Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator 3: Battle for Europe

by Microsoft

Product Features

• Choose to fly for the U.S., England, or the German Luftwaffe in 34 different and unique aircraft
• You'll battle against tough AI-controlled opponents in the European Theatre Of Operations, or form squadrons with friends and go on cooperative missions
• Switch positions between pilot, gunner or bombardier -- or fly in experimental jets that barely made it into combat
• Reactive game world reponds to your presence -- trigger new events, unlock aircraft, and much more
• Fantastic graphic displays with enhanced 3D modeling and textures, with realistic cloud and weather modeling make you feel like you're really 600 ft. in the air

Product Details

• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B00006IIVJ
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.2 x 1.2 inches ; 6.4 ounces
• Media: CD-ROM
• Release Date: October 24, 2002
• Average Customer Review: 2.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (182 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,192 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
  • #22 in Video Games > PC Games > Racing & Flying
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.co.uk

With stunning graphics and accurate flight models, Combat Flight Simulator 3 lets you revisit the Western Front during World War II as a pilot in a variety of production and prototype period aircraft. Significant improvements have been made over the earlier versions of the series, such as the addition of a dynamic campaign and cooperative multiplayer mode. Plus there is incredible attention to detail--with a new graphics engine that combines the ability to render planes in flight with highly detailed terrain that looks great even at low levels, adding a new dimension to low-level bombing runs.

There is a price to pay for this attention to detail: performance. You're going to need a high-end processor and graphics card to get the most from this game. We would recommend a Pentium 4 and GeForce4 combination (or equivalent) to get full satisfaction. Anything less and you have to start compromising on the in-game detail settings, or accept stuttering frame rates.

There are 18 aircraft that you can fly in the game, plus many variant models, though there are some notable omissions. While you can happily take control of a Spitfire, Me-109, P51 Mustang, or Junkers 88, you won't come across a Flying Fortress anywhere in the game. The lack of heavy bombers is strange, especially considering the theatre of operations.

Criticisms aside, there is still plenty to enjoy. The flight models are excellent, especially when you switch on the realism settings, with each aircraft having distinct characteristics. The missions are well thought out, as is the campaign system, which enables you to gain access to more aircraft as you progress and acquire skills, which can improve your tolerance to G-forces for example.

Combat Flight Simulator 3 is a worthy addition to the genre. It has enough to keep long-time flight sim fans entertained and is also accessible enough for novices to pick up and play. --Jason Weston

Product Description

Anti-aircraft fire blankets you. Blast debris hurls toward your propeller. And you wonder why you didn't join the navy. This ain't no free-flight, cloud-gunner, glory ride. This is ground assault: the real, gritty combat that can make or break a battle, and take your life in one massive explosion. Bombs shatter enemy airfields, trains, and tank columns as you streak across the European countryside in WWII's greatest planes, dodging small-arms fire, gripping your joystick with sweaty palms and white knuckles, pumped with adrenaline-living history.

As a U.S. Army Air Force, Royal Air Force, or Luftwaffe pilot in Microsoft's Combat Flight Simulator 3 you fly in the historical framework of the tactical air war in northwest Europe starting in mid-1943, but there's a significant difference. The skill and perseverance you and your squadron or Staffel bring to each battle can alter the tactical situation and the timeline of the campaign. This open-ended and flexible campaign means you can influence events, alter history, and extend the timeline to add new technology to your arsenal. How you handle these tactical and technological advantages will determine the outcome.

In Combat Flight Simulator 3, it's 1943, and no one knows what's going to happen.

New features include:

• Enhanced campaign play sends you on involved tactical missions in a campaign where success or failure can move the frontline, influence the quality of equipment available, and even change the outcome of the war
• New collection of 18 aircraft featuring bombers with crews (fly medium bombers and take control of the bombardier or gunner position), stunning 3-D cockpit detail, accurate performance and damage modeling, medium bomber operations, WWII state-of-the-art aircraft (including the first jet fighters)
• Custom graphics engine powers super-high detail ground-attack targets and improved scenery with enhanced 3-D modeling and texturing
• Cooperative multiplayer missions and free-for-all dogfights via the Internet and LAN
• Reactive world: areas of the campaign world will trigger events, spawn aircraft, generate flak, etc. in response to your presence
• Role playing elements: pilots have qualities like Bombing Skill, Vision, and Health
• Strategy: you make decisions that influence how the war is fought, where to put the pressure on the enemy, and what aircraft improvements are crucial to the war effort

See all Product Description

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

138 of 141 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars One step forward, two steps back., November 20, 2002

By 

Matthew Duren (Tracy, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator 3: Battle for Europe (CD-ROM)

Things are often very relative in the gaming world. If CFS3 was actually Microsoft's first shot at a combat sim, it probably would merrit much higher reviews from the simming community and myself. After all, the game does boast an interesting campaign engine, a good variety of different planes to fly, including bombers and prototypical aircraft, some nice atmospheric effects, and the ability to man different positions on the bombers. Of course, many of these pro's have already been implemented in other WW2 combat sims of years past.

