JetFighter IV: Fortress America

The latest game in the JetFighter series from Mission Studios and TalonSoft is almost complete, and GameSpot was able to join in on a hands-on flight test. It looks like JetFighter IV will continue the trend set by JetFighter III, which put more emphasis on the combat-action aspects of flight, rather than on the complex details of flight simulation.

In JetFighter IV, you will be able to select from some of the best fighter jets that the American aerial arsenal has to offer, such as the F-14 Tomcat, the F-22 Raptor, and the F/A-18 Super Hornet. Each jet model has been meticulously detailed, all the way down to the pilot in the cockpit. Once inside your jet, you will undertake missions that are primarily based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The quality and size of the available flying space is noteworthy: A wide swathe of territory from the Pacific Ocean to deep in Nevada has been mapped to photographic precision for use in the game.

JetFighter IV's combat comprises both dogfighting and air-to-ground missions. Actually completing a mission will be a challenging task because targets on the ground, as well as other jets, will attempt to take you down. Each object you attack and attempt to destroy - including skyscrapers and even the Bay Bridge - will indicate battle damage such as smoke or fire.

TalonSoft currently has JetFighter IV scheduled for a late-September or early-October release.