After playing the Demo of Wings of Prey (and having been thoroughly impressed in the process) I decided to buy the full version yesterday.

I registered at the Yuplay.com site and bought the game via CC. I immediately got a serial key via email and could start downloading the game. Download via HTTP server was apparently restricted to some kind of "special subscription", which I thought was not exactly a good start... the Yuplay downloader (P2P) was kinda slow, so I tried the (official) bittorrent file and finally could download the game at my max DSL speed. Size was about 6.2 GB.

The installation requires a one-time online activation of the serial key, but there's also the possibility to activate the game on an offline PC via email from another (online) PC. There's a limit of 3 activations, but you can de-activate/re-activate the key with a tool in the game folder in case of hardware upgrades/new systems so you won't "lose" any activations.

WoP supports my MS SWFF2, Saitek rudder pedals and TrackIR without problems, although there's no actual force feedback implemented. The game runs very stable, I only encountered one crash in 10+ hours so far and ALT-Tabbing works just fine. The loading times are surprisingly short, something every fan of Rise of Flight might appreciate...

The grafics are simply astounding. Not only are they almost photo-real, the game also manages to display them at very high FPS with no stutters and noticeable texture-loading. WoP simply offers the best flightsim grafics I've ever seen on the PC. The sound is also quite well done, with a rousing orchestral soundtrack, abundant inflight chatter, scripted dialogues and good sound effects overall. Some weapons sound a bit weak and I've witnessed german pilots over Stalingrad warning me of a Sturmovik on my tail with an agitated "Spitfire!!!", but all in all the sound in WoP is very well done.

The game offers a large variety of planes, most of which have very nice, detailed cockpits. Some (especially) the bombers lack them though, and gunner stations seem to be absent, too.
There are 10 maps in the game, and while they look absolutely stunning and are VERY detailed, they are smaller than the standard IL2 ones, comparable to the small online versions in Oleg's sim. WoP ships with a singleplayer scripted campaign (allied side only) and single missions, IIRC providing about 70 missions altogether.

The game offers three realism options, "arcade", "realistic" and "Simulation", and on simulation the game actually feels quite a bit like IL2. Planes have different characteristics, you can spin and stall, there's even complex engine management. WoP might not be a harcore-sim for the rivet-counters and chart-wavers, but it is far from a "console action game".

The missions seem to offer a bit more "action" than in classical flightsims, but at no time they slip into the ridiculousness of some console games ("...kill 20 bombers, destroy the Bismarck, then find and destroy the hidden Zeppelin base in the Alpes..." ).

There are squad commands and your buddies actually do help kill targets or keep your tail free of enemies. Overall the AI is decent, providing lots of challenge for fun dogfights. There are times I find them a bit too inclined to perform rather wild aerobatics, but for the most part the AI acts believable.

As for online play, I haven't tried it yet.

Main main points of criticism are the lack of a "real" mission editor (there's some kind of quick battle dogfight creator included though), some FM and DM oddities and the lack of more customizable realism options, but I have to say that WoP has completely surprised me with its quality and polish and I can only recommend it to anyone interested in fun, almost movie-like WW2 dogfight mayhem.



I've already posted a few screenies in the screenshot forum, here are some more:

thanks!

It's a little ironic that you mention how it's not like most console games, when there are a TON of arcade pc flight games and this game originally came out on console. LOL

Nice write up and great screeshots! It's nice to see a flight sim that not only (finally) steps up to current day graphics, but it's well optimized and runs brilliantly without needing a high dollar machine to pull it off.

Now if we could talk Gaijin into a modern jet game and a racing sim we might push several sims to catch up.

Yes, after playing the console version I felt immersed in flight, the environment is so rich, the lighting, landscape, the detailed cockpits and Oblivion like music, made for a real joy to fly.

I noticed last night that the jet exhausts on the 262 caused visual distortion in the heat flow...

very cool effect.

Just incredible the FPS you can get with these insanely detailed maps and on a mid-range computer.

