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Warbirds Extreme: Warriors of the Sky

Score: 80%
ESRB: Everyone
Publisher: Abacus
Developer: Abacus
Media: CD/1
Players: 1
Genre: Miscellaneous

Graphics & Sound:

Being an add-on, Warbirds Extreme is expected to have graphics at least equal to the original game. Not letting us down here, the good people at Abacus have done a fine job at creating some visually impressive models of these modern aircraft. From the fully animated gear and flaps to the truly 3D cockpits, they've got it all.

Not much has been added in the way of sound, though. The expansion uses all of the original game's old sound effects, except for the roar of the jet engines. Though without any new weapons, what else is there that makes noise?


Gameplay:

Warbirds Extreme adds new life to your old Microsoft Flight games with 11 modern day warplanes. Don't be fooled, though, as there are really only 4 different aircraft. An A-10, F-16, F-15, and B-2 Bomber are the prizes in this box, with 7 different variations on the F -15 and F-16. There are 11 different models total, but only 4 truly different planes.

Owners of Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator 2 shouldn't expect any new missions or weapons out of this investment, though the island of Diego Garcia has been upgraded to include some new hangars and inanimate aircraft. These new planes you fly are only models, and although they handle like their real life counterparts, they are still restricted to the old-fashioned guns and cannons of World War II.

On the other hand, these 11 new warbirds will bring more joy to those who own Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002. Bored of the same old commercial planes? Try flying around the country in a B-2 Bomber, or dodging mountains in an F-16. For those who love to fly and want something new, these aircraft should add a refreshing makeover to your old game.


Difficulty:

Taking the reins of these machines is not difficult. Since you already own a flight sim, you definitely have the skills to take these things around the block as soon as it's installed. Apart from trying to read the new cockpit gauges, there isn't really anything difficult about this add on.

Game Mechanics:

Making the transition from the squirrelly WWII era planes to a lug like the B-2 won't be as difficult as it seems. All the controls are the same from the original game, letting you quickly test these fine aircraft. A couple of free flights and you'll be at taking off and landing with ease.

With a 30 dollar price tag, you don't really seem to be getting your money's worth. Yet if you find yourself lacking interest in your old flight sims, this may be just the thing to spark that flame in those of you that love to fly.


-Snow Chainz, GameVortex Communications
AKA Andrew Horwitz

Minimum System Requirements:



Flight Simulator 2002 or Combat Flight simulator 2, 16 MB RAM, 150 MB Hard Disk space, Windows 98/ME/2K/XP, CD-ROM
 

Test System:



Windows 98, 1.4GHz AMD Athlon, GeForce 2 mx 32MB video card, 40 gig hard drive, 56x CD-ROM, 256MB DDR Ram, Sound Blaster Live! sound card, T1 Internet connection

Windows Vietcong Windows Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos

 
Game Vortex :: PSIllustrated