Unfortunately, this is not Microsoft's first shot and those of us who have loyally followed their series of flight sims, both combat and civilian, expect a certain progression with each new release. I, myself, was extremely pleased with said progression in both FS2002 and CFS2. Both games, I felt, learned from the mistakes of their predecessors, but at the same time, remained faithful to the series. And both greatly enhanced the look and feel of flight simming while not expecting too much from the machines they ran on. This is where CFS3 fails in my eyes.

So here are my major beefs.

Graphics: Where did they dream up this graphics engine? It looks and feels more like a first-person shooter than a flight sim. Is this really CFS3 or am I playing Counterstrike on a very wacky map? Sure it has nice clouds, but this game just does not have the visual cohesiveness of FS2002 nor CFS2. The virtual cockpits just don't look as good as in CFS2. The ground objects are also out of proportion to the aircraft. Do a little low-level strafing and things just don't look right.

Performance: My biggest gripe. If this new graphics engine was supposed to provide better performance by utilizing the video card more, they blew it. I have a P4 1.9ghz, 512mb rambus, with a TI4600 128mb Geforce4 and, with NO programs running in the background, the game stutters - especially when firing the guns. UNACCEPTABLE. The game just doesn't look good enough to justify such a drop in performance.

Damage models: These were supposed to be greatly improved. If so, I don't see it. Every plane I have shot down follows the same annoying pattern: pour tons of rounds into any part you like and eventually the whole plane blows up. No pieces of wings falling off, no tails detaching, no engines blowing, just one big boom. Would someone please go back to 1998 and look at the damage models in Activision's Fighter Sqadron? They did it right.

AI: I am getting so sick of computer pilots that have the uncanny ability - even as novices - to maintain control and maneuverability of their aircraft when you have damaged them, when one little hit on your alieron from their guns renders your aircraft unflyable.

Selection of aircraft: It was very thoughtful of Microsoft to include some oddball prototypical aircraft in their selection, but why oh why, at the expense of planes like the B17, Do17, He111, Ju87, and ME110? This is Europe, right? Oh, and thanks for the lack of compatibility with CFS2 aircraft.

Yes, all my griping makes the game sound a lot worse than it actually is, but with all the used copies of CFS3 I've seen on auction sites and the number of bad reviews it's gotten from other users like myself, I think it's obvious that Microsoft has made a boo-boo or two on this one. Let's pray they don't use this graphics engine on FS2004.

81 of 87 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Poor quality, not very rewarding !, December 11, 2002

By 

joby (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator 3: Battle for Europe (CD-ROM)

I agree with most other reviews. My machine is a new P4 2Ghz and a new GeForce4 Ti4200. This is the min hardware I would recommend using for this hog of a sim. Was also surprised that I had to update my video drivers just to get it to load. Gameplay: Make no mistake, there is alot of flight simming here. You can take off and land to/from your bases, and the flying, especially through the gorgeous clouds, is realistic. But this game lacks "rewards" for the campaign work that you will do, and I find that the quality control (many typos etc in the online manuals) is poor. Also, there is not enough detail about how campaigns work and the map detail isn't explained properly. I would not recommmend this. Even for a hardcore flight simmer like myself, when I enter a combat sim I want medals and advancement, etc. I am finding the campaign mode to be boring with little to no feedback on mission results. Its just not here. Microsoft has angered alot of folks with this release, and they seem to repeat these mistakes (remember when Flight Simulator 2000 was released? Everyone was so mad because the sim would not run unless you had state of the art hardware). Pass on this one UNLESS you have a P4, newer 3D video card and realistic expectations.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Believe the bad news!, December 28, 2002

By 

Robert L Turner (Pinellas Park, Fl United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator 3: Battle for Europe (CD-ROM)

I'm glad I read these reviews after I bought the game! My machine is an AMD XP 2200+ 1.8 ghz with a 266fsb, 768mb pc2100 ram, GeForce4 MX 4200 64mb video card (ie top of the line system in the top 10%). However, yes I am having the same problems as everybody else. The game randomly causes my machine to crash (winXP) anytime the sliders are above 2 for the graphics quality. Besides this VERY annoying fact is that the gameplay itself is very unsatisfying. The quick combat is entertaining to jump in and go at it with several germans, but the campaign is depressing. I get very little feedback on what I'm doing right and what I'm doing wrong, it just seems that no matter what I attack (factories, fighters, bombers) the war goes against me. Microsoft's promised online support simply isn't there yet. Oh and u fans of jet flight simulators? be forewarned. Your sweet P-51 mustang is going to act like an A-6 in a CAT III config. (ie like a pig). The fact is that I actually have to say that it is to realistic. The planes of this day were so underpowered that stalling is always a problem. U get one pass, from 20000 feet diving down against your opponent, assuming u haven't ripped off your wings by overspeed, your turn around will rob u of all your speed and u wind up in very quick and hard vertical dogfight. Good luck. Horrible system requirements (you need probably a P4 2.6 ghz with 1 gb of ram and a 128 video card), confusing gameplay, and an all around unrewarding experience.