Pacific Fighters

I played my first flight simulation on the Commodore C-64. That was a thrill. Then, as some others came and went, I renewed that thrill with the (at the time) ground-breaking Red Baron. That was a bit on the "fluff" side, but fun for my tastes. After that, I experienced the more realistic Microsoft offerings and had some experiences with non-combat simulations as well. I have not had my hands on the virtual flight stick for some time, as I feared the genre was peaking and copycat games were being churned out just to satisfy demand without quality. When I read the specs and advance press for Ubisoft's Pacific Fighters, I felt that desire again. I was not disappointed. I could easily write five pages on this game and never scratch the surface of this 2-disc depth.

Having had such a drop in airtime since my last foray into flying, my learning curve was slow and agonizing. That's what I get for letting my skills get rusty. This was probably not the ideal game for re-entering the world of realistic flight simulation, but thanks to a extremely detailed manual, I was able to get going with relative ease. I am not saying, by any means, that it is easy, but the User Manual is thick and makes good use of every page! 

The controls pages require their own mini-booklet that is independent of the main user book. There are pages and pages of commands in addition to open parameters in which you can customize your own (flying or combat) settings as needed. Not every mission you fly will involve combat, so complex flying controls have their own spotlight. Your options for playing include Quick Missions, full missions and single or multiplayer assignments. There is something for every urge and time allowance. Sheer curiosity will drive you to try all of the options. What I found to be unique (keeping in mind that I have been absent from the flight sim world for a while) was the mission-generating feature in which you input certain parameters and allow the game to layout the mission based on those details. You are not limited to tired, predictable missions for a general audience. These can be "your own" in every way. That makes you feel more involved and provides more intimacy to the game. The multiplayer option can be run as a LAN party amongst friends, or a full blown online experience through Ubi's website. Just create a user account and choose what kind of mission(s) you want to enter. Then, you are off into the wild blue yonder. You can use your own box as a server, and the game allows chat between you and whomever you wish. You can also have live audio chat. Nifty.

You can adjust the realism settings to make your incredible flying machine perform very close to it's real-life counterpart. Or, if you're weak in the knees about pulling out of stalls, you can make that less of a factor. The point is-- it's very helpful in creating a experience suited for your ability. That's ideal, as it doesn't alienate those of us who have never flown an actual plane, nor have the knowledge that the seasoned WW2 aficionados retain. Like a racing game where you can switch to automatic transmission, you can likewise make your plane perform more on its own if you need it to be that way. In addition, you can adjust various visual elements for your point of view (POV). 

OK, so you've installed everything, memorized the beefy manual and are ready to fly. Enjoy! Have fun choosing the way you want your plane to look. There are more than 60 planes to select from, as well as the ability to import planes from the prequels IL2:Forgotten Battles and the Ace expansion add on. At the time I played this, there was talk of Ubi having more items to select via a download "patch", but they were not there, yet. Keep looking. But, there was plenty to choose from as it is. I am a fan of the Corsair (I love that wing-design!!) and Mustang. If you want to pilot an enemy Zero or a D4Y2 Bomber, you can go that route. Since I was a child and had a (Cox) flying model of the Corsair, that's been a favorite, so I played a lot with that one. Aside from the WWI Biplane, I have not had such a fondness for a plane. I did not do too well with it when I used the manual settings, but still loved feeling like I was in the plane. The instruments and canopy are grand in their visuals. You feel like you can reach out and touch a dial, really. 

One of the venues of flight is from a carrier deck. That was very very hard for me. I do not have knowledge of the pitch, angle and speed that is required to safely land a plane on the moving deck of the ship. You must come in perfectly and snag the arrest line just right, or you tumble into the ocean as horrified crewmen look at your mistake. Once in the air, however, I found flying to be dream-like. Though in a stationary office chair, I truly felt like I was above the clouds and found myself holding my breath at times. I have a large monitor, and was really drawn in to the experience-- in a good way. 

The sounds were very good. You can use the existing music provided, or import your own MP3 music. Yes, you can shoot down enemy aircraft while listening to Marilyn Manson if you wish. The environmental sounds and plane noise seem dead-on. I cannot say for sure, as I have not spent much time IN a classic fighter, but there is a small-town airport near my home, and they fly classic planes out of there on a regular basis. I am very familiar with many of these crafts in person. 

The graphics are nothing short of fabulous. System limitations kept me from experiencing the full grandeur of what the game can do, but I saw enough to know that it is superior to most any aerial game I have tried, before. I cannot compare it to the now "clunky" Red Baron game I once loved, but based on newer games like Doom 3 and other graphical marvels, it is lush. The water looks great in the open ocean, and the sunlight effects are amazing. Seeing the ocean surf caress the seaside is amazing. Like me, you may find yourself not wishing to engage in battle missions, and just fly around for the sheer joy of it. This game alone makes me want to upgrade my system. Until now, I have not had a burning need to take advantage of a newer processor. If budgeting permits, I will get a beefier CPU just so I can fully play the game the way the designers created it.

