couldnt wait to unwrap it and get gaming - excellant game - in trouble with the mrs for being on playstaion all the time

This console generation has seen a good number of flight combat games. From the antiquated stuff of Red Baron to the slightly futuristic fare of Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. 2 , a good deal of them are arcade flight games, where technical details give way to white-knuckle aerial action.

Takes flight in historical style Put me in front of a flight sim, you'll usually get possibly the most macabre black comedy of the century. I have about the same level of co-ordination as a gnat in a tumble dryer, consistently forcing locals to scrape my remains of their rooftops ten times over.

Tons to unlock; Loads of missions to undertake thanks to dynamic campaigns and mission editors; Tight and responsive controls for flying; Stephen Fry educates you through events

In game voiceovers are rather annoying; Missions can get rather dull with poor pacing; Short campaign

Gaijin Games has hooked up with Konami this to make another sequel in their WW2 Flight IL-2. This is good news as it mean they finally are going to get a little coin behind their production. Unlike their marketing which doesn't even seem to have been addressed, typical.

So have you ever wanted to feel like Tom Cruise but flying planes in the 40s well heres your game! These types of games are usually for the narrow market or flying fanatics just like hardcore sim racers are now.

As with many flying games, Birds of Steel isn't quite photo-realistic. But when you get caught up in a dog fight the last thing you'll be worried about is the slightly odd look or dimensions of the trees or buildings, unless of course you're daringly attempting to lose pursuers by flying amongst...

Welcome to the world of hardcore, console-based flight simulations. Population: close enough to bugger all. Yes, you could just about count all of them on one hand. See, we're a fickle bunch, console gamers, as a whole, we (and yes, this is a sweeping generalization) tend to like things fast and...

Brutally authentic flight and combat systems; Stunning array of WW2-era aircraft to collect and master; Engrossing mission-based co-op and multiplayer dogfights

Unpolished presentation; Disappointing graphics; particularly terrain and built-up areas; Hardly a fun playground to entice newcomers to the genre

Birds of Steel was built for people interested in the history of aviation during World War II. That isn't to say that more casual flight enthusiasts won't have fun; my expertise stops at knowing planes need two wings to function correctly, and I was entertained.

The issue with playing any form of flight simulator on a games console is the restriction of using a controller. True flight simulators are best played on PC's using a combination of keyboard and joystick.

Birds of Steel is a dynamic World War II flight simulator.