Birds of Steel

[Jim di Griz]

As this is a follow-on of sorts to the IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey game and there doesn't appear to be a thread about it, I thought I'd share my impressions of this game.

For those who played BoP or tried it, this game focuses on the Pacific theatre of WWII and is on PC, Xbox360 and PS3 - so at last the consoles get to fly a Zero  :) Most Gaijin games tend to be designed for the PC market and reportedly the console versions of the games are limited in comparison, so I'd be keen on hearing any views from a PC player on this.

I've had the game since launch, as they were doing a reduced price for pre-orders, 20% off which was cool. Unfortunately I haven't had as much chance to play it since getting the game as I'd like - my PS3 has started doing the 80010514 error on certain game discs. I know, it's probably the laser reader but that's another story and anyway, sometimes I can load a game that shows the error after an hour or so, as if nothing had happened...

Anyway, back to the review...

The game layout is basically the same but they have mixed things up a bit. You get Historic Campaign (three sections), Missions, Online, Versus, Extras (the Encyclopadia thing) and Online. Oddly, you can access online from at least three of those sections - maybe different kinds of online play, not sure as I haven't ventured into that yet...so more to follow on that score.

It's a bit unweildy in that respect, but they do seem to link back to each other, or more accurately cross-link between sections. Here's a sction from GameFAQs showing the layout option:

HISTORICAL CAMPAIGNS
MISSIONS
EVENTS
VERSUS
EXTRAS
PLAY ONLINE

From this menu select MISSIONS. You will see:

QUICK MATCH
FIND SESSION
DYNAMIC CAMPAIGN
SINGLE MISSION
MISSION EDITOR
PLAY ONLINE

From here select DYNAMIC CAMPAIGN

The campaigns are:

SIEGE OF MALTA
BATTLE OF PORT MORESBY
BATTLE OF THE KUBAN
BATTLE OF THE RUHR
BATTLE OF GUADALCANAL
ATTACK OF PEARL HARBOR
BATTLE OF MIDWAY
BATTLE OF WAKE ISLAND

See what I mean?

As with BoP you can do a few flight training runs in the Historic campaigns pre-war section - take-off and maneuvers, basic combat and landing (airfield), carrier take-off then torpedo and carrier landing and finally dive bombing ships - this latter introduces airbrakes to put you into a steeper dive similar to that of a Stuka and is quite a rush  :) I managed to fumble my way through the torpedo runs but the sighting system seems to be badly set up. As usual, Gaijin have their own way of approaching game mechanics and I don't seem to be able to find a way of making this happen the way it should, instead of fudging my way through to achieving the kill. Again, like BoP there are a few apparently superfluous bits in the training missions and you have to do it the way the game wants, or you don't progress. Annoying but only briefly so as in the game you can do what you please to achieve the end result.

I will say that landing on a carrier is a pain - likely it's due to me using a DS3 controller which I can't seem to find any button mapping options for. Take-off similarly can be a pain as acceleration is push the right stick forward but right stick is also used for the tail rudder...so unless you have it set perfectly straight, I found myself steering into the bridge section of the carrier during take-off and wrecking, then you get the next plane in your flight and that one starts at an angle = same result  >:(( A bit of practise does get you airbourne though.

Visually I found the game to be mostly equal to BoP. The plane cockpits are all superb and I think all planes have cockpits this time around, which is a real solid plus and the flight guages actually w@&k and you have to use them in sim mode if you want to land without crashing. The ground detail though is mostly simpler, which I found to be a shame; that could well be just the console version though. Lighting effects however, most definitely an improvement - you get some highly atmosperic settings to fly in. One of the missions was fly a Thunderbolt along the path provided through the jungle valleys - boy that was intense, keeping low and skimming above the tree tops while climbing steep slopes, over ridges and sudden precipices  :)

I mentioned in the BoP thread that the FLAK was intense - my first mission (co-op online mode if anyone is looking to do that at the same time) was flying a Stuka over Malta with the objective of bombing an airfield. Low bombing runs were hairy and the explosions far more effective than in BoP but once the mission was complete, I had to get back and that's when the fun started - what felt like a five minute flight through an AA corridor with the remaining Spitfires chasing me. It felt like being in a Viper caught between the Galactica and the Basestars while they exchange pleasantries  :-D

The Historic Campaign, after you've done the pre-war training bit gets down to the war and you doing your bit in it. Part two is the American/Australian defense during and after Pearl Harbour - quite a few missions there. Part three is the Japanese view of the events from Pearl Harbour onwards, so you get to bomb it yourself. Now that's probably wrong of me to enjoy that, but I did!

There are some good missions in there, all unfortunately a lot simpler than with BoP - a sign that this is something of a dumbed down version, a trend I dislike about sequel games from the past few years - nevermind though.

Mission Editor is the same as Training Missions in BoP - select the parameters and have at it - I think you can do these online also. Whilst on the subject of online, although you unlock planes in the usual way, you still have to buy them with your 'war-points' (accumulated XP) and so I haven't tried online yet as I only have the Gladiator, Swordfish and a couple of other basic aircraft to choose from. You do have a huge amount of them to unlock and choose from though, including the B-17 Flying Fortress. Other additions since BoP include the Mosquito, the Boomerang and of course all of the Japanese planes. You can try out all of the ones you have unlocked in the Hanagar area which is a good feature - just try taking off from the ocean in a seaboat with a heavy swell underneath you - it's fun.

