Permission to take off?
For anyone with an interest in the serious side of combat flight sims and who is looking for a nice alternative to the classic Falcon titles, this game might prove to be more than little interesting. It doesn't necessarily add anything new to what is an admittedly crowded genre, with the likes of F-29 Retaliator and Advanced Tactical Fighters also vying for your attention, but if it's detail and realism you crave, this makes for a good investment. The main purpose of the game is to give you an idea of what it's like to fly the dual purpose Hornet fighter/strike plane and does so while flying you over the exotic landscape of Korea. You're thrust into a complex 28 mission campaign and charged with completing a series of ever more difficult missions, including bombing sites of strategic importance and engaging in air battles with the enemy. The game is certainly a complex one, and if you're going to fly well, you're going to need to learn the complex set of controls that marks this out as a true sim, so if you're looking for a more arcade-oriented experience, try Strike Commander instead. However, if it's detail and complexity you want, this is perfect for you. The missions are nicely varied and very challenging, thanks partly to the control system, but also due to the smart enemies you'll be facing, and even genre veterans should find themselves tested here. The visuals stand up reasonably well today, although there's not a great deal of detail to enjoy as you zoom around, but as you're probably here for the fighting, it's maybe not too important and this stands as a good old-fashioned flight sim.