There is so much to the game that can't be summed up in a overview. The endless missions, online play and ability to use it as an add-on to the previous games is enough to fill several web pages with text. The manual itself is almost 70 pages, so imagine what possibilities are out there. I would like to see what updates Ubi provides for the game. I do not see a burning need for them (there is a generous amount of planes and play, already), but the idea that they will exist had me giddy to download them. I did not try a flight stick with the game, using only my keyboard for moving. I assume it is an available option for controlling your winged beauty, but was so enthralled with playing it and (trying to) memorizing the controls that I forgot to look!  Learning the flying details is daunting, but once you get the basics, you can jump right into the game and learn the rest as you need to.  

Gameplay: 9.0
Some sims specialize on one or two aspects of the big picture. Like The Sims. That game's focus is on the people and scenarios you create for them. Graphics and (inventory) selections are an afterthought. Pacific Fighters, however, is a game rich in details all over the place. The actual flying of the planes is tricky for a while, but then the skies open up to new possibilities. Nothing is left out in lieu of making another aspect more enhanced. The visuals are as good as the audio, which is as solid as the flying itself. It's very well rounded and a joy to play. It is so in-depth that it has tremendous replay value. You can play for days and never have to repeat the same adventure. With the catered missions, you can design a game that meets your mood and/or skill level. 

Graphics: 9.3
There are some glitch faults, but not many. Maybe those that can utilize the optimum graphical settings will be aware of more faults, but I did not find game-stopping glitches in the settings I used. The detail in the cockpits is mesmerizing, and the deck of the carriers look like something you could really walk on. You can customize the skins of your plane, which adds an element of detail that makes the game even more "yours". As rich and groundbreaking as 1st person shooters are these days, this game equally shines for a real-life simulation. It's easy to fudge the appearance of a zombie, as we don't have anything to compare it to. But, planes and clouds are real, and recreating them realistically is a challenge that Ubi has met with vigor.

Sound: 9.5
The ability to import your own MP3 files as music is great. This isn't the first game to do that, but I liked the idea of being able to listen to a custom playlist while flying missions. Being tethered to a stock soundtrack gets mundane and I wish more games allowed this kind of tweak. The plane sounds and carrier seem to be authentic. It is hard to gauge the accuracy of the sounds, as I have not spent any time in a real WWII plane! But, based on photos I have collected since I was a child, it seems to be very accurate. They did their homework, for sure.   

Difficulty: Medium
After you spend a long time reading the book-like user manual, you will spend just as much time setting up your plane(s). Learning the controls and how to read gauges was a daunting task, and not easy to do. But, once you are in the air, you can relax a bit and learn as you fly. If you are into dog-fighting and new to the various controls, you'll hurt your experience by jumping in too fast and uninformed of what to do. While being gunned at by a quick moving Zero is not the time to leisurely read the manual.  

Concept: 8.0 
There have been several sim fighters in the past, and there will be more in the future. The beauty of this game is the obvious attention to detail and not skimping on any facet of the experience. They did not attempt to rush out a 5-plane flying game with limited scope. This is a vast, expansive game with expansion in mind. It's already a sequel, but stands alone very well. Unlike a lot of games from a series, it does not feel like it was produced just to capitalize on the desire or need of the public at large. It's well thought out and although it is a reproduction of real things that already exist, it feels very thought out and detailed-- as if a new concept.

Multiplayer: N/A
You can play with/against multiple partners via a LAN or through Ubi's site. I did not try this, though it is out there. I can only imagine that it would be a great way to kick up the realism factor even more. Making this truly a world-wide adventure that would bring the experience full-circle to the World War aspect it is recreating. 

Overall: 9.0
I loved this game. It is rich, engaging and has a great repeat-play factor. I wanted to play it often, and for long periods of time. It's been a long time since I felt that drive from a game, much less a sim. For me, a sim gets tired and drab after you master the basics. Flight sims, however, usually have more lasting appeal from their expansive mission factor. In this one, that's not the only draw to keep you coming back. There is also the customizable planes and varied ways in which you can play it. You can play as a solo fighter, or in tandem with a whole squadron. Better yet, command your own squadron! The sky is the limit, and this sky is infinitely grand. Pleasure-cruise the skies, or engage in white knuckle dogfights until you break your keyboard. The options are seemingly without limit, and the thought of even more with the expansion pack is astounding. While not for the short-timer who wants a quick jaunt into the heavens, Pacific Fighters is a fun and engaging game for almost anyone with an interest in flying. I personally want to get better at operating from the aircraft carrier, and everyone will find something they want to do over and over. To me, that's the sign of a good game and something worth talking about.