So, in conlusion and despite seeming a bit negative about certain things I really enjoy this game and have no qualms about completing it because the pure joy of flying is the core of this game, and there is more than ever of that.

Sorry about the long post - so here's a trailer Birds of Steel launch

[PZ]

Excellent review Jim  :-X

It has been a long while since I played a flight game - Heroes Over Europe I believe.  I did not like the flight controls, but I played through about 25% of the game before I quit.  I was thinking about acquiring some kind of flight stick but never did and actually forgot about the game until I read this post.

The graphics in this game are excellent!  I'm still not sure I'll try another flight game but because WWII is one of my favorite themes, I'm a bit intrigued.

[Art Blade]

That bloody long post just earned you another slap on the back, mate. Well done and thanks  :-() :-X

[Jim di Griz]

Thanks good people - I think I got about 20%  of the way through Heroes over Europe but never fear, BoS is way better and far more realistic.

[Jim di Griz]

Uh-oh...this game has a screen shot and replay function  :) so time for an update on how the game is going!

I won't regale you all with too many just now as the screen capture system is mind-manglingly weird - you can however view each replay from each and every aircrafts' viewpoint and have multiple camera angles available for the lot. I'm going to have to copy down the button options and w@&k this out properly as so far I'm just winging it.

Here's a Ju87 raid on Malta mission
[smg id=4529]
[smg id=4530]

Defending my airfield in a Me262
[smg id=4528]
[smg id=4526]
[smg id=4527]

Loads of fun trying to bomb three destroyers in the mission 'AA hail'
[smg id=4525]

So, as you can see, quite pretty really. I just love the atmosperic times of day chosen for the missions - just the same as with BoP.

In single-player I'd just advanced upto level 10 (of 20) and despite unlocking a lot of planes, had only enough war points to buy one plane. I wasn't looking forward to going online with the six automaticaly unlocked planes I had available to me, mostly as these were all bi-planes bar one. I had a quick look yesterday, to check if there'd be level matching set up - but no...plenty of Fw190s and Spitfires out there - I'd have no chance of surviving long against that lot.

Despite that, I ventured on properly today and am so glad that I did. I think the war-points system was predominantly designed for online. I quadrupled my stash in five matches, even shot down a few enemies which meant I could buy more planes  :-X You can customise these planes too, adding slogans, squadron emblems and eventually unlock different camouflage paint jobs.

Online appears to be domination matches only, either airfield, battle or airspace - basically it's a lot of battling for team supremacy in one spot. Some of the maps do have targets to take down around the enemy spawn point too, which adds to the fun.

Having done some reading about it all on the Gaijin forum, I also found out that there have been two DLC packs released in the past month. Battle of Britain from BoP and Stalingrad winter breakout along with Kuban winter, also from BoP. These maps are apparently pretty massive too as well as breathtaking - I always liked the winter maps. With these DLC come extra missions and a plane or two.

No patches for the game yet, though the general feeling is that this can't be too far away. There have been some issues, mostly online with aircraft carriers spawning on land and invisible enemy aircraft that can and will shoot you down without you having a clue that it's there. There has also been some lag issues on the servers, a bit frustrating when you're trying to line up on an opponent and they keep on jumping all around the sky...

Overall though, plenty to keep me occupied, so I'm happy. I'll see if I get the DLC and let you all know.

[PZ]

Nice  :-X

[fragger]

Thanks for the rundown Jim :) I'm a great long-time lover of WW2 aircraft, especially fighters, so this title has a lot of interest for me.

Nice screenies, too :-X

...so far I'm just winging it.

I guess we'll overlook that possibly unintentional pun...

:-D

[Jim di Griz]

...I guess we'll overlook that possibly unintentional pun...

:-D

it was actually - only just saw it  ^-^

[Art Blade]

 :) nice, the pics look good, too :-X

[Jim di Griz]

Cheers all - I spent quite a bit of time yesterday online with this - been putting off FC2 as I think I'm almost at the end...

I even had a couple of matches using the standard bi-planes, as my good planes had been thoroughly mangled by a tight team of opposition, flying at night. I didn't have enough xp points built up to repair them - so no choice really. Those are a lot more fun than I thought they'd be. I even shot a player down and made most of the opposition overshoot, getting back on their tail with it's quick maneuverability  :)

As an aside to the xp to repair damaged aircraft thing - the damage goes away after six hours, but if you want to continue using the same plane, you'll need to trade in some of your earned xp. No worries  though as you get a share of the team earned xp in each mission, so it doesn't rely on kills-only to gain xp - you just need to stay alive. You also get xp for 'spotting' enemy aircraft, which a lá BF3 and Brink highlights them for your team also.

I now have eleven aircraft, including the Sturmovik IL-2 with bomb and rocket loadouts - this means I can cause some pain in the battlefield domination matches now by taking out the spawn point targets.

Incidentally, the fun thing about the occasional spawn campers you meet with airfield spawns - they mostly come in and strafe along the runway - in take-off mode, your guns are ideally angled to take them out... :-X I've caused most of them to break off and even badly damaged one of them.

[Jim di Griz]

If anyone needs any more screenshots to help convince, Konami Japan have a load on offer here which also have inadvertently revealed at least three more DLC packs to come - Battle for Berlin, Invasion of Scicily and the Ardennes Offensive.

[fragger]

Cheers :-X