The one that started it all!!!
Installation:
While its possible to have a problem with some versions of Windows, I've never met a person who couldn't get it started after a fashion. My installation was a snap and it's still running after numerous updates to Windows XP.
Graphics:
Stunning absolutly stunning. With a powerful enough rig you almost approach photographic quality with your screenshots. There are numerous levels of detail and resolution so even the slowest rig can run this game. What will strike you at first is how lovingly rendered each and every cockpit is. And the guages and dials WORK. When you throw the joystick to the right, the stick goes to the right. The trim bubble and artificial horizon all work in every flyable plane. Amazing, just amazing. And when you take an outside look you see airplane skins that bear the correct squadron markings and emblems. The only thing missing are the Swastikas (for legal reasons) and score markings on the side of your crate.
Sound:
Good if not great sound in this game. It tracks from left to right and front to rear quite well. You can tell when you rear surfaces are getting shot away real quick.. Engine and gun sounds are great and vary from plane to plane. When flying an open cockpit job, like the stubby I-16, you even hear wind rushing past your head. And in a rear engine job, like the P-39 you can tell that the engine is behind and not in front even with your eyes closed. Good work with separation as well.
Gameplay:
Single player gameplay in this game is superb, once you're in the air., on the ground, eh... less than desired. You can fly for the Russians or the Germans, and the planes are expertly modeled. These planes don't fly like X-Wings., they have expertly modeled flight characteristics. As a result of these models, you can't just jump in and start flying. If you do you'll never even get it off the runway. There's a steep learning curve here if you want to immerse yourself in it. You can be as fussy as you want, chossing how much fuel, what kind of weapons loads, stalls, spins etc... you play with or you can make it an arcade shooter if you like where everything just goes boom. You can make it as easy or as hard on yourself as you want.
While its possible to play this game without a joystick, I'd not recommend it. You can go full bore if you wish and get, headphones, rudder pedals, a throttle and joystick or simply get a cheepo stick and have at it. Multiplayer online play is a big draw to this game as well. Numerous servers exist where you can fly at every level from "full real" to "arcade" and everything in-between. Word of caution, practice before venturing into the online realm as there are some real shooters out there. But nothing beats the feeling of beating a real live person in real time in the crate of your choice.
Bottom Line:
This game is addictive as crack and with all the add-on's and mod's you can be playing this game for years to come.