So, I have gotten the flying itch again, and I was wondering if anyone could recommend some fairly recent flight simulator programs for me. Preferably I’d like a combat type flight sim, of course, but if you just know of a really fun civvie sim, point me at it.
I used to own a copy of Combat Flight Simulator (which has since disappeared), and I enjoyed that a good bit, so if anyone knows if the newer iterations of that game are worth buying, please let me know.
Combat Flight Simulator 3 has been out for a while. Its generally reguarded as OK but in need of some aftermarket addons to bring it up to speed.
IMHO the best WW2 flight sim out there is the IL2/Pacific Fighters series. There is a new release with all the versions/addons on a single DVD which would be the way to go.
If you want jets take a look at the Strike Fighters/Wings over Vietnam/Wings over Europe series. They are light “survey sims” but a lot of fun and have a ton of free add-ons available for download.
You might also try Aces High which is an online combat simulator.
On the noncombat (though not necessarily civilian) side, there’s the constantly-updated and supposedly rather realistic X-Plane.
On the combat side, there’s Lock On: Modern Air Combat and perhaps the finally re-released Falcon 4.0: Allied Force. For older wars, IL2 and Aces High are both cool.
A Gamerankings.com search might be helpful too. That link displays the 50 highest-reviewed flight sims of the past 12 months; you can adjust the year to go back further if need be.