IL 2 Sturmovik: Forgotten Battles

by UBI Soft

Product Features

• Full Sequel, Not an Expansion
• Dynamic campaign system: In addition to the already existing IL-2 campaign system Forgotten Battles will include a new dynamic campaign system. It will work with all existing IL-2 and Forgotten Battles maps for single play The new map areas: Finnish gulf map area representing the large territory from Helsinki to Leningrad: Tallin, Kronshtadt, the lake Ladoga, etc.
• Hungarian map area representing the Balaton Lake area in Hungary.
• L'vov map area (Ukraine and Poland)
• 20 new single player missions using the Finnish and Hungarian map areas and Order of Battle

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00007LVBI
• Item Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Media: CD-ROM
• Release Date: March 4, 2003
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #21,652 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Product Description

IL-2: Forgotten Battles is the full-featured sequel to the realistic, multi-award winning IL-2: Sturmovik World War II combat flight simulation. IL-2: Forgotten Battles adds new maps and missions for both single and multiplayer play, as well as dozens of new World War II aircraft, including the American P-47 "Thunderbolt" and German Ju-87 "Stuka." All the aircraft from the first IL-2 game return. Players may choose to play from any time of 1941 to 1945 and fly for either Germany, Russia, Finland or Hungary.

A new Dynamic Campaign System has been added for almost limitless replayability. Dynamic campaigns are automatically generated, and the player can select his or her nation, squadron, and aircraft to fly. Players can also decide when they want to join the war. After the completion of each mission, the results will be processed and another mission will automatically be generated - and so on, until the end of war. Results of one mission will carry on to the next and no two missions will be the same.

During the campaigns, forces will advance or retreat, based on the history of the battles. However, frontline movements can speed up or slow down in limited degree. Additionally, resource tracking is present and objects destroyed in one mission will stay destroyed in the next. Every destroyed plane, friendly or hostile, reduces the number of planes of this type in the theatre, making their appearance less likely. Destroyed trains and transport columns will affect supply rate. If an ace is killed or captured, he will not appear in future battles.

Squadron management will also play a key-role in the dynamic campaign system. Every pilot has a name, photo (it is possible to replace the default photos) a rank, medals, sorties and kills. Each pilot's skill level is defined by combat experience. Pilots can be killed, captured, promoted, awarded or transferred. Losses are replaced, but new pilots will likely have minimal combat experience. Each squadron has a limited amount of combat ready planes, and if this number drops below some point, the squadron will be short-handed.

Product Description

20 Single & 10 Multiplayer Missions 5 New Mapsand 129 Aircrafts!Product InformationIL-2 Sturmovik: Forgotten Battles introduces a dynamic campaign. The dynamiccampaigns are automatically generated and the player can select his or hernation squadron and aircraft to fly. Players can also decide when they want tojoin the war. After the completion of each mission the results will beprocessed and another mission will automatically be generated - and so on untilthe end of war. Results of one mission will carry on to the next and no twomissions will be the same.During the campaigns forces will advance or retreat based on the history ofthe battles. However frontline movements can speed up or slow down in limiteddegree. Additionally resource tracking is present and objects destroyed in onemission will stay destroyed in the next. Every destroyed plane friendly orhostile reduces the number of planes of this type in the theatre making theirappearance less likely. Destroyed trains and transport columns will affectsupply rate. If an ace is killed or captured he will not appear in futurebattles.Squadron management will also play a key-role in the dynamic campaign system.Every pilot has a name photo (it is possible to replace the default photos) arank medals sorties and kills. Each pilot's skill level is defined by combatexperience. Pilots can be killed captured promoted awarded or transferred.Losses are replaced but new pilots will likely have minimal combat experience.Each squadron has a limited amount of combat ready planes and if this numberdrops below some point the squadron will be short-handed.Players may choose to play from any time of 1941 to 1945 and fly for eitherGermany Russia Finland or Hungary.IncludesThe Forgotten Battles consists of: 20 single-player missions 10 multiplayer missions 5 new maps Dynamic campaigns that are working on all existing maps of IL-2 Sturmovik and IL-2 Sturmovik: Forgotten BattlesIL-2 Sturmovik: Forgotten Battles includes from

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars FB: Understand what you're buying..., October 3, 2003

By 

Joseph P. Kelly (WARMINSTER, PA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: IL 2 Sturmovik: Forgotten Battles (CD-ROM)

I made a serious effort with the original (i.e., IL-2) when it was released; since my system is kept current in terms of memory and video there were no problems running the sim and the interface and graphic's were the best ever produced at the time.
I gave up due to the overly complicated joystick tuning routine (I use a Logitech Wingman Extreme Digital 3-D) and the constant patches released by the manufacturer.

