Storm of War: Battle of Britain
Preview
This game will certainly revolutionise the flight simulator world
by Marko Susimetsä
previewed on PC
Old masters take to the skies
Only a couple of weeks ago, I took a test fly of another flight sim game set in the period of the Battle of Britain. However, unlike that game, Storm of War: Battle of Britain will cater more to flight simulator fans than to shoot'em'up players, although it will be enjoyable to both. Ubisoft and Maddox Games are working together to bring forth the ultimate WWII flight simulator, following in the footsteps of their earlier grand success from 2001, IL-2 Sturmovik. IL-2 Sturmovik stunned the flight simulator players with its attention to detail and fantastic graphics and we rest assured that their new title will break the boundaries again.
Taking the realism to a new level
Maddox Games' IL-2 Sturmovik and its add-ons were praised to be the most realistic looking flight simulators of the WWII era. They offered both realistic graphics (at the time) with beautiful cloud effects, rocket trails as well as coils of contrails behind the planes when they fly in high altitudes. Additionally, you could tweak the game realism settings dealing with such factors as the flight model, external views, ammo loads and weapon lethality. You could never call the game an arcade shooter, but it was able to serve also those players who weren't interested in a full-blown simulator.
Now, with Storm of War: Battle of Britain, which is to be only the first of a new series of flight simulators, Maddox Games promises to go beyond anything their previous simulators ever did. The new 3D engine will be able to model the ground height differences, such as the Cliffs of Dover, as well as bring the cities and other details to life: no longer will the streets of London be devoid of life - you will actually be able to see double-decker buses moving on the streets. There will also be tanks and armies on the ground, doing their part in the Battle of Britain.
Furthermore, the weather will change dynamically and you can see storms and rain fronts advancing and affecting the handling of your plane if you fly into them. All this is achieved with a new modelling that will actually track the movement of air particles as they meet, for example, the Cliffs of Dover, and cause rising air currents and turbulence. Likewise, you will feel the realistic prop-wash if you fly directly behind another aircraft.
If the engine and graphics in IL-2 made the aerial combat look like actual camera footage, the new engine will go several steps beyond. In addition to updated graphics, the engine will allow detailed damage modelling that shows damage precisely where the bullets hit and more realistic flight models for different plane types. Furthermore, you can damage your own plane further by straining it too far (G-forces, landing) when it's already been damaged by enemy fire.
