..This IS a Microsoft Combat Flight Sim, right?

User Rating: 7 | Combat Flight Simulator 3: Battle for Europe PC
Wow...I have such mixed reactions to this. On one hand, it's a much needed overhaul of the original CFS idea: the Air War in the ETO (European Theater of Operations) and adds the addition of flyable bombers, being able to man the turret and bombardier positions, and being able to customize loadouts, and even torpedoes on some planes. Definitely features the original Combat Flight Sim (CFS) was lacking. The graphics were amazing, and I have to say, I like them. However, there are alot of scars on this otherwise pretty face that is the third and (supposedly) final Combat Flight Simulator. For starters, WHAT IS WITH THE AI? B-26 Marauders dive-bombing? Let's not even get me STARTED on the lame multi-player. Microsoft shutting down the MSN Gaming Zone's CD-Rom lobbies was a bad decision, and upset many fans. There would have been much more multi-player action had that stayed up and this game been Zone compatible. I also think the lack of scenery and ability to fly anywhere in the world was a major let-down. I always loved flying to Manilla in Combat Flight Sim 1, stopping at user-made sceneries along the way, or heading up to Africa in Combat Flight Sim 2, off the USS John C. Stennis in my F/A-18C. The CFS Series' biggest asset was the fact that you could make just about ANYTHING for it, and here they go and take it out. Quite irritating, to say the LEAST. However, there is quite a bit of pretty scenery, and downloads to change the way the water looks, if you so desire. There are a great amount of aircraft addons (available both through www.simviation.com and www.avhistory.org) which make the game that much more enjoyable. You can download Italian and Russian aircraft, planes sorely missing from this game. There's also a project in the works for turning the ETO Air Wars into the North Africa Theater of Operation (can't recall the name at the time), so you're never at a total loss for adding on to CFS3. I just wouldn't reccommend this for anyone who expects this to be up-to-par with Microsoft's previous Combat Flight Simulator