Anyone here play air combat games? If so, favorites?

[American Tanker]

Alright, with that out of the way...

I just want to ask if anyone else here enjoys aerial combat games, and if so which ones are your favorites.

I may enjoy some more modern air combat, like Ace Combat(5: The Unsung War in particular); but I'm much more the Battle of Britain type, Spitfires and 109s going after each other with machine guns blazing. Hence the Iron Maiden at the top of the thread.

One recent favorite of mine would have to be the indie arcade flier Sky Rogue. The mod support for this game is impressive to say the least, especially considering that it just recently saw the release of a mod with actual variable-sweep wings, the Rapid Binder variant of the I-Gear from ACE Online.

So what about the rest of you? Am I the only one around here with my head in the clouds?

 

[pookie101]

all the old microprose flight sims but my overall fave would be janes longbow

i miss the days of being able to take off and get flying and fighting in a few keys

 

[Elvis Starburst]

I haven't played many, but I really liked Ace Combat 4 and Assault Horizon. Though, maybe with a hint of nostalgia, Aerofighters Assault on the N64 is just... so so good

 

[Hawki]

I don't suppose the Rogue Squadron games count?

That aside, I did play a demo of The Unsung War back in the day, but that's about it. I'll also admit that watching quite a bit of Assault Horizon is a guilty pleasure of mine - cliched as hell (Russians, nukes, brown people, oh my!), but presented so enjoyably that I can't help but enjoy it.

 

[American Tanker]

I don't suppose the Rogue Squadron games count?

That aside, I did play a demo of The Unsung War back in the day, but that's about it. I'll also admit that watching quite a bit of Assault Horizon is a guilty pleasure of mine - cliched as hell (Russians, nukes, brown people, oh my!), but presented so enjoyably that I can't help but enjoy it.

Rogue Squadron, those were good days. Back when Nintendo was actually good. Before Lucasfilm got bought out by Disney.

Only bad part was Rebel Strike's ground combat. But cut out the garbage(on-foot levels, AT-ST levels) and strip it down to just the flying, and they're damned good.

 

[Neverhoodian]

I couldn't get enough of them as a kid, and I still enjoy them now. I tend to stick to the "golden age" of flight sims from the 90's, as most modern air combat games are either too simple or too complex for my tastes. Besides, there's something charming about seeing a world generated through simple gouraud-shaded polygons.

Some of my all time favorites are the X-Wing series (yeah it's technically space combat, but player ships behave more like aircraft than spacecraft), Red Baron, Aces Over The Pacific, Aces Over Europe, A-10 Tank Killer, F-117 Nighthawk: Stealth Fighter 2.0 and Chuck Yeager's Air Combat. I also have nostalgic memories of admittedly mediocre to bad games in the genre as well, such as Knights of the Sky and Heroes of the 357th.

 

[Dreiko_v1legacy]

I loved the ps1/2 Ace Combat games. Ace Combat Zero was prolly my fav.

 

[Sniper Team 4]

Are we talking "Air Combat" as in "only takes place in atmosphere" here? Because I've played every console version of Ace Combat since 4 (5, as many have said, is the best I feel) and I am super excited to hear that they're releasing a new one this year.

But if air combat includes space...X-Wing. X-wing is king, and until someone figures out how to make a Star Wars game better than that (no, I haven't played TIE Fighter, but I hear it's amazing too, so it's in the same class), it shall remain king. I have many, many, many fond memories as a child playing that game for hours on end.

 

[American Tanker]

Are we talking "Air Combat" as in "only takes place in atmosphere" here? Because I've played every console version of Ace Combat since 4 (5, as many have said, is the best I feel) and I am super excited to hear that they're releasing a new one this year.

But if air combat includes space...X-Wing. X-wing is king, and until someone figures out how to make a Star Wars game better than that (no, I haven't played TIE Fighter, but I hear it's amazing too, so it's in the same class), it shall remain king. I have many, many, many fond memories as a child playing that game for hours on end.

Might as well include space fliers. Just so long as it's all about dogfights.

I guess there can be battleships involved, but it's not like the player ever gets to command any of them. You're just a fighter pilot. Deadliest ace in the sector, but just a fighter pilot.

 

[Neverhoodian]

Are we talking "Air Combat" as in "only takes place in atmosphere" here? Because I've played every console version of Ace Combat since 4 (5, as many have said, is the best I feel) and I am super excited to hear that they're releasing a new one this year.

But if air combat includes space...X-Wing. X-wing is king, and until someone figures out how to make a Star Wars game better than that (no, I haven't played TIE Fighter, but I hear it's amazing too, so it's in the same class), it shall remain king. I have many, many, many fond memories as a child playing that game for hours on end.

You love X-Wing but haven't played its vastly superior sequel?!

Do it. Do it NAOW!

Don't get me wrong, I love X-Wing as well, but Tie Fighter improved on it in so many ways. Just make sure you get it from GOG, as the Steam version has compatibility issues. Also, I'd recommend the 1995 Collector's CD-ROM, as it's the definitive version of the game.

https://www.gog.com/game/star_wars_tie_fighter_special_edition

 

[Catnip1024]

The old Sturmovik game was good. The latest one not so much.

A proper simulator has you at least take off and land the damn plane. It would be even better if it had you walk back to the officers mess for a post-op debrief. That's realism.

If you appreciate realism, though, avoid HAWX. Avoid HAWX like the plague. Horrible gameplay, lousy story.

 

[wings012]

There was a multiplayer pvp sidescrolling plane game whose name escapes me. There was a machinegun biplane, so bomber that could deploy floating mines, barometric explosive missiles and a laser plane. I had a lot of fun during its beta, but I heard it turned to absolute shit after full release.

Ace Combat 4, 5 and 0 still remain my favourite. I haven't tried many other than those however. Assault Horizon pissed me way the hell off. Hawx didn't really do it for me.

Strike Suit Zero made me sad.

I always wanted to try Project Sylpheed but I never did get a 360.

 

[baddude1337]

I quite enjoy X-Wing Alliajce even if I am terrible at it. Don't see how I'll ever remember All the keys, though using a joystick really is great fun. Got a bunch of HD mods too so it looks fantastic, as well as ports of the Xwing and Tie Fighter missions.

Been meaning to play IL-2, but really want the CUP mod off the bat with it. It's just a huge file and pain to install however.