Hardly noticable, not worth the time and effort.
The original video releases from the studio had me believing that BoB:WOV was a competent flight simulator with highly detailed models, spectacular visual effects, and an engrossingly detailed strategy end. Of these three important features only the last is true, and only partly.
Flight Model: One can start the game up and jump right into a quick mission with the menu and find themselves in the cockpit of a spitfire almost instantly. If the player chooses to start in the air they’ll immediately realize that the plane bobs up and down with the slightest of stick movement, almost as if this large plane is actually made of paper and is suspended from a string like some baby’s mobile hanging over a crib. One tiny flinch and the plane swings wildly. After managing to train my hands to not move the joystick at all, I find that turning and climbing (especially stalls) are more like the flight characteristics of arcade games like After Burner then they are the realistic flight models of actual planes. I suppose I could be completely wrong, being that I am in no way a pilot, but I suspect that other games have a better grasp of this one most important aspect.
Models: The website for BoB:WOV shows very high detail models. The in game version is quite the opposite. I was most shocked by the in cockpit. Most of the cockpit is actually texture mapped, apart from the important dials and gauges that is. One strikingly ugly example is in the Hurricane. The flaps control can’t even be read. Now mind you, a thorough search of the graphics section on the games configuration has left me to assume that I’m running the game the best that I can. The point though, is that this is what is considered ‘standard’ fare; this low res, badly texture mapped, in cockpit view. While the Russian game not mentioned above, has a very high detailed, high textured, cockpit view as ‘standard’.
That’s just in the cockpit, what goes on outside the cockpit is laughable. Flying in formation one sees that the aircraft in his wing are pixelly and blocky, although they aren’t that far away. Then there is the ground, has no one learned that CFS style ground textures are all fun and well, but really need to be abandoned for more detailed model buildings?
Realize that it is quite possible that these low resolution graphics are the best my graphics card can do (sys specs below), but that certain Russian game looks absolutely fabulous on my system…BoB does not.
Strategy Ended Game: It looks to be that BoB:WOV allows the player to control the actual wings associated with defending Britain during WWII. You can manage the aircraft location, which kind of missions the squadrons will take, etc. This is all very interesting, but who cares. Because the flight model is so terrible that I really don’t feel like spending any time trying to push my graphics card and get much better graphics (like the ones in the images section at gamespot) let alone want to read the book about how to fight the strategy end of the game.
Most importantly, if you’re looking for a flight simulator, this game is not it. Look East my young friend, look east.
One final note, the in game sound effects are pretty nice, but it doesn't make up for the rest of the game's failings.
()Sys Specs: PIV-3.06, 1GByte Ram, ATI 9800 256Mb