play and have a good time without getting frustrated. In addition, it offers good up front and long term replay value with the campaign, instant action, and online modes, and the fact that you get all of this for only $20.00 makes it a must get for you aspiring or career PC pilots out there.

**Special thanks to IENT CEO J.W. “Wild Bill” Stealey for all of his help and answering my questions during my review of Battle of Britain.**   

Gameplay: 9.0
All of the control options found in other flight sims are present in BoB, but the included feature of the optional AI control help even the most novice gamer get involved and have fun … plus you can use it to just sit and watch battles vs. playing them if you’d rather do that. The campaign missions have a good variety to them, and the instant action missions offer not only good flying runs, but also allow you to play in roles other than the pilot to help break monotony.

Graphics: 8.0
There were some great plane models used, and all of the vehicles that are available were actual models from the 1940 WWII era (and looked pretty darned good at any angle). The ground detail has that patchwork look to it, and there are some neat effects with clouds and plumes of dirt or smoke as bullets or a bomb drives home. You can even man the bomber’s seat in a JU-88A The water details were kind of flat though, and don’t have the same quality to them found in other flight sims.

Sound: 8.4
The planes had the typical sound effects found in flight sims, and they would creak as landing gear took pressure or you banked into a turn too hard. There is a song playing at the opening that wasn’t bad, even if a little forgettable, and gunfire, ricochets, and explosions sounded good.

Difficulty: Medium
Due to the AI option, the game is extremely simple to pick up and get into, but it also is challenging enough for even the most seasoned pilot to get in and have a good time with. There is a detailed tutorial with 18 missions that you can go through to get used to the game, and the controls are fully customizable.

Concept: 8.9
While it has features similar to other titles, it really shows that IENT was looking to make a combat flight sim that could be enjoyed by everyone rather than just catering to people who play them all the time.

Multiplayer: 8.9
The online arena holds up to 500 players at one time, which is pretty amazing, and on weekends players will be allowed to not only fly planes, but also man ground vehicles (like tanks) if they would rather do so. In addition, things were added in like flying a transport plane to drop paratroopers and take over enemy bases. IENT even added in AI drone planes that zoom around too, so that online players can hop on and practice their skills without having to worry about getting blown up.

Overall: 9.0
Honestly, I had more fun with BoB than I’ve had with any other flight title out on the market. While many $50.00 titles offer a lot of similar things, BoB was designed to appeal to everyone and help players who don’t call “flight sims” their #1 choice in what they buy. The variety of gameplay included and online ability offer lots of up front and replay value, and for only $20.00 it’s a safe buy in my opinion.