It's seems like an unwritten rule that computers are the home of flight sims, while consoles are the home of simplified arcade games. It's hard to argue with that when console gamers only have the likes of Blazing Angels, Ace Combat and HAWX to play. But developer 1C Games has sought to change this with IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey, a version of the popular World War 2 combat sim.

The first thing you'll notice about Birds of Prey is that the maps are huge. The draw distance is impressive, with the map stretching out as far as the eye can see. Of course, this wouldn't sound impressive if the visuals weren't up to scratch. But thankfully, the game looks great.

The maps are packed with little details such as rolling hills, forests, farms and towns. As with many flight games, the detail does take a hit as you get closer to the ground, but it's not as bad as other titles.

The stars of IL-2 are the planes themselves, and each one looks awesome. Whether it's the yellow-nosed BF-109 fighters or the sleek lines of the Spitfire, the developers have lovingly recreated them.

The damage to your aircraft is equally impressive, with bullet holes showing up on your aircraft as well as a trail of black smoke. The details don't stop there, with wings shearing off following a mid-air collision. It's even possible to break your propeller by landing too hard or flying too close to the ground.

The damage also extends to enemy aircraft, with planes losing wings, catching fire and spiralling to the ground. It's a welcome change from other games, where the plane merely catches fire and explodes in a canned fashion. You'll even see pilots and crew members parachuting away, albeit with poor animations.

Plenty to do

There are over 50 missions to be had in Birds of Prey, with a campaign mode and single missions to complete. Whether you're bombing a battalion of tanks or simply destroying the opposing side's planes, there's enough variety to prevent things from getting stale.

Being a World War Two game, gameplay consists of getting up close and personal, a stark contrast to titles set in the modern era. It's a refreshing change from firing missile after missile at a speck a few miles away.

You'll often converge with an enemy squadron and enter turning dogfights, machine guns flaming as you try to pull some lead on a target. Getting a few hits results in black pieces flying from the target, and some oil obscuring your windshield thanks to the black smoke. It's a nifty touch that helps kick the atmosphere up a notch.

The audio is pretty good too, with voice-overs from an elderly British man adding to the atmosphere. The immersive sound extends to the gameplay as well, with enemy aircraft loudly zooming by as you pass them head-on. The chatter during missions does get repetitive though, with squad mates constantly yelling "open fire!" when you're lining up a target.

An unprecedented level of realism

Of course, Birds of Prey is known as a simulator for a reason, and you'll have your hands full on the Simulator and Realistic settings. While the Arcade mode is easy and forgiving, upping the difficulty results in an array of changes and tweaks.

It's much easier to spin and stall in Simulator mode and you'll soon learn to treat your analogue sticks gently. Upping the difficulty to Realistic does away with the radar and target markers as well as a cockpit view only. Spotting planes from a kilometre away truly becomes an art as a result. An even bigger challenge is taking the plane down, with even the slightest burst of gunfire causing your plane to rock back and forth.

There are plenty of extras in Birds of Prey, with a detailed encyclopaedia as well as a hangar allowing you to view all the planes in detail. There's also a customisable training mode which allows you to pit your skills against enemy aircraft.

While there's no local multiplayer option, the online modes are pretty decent, with the usual dogfight game-type making an appearance. But the real star of the show is Capture-the-Airfield, which sees two teams trying to land at the other's airfield. Unfortunately, the online arena is pretty barren at the moment, so you'll want to check out the forums for like-minded gamers.

IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey is pretty much the game of choice for wannabe flyboys, offering a variety of game modes, plenty of missions and white-knuckle gameplay. It might not have the Mach 2 fighters of Ace Combat or HAWX, but it succeeds in creating an incredibly satisfying experience.

8.5/10