How is AI doing, compare to IL2? (friends are totally brainless on traffic pattern, too fast after taking off till getting cruise alt, enemy tactics, and they can see thru the fuselage, etc)


I'm almost buying, tho, that graphics alone makes me getting it indeed...

Para, what are the missions starts like, do you start in air or on the tarmac?

The AI does its job IMO. If I order them to cover me, they clear my tail, if I order them to attack a certain target, they do so, including performing well against ground targets. They don't run into each other, into myself or the scenery and usually act in a believable way, although I sometimes believe they cheat a bit. Or their energy management is far superior than mine...

Oh, and they can blast you out of the sky in no time if you're not careful. But the reargunners especially seem FAR less sniper-rish than in IL2, they are still dangerous but they won't kill you with the 1st salvo either.

As in IL2, the AI seems to have some kind of 360° omnivision, but at least the AI doesn't go into that annoying "infinite barrel roll mode" once you're in firing range, as the IL2 AI is so fond of doing. Stuff like formation speed after takeoff is far less of a concern in WoP since the distances to target are far smaller than in IL2.


EDIT: @Bisher: most missions I've flown so far had the option to either start on the ground or in the air, I usually started on the ground. Also once you've achieved your mission goals you can either opt to end the mission or continue to fly and land at your base.

That's cool, it's good to have the choice

thanks

Greaat writeup PB
The option to takeoff and land is cool too.


Wheels

This is some news! So they did tweak this aspect of IL2 engine. I can see many positive things then. Thanks for the report! Negotiation to my financial dept..

If only there was a German campaign, or a full mission builder... oh well, can't have everything, back to shooting down the fascist invaders of the rodina!







BTW this game is producing wallpapers by the dozen!

I fear this will get a looong night...

yup. Check out firing rockets in the cockpit. They leave a heat trail.

It's not the Il2 engine, but proprietary engine called Dagor.

Mission builders, quick and full supposed to be in the works. Can fly any of the planes in training mode, against up to 16 opponents, but no wingmen.

@Killdevil: I think they used the dagor engine for the scenery, but as far as the flight models and AI go, it really looks and feels a lot like IL2.

I did some 'real' testing in various 1vs1 fights and the same quirks as in IL2 are still present. For example: the I-16 flown by the AI is still the same dogfight wonder as in IL2. I have no problems killing 109s, 190s, Spitfires, Thunderbolts and Hurricanes, but the ever-rolling-diving-climbing-like-a-rocket I-16 gives me trouble like no other plane. Wonder why the Red Army Air Force even bothered to build something else... reminds me of the time where I set a regular I-16 against a dozen vet 109s in IL2, only to see the Luftwaffles getting kicked back to Berlin...


Ah, and I forgot about a BIG problem: the self-centering force of my SWFF2 always reverts back to "strongest", no matter what I try with the SW utility. There's no way to setup stick forces ingame, so I need to fight the stick centering force all the time, which is no fun. This is one of the things that need fixing ASAP.

Also there seems to be a problem with forests at very low altitude, where FPS can suddenly cut down to single digits from the usual 50-100+.

Maybe they just used the il2 FM tables as general physics seem different to me but perhaps you are correct? Never the less, I agree they are very similar which bodes the question, is the FM in WOP more simulation than given credit or is the Il2 FM more arcade than given credit?

Not experienced that frame drop but some of the trees are collidable, not all are.

From the Birds of Prey forum.

RE: Flight model

@ Kryptonite: I've always understood that there's quite a bit of the IL2 engine in WoP. How much exactly, I have no idea since honestly, I haven't followed the development of WoP much.



Hehe...good question.

I am ready to admit that I didn'expect so much "simulation" in WoP. I did a lot of 1vs1s today, and in "sim mode" I can't see worlds of difference between IL2 and WoP. Yes, there are differences, but far less than might be expected from an "action game" compared to THE WW2 sim.



Found out it was related to my gfx card settings. Changed FSAA settings from"application preference" to "improve application settings" and no more slowdown.

Exactly, the flight model is from IL2 but improved. As for AI, I can't recall.
A lot of info on the 1C Birds of Prey forum. This game is BOP but with some added features that didn't make it into that game (like the German cockpits).