I purchased FB realizing it was a standalone sim - not an expansion of IL-2. FB has the same interface and the default joystick routines are the same but now I have no problems with flight and obviously UBI have responded to feedback from consumers on this issue.

The AI has been critically reviewed by many; I agree that it is extremely tough but the designers goal is to create a simulation - not a game.

This is not a product for the casual gamer. If you are looking for a serious, detailed simulation of air combat on the Eastern Front than FB is the ideal platform. To be blunt, if you're not willing to invest the time required to overcome the learning curve then you will be extremely frustrated. The rewards for your investment will be rich as the sim provides the most detailed atmosphere for air combat ever produced.

You will need a 'current' system to run the sim at full detail levels. FB gets 4 stars instead of 5 because I agree with other reviewer's that the dynamic campaign interface is 'cold'; there hasn't been a good atmospheric campaign interface since Micropose's EAW.

System: OS: XP Home. Intel Pent. 4 2.80 GHz. 15" XGA TFT with Radeon IGP 345M Video Card. 40 GB 2 Hard Drive. 512 MB DDR SDRAM.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars worth it for the updates, March 17, 2004

By 

Robert D. Harmon "bobnbob3" (Mill Valley, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: IL 2 Sturmovik: Forgotten Battles (CD-ROM)

Now that the IL-2: FB Ace Expansion Pack is out -- an expansion, not a stand-alone -- the original IL-2 FB continues to be worth getting. I've been able to get FB to work well on a late-model Pentium, with an ordinary Logitech Wingman joystick, combined with CH Pedals. The pedals simulate real-life rudder pedals and make the controls more responsive -- and as a trained pilot I can appreciate the sim better. This sim is very realistic, and more flyable than, say, MiG Alley.

The FB scenery is gorgeous, with very great detail around Stalingrad and Leningrad. Indeed, a low flight over Leningrad will be a virtual tour of what is now the St. Petersburg skyline. Only the German lines are almost in sight of the city.

As for the complaints about difficulty, it helps if you toggle off the complicated engine management when you create a pilot in a campaign, and your gunnery will be helped if you slow the time-speed to the minimum (1/4) and tighten the view. If this sim seems difficult, remember that many Soviet pilots went into combat with all of 10 hours' flight training, total. You have the Quick Missions to train on your favorite aircraft and even those of the enemy, which is more than the original pilots did.

I strongly recommend FB for sim aficionados. The Ace Expansion Pack will complement your FB copy nicely, and even the AEP exotica aircraft (Spitfire V, YP-80, Me163, etc.) will possibly save you the cost of the recent Normandy flight sims. However, I keep returning to the Soviet and Finnish sectors, in a time when the flying was desperate and the enemy was at the door.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pure enjoyment, March 17, 2003

By 

musickna "musickna" (Saint Louis, MO United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: IL 2 Sturmovik: Forgotten Battles (CD-ROM)

Forgotten Battles is IL-2 souped up and really ready for serious action. The new dynamic campaigns generate heart-stopping missions that have me sweating when - or if - I get back to the airfield alive. The AI is smarter and way tougher than any I have ever experienced in a flight sim, and you have to be on your toes as never before when enemy aircraft are near. The graphics are fabulous - stunning on 'perfect' with the most realistic looking water I've ever seen. All the new aircraft are a treat. The new scenarios are almost unknown in the west - Finland, Hungary - and provide massive thrills as well as a history lesson.

I have never had so much fun with a combat flight simulator as I am having with this one. It runs flawlessy and smoothly on my AMD XP2100, GeForce 4400, 1.5GB RAM system (a big contrast to CFS3). There are few bugs - P-40's that explode when going fast, a few flight model quibbles, perhaps over-accurate ship flak, and some phasing effects with the sound on some settings - but these are minor, and perhaps more importantly, given the track record of Mr. Maddox, will doubtless be fixed quickly. I recommend this game 100%!