F-15 Review (no fat)

Game Description

Quite possibly one of the most intelligent and daring recreations of an F-15 in a game, Jane’s Combat does it yet again and throws around their weight with this latest offering. Made with the hardcore Combat Sim fan in mind, F-15 literally throws gamers into the cockpit of one of the sleekest jets in existence.

Not one to be taken lightly, F-15 is recommended for advanced-expert players only.

F-15 Gameplay

As if simulations weren’t already a confusing genre, things get even more complicated after looking in your cockpit. It is pretty much a complete recreation of a real F-15, which will leave common gamers puzzled and in some cases pulling out their hair. There is an option to dumb down all that is before you, but doing so drastically affects the realism of the game.

Your display can be customized to better suit you, and for your missions. Multiple navigational modes - all extremely confusing to the beginning player - are all well done so that a comfortable setting can be reached within minutes of play.

A couple of nice training missions will ease you into the play, but not everyone will grasp all of F-15’s intricacies from these training missions alone: it takes patience.

There are only 2 campaign missions, but they are both dynamic, enhancing the replay value easily. Iraq and Iran can be played multiple times, without fear of the same thing happening too many times in a row.

Multiplayer is a drag in some cases, and doesn’t even include any co-op missions. Why in a game, with incredibly trained team AI would co-op be neglected, is anyone’s guess. But if players have some friends they want to play F-15 with, chances are they will be sorely disappointed. Your multiplayer fix is still available, but is only enjoyable for Doom-like time manipulation.

F-15 Controls

Because of the high complexity of the displays before you, the default setup with the keyboard is recommended and welcomed. Normally a flight sim would be better played from a joystick, but with the vast array of controls you will be dealing with, then it is completely necessary to have all your keys ready and able in front of you.

A big plus with the controls is the artificial intelligence, and you will notice it big time when your comrades don’t screw up like in other sims. Common errors and bugs have been taken out of the final product, and you’re left with a polished, well rounded AI system that follows commands properly when you issue them.

F-15 Graphics

Crisp and realistic graphics - that really can’t receive too much praise – are a top quality recommendation in themselves. The content is limited, and some of the games sprites are reused a little too much. However, these complaints are just nitpicks that don’t hamper the gameplay. Special effects, such as the usual sun flare, are done with a little pizzazz in F-15 and it is really nice to look at while in flight.

Some of the games visuals will blow your mind, but then again it may be you trying to conceive what it is you are actually looking at in the cockpit. (Most of the time).

F-15 Sound

The music is great to get you into the mood to fight, but the actual sound effects vary. They really don’t stand out which is a big minus in a flight simulation title, and it does hinder gameplay just a bit. Not enough to where you reconsider playing a mission through, but gamers will get a little bit of a ho-hum feel after blowing up an enemy for the 25th time.

F-15 Summing up

This is an admirable attempt, and certain video games are often rated on their realism. F-15 is an example of a game that is too real, and forgets to add the bells and whistles that make it a videogame in the first place.

At its core it is an extreme recreation of an actual F-15, an incredible feat. But the entire fun factor is squandered by an intrusive control scheme, and a brain numbing sensor system, that, if dumbed down, makes the game purchase pointless in the first place.

F-15 is likely to appeal to hardcore combat simulator fans only, and even then it will test their knowledge of their favorite genre.

F-15 cost

The game currently retails for $6.99.