Specifications

O
leg Maddox is fast becoming a legend
in PC flight sim circles. Three critically
acclaimed chapters of his high-flying
IL-2 Sturmovik series have dominated the
virtual skies since 2001. Now—in a departure
from the franchise’s WWII Eastern Front
roots—the Russian developer now serves
up Pacific Fighters, the best Pacific Theater
aerial combat sim since Microprose’s classic
1942: Pacific Air War.
Hellcats, Corsairs, and Zekes are the stars here—the list of flyable American and Japanese fighters
and multi-station bombers in Pacific Fighters tops out at over three dozen—and the exhaustive level of
detail on each plane is truly mind-boggling. Exquisite 3D cockpits and beautifully weathered aircraft skins
compete for visual attention with the amazing weapons pyrotechnics. (Sadly, however, no torpedo bombers
are featured.) Downed fighters break apart and gout flames realistically as the sim’s sophisticated dam-
age model shrewdly distinguishes between a few stray bullet holes and a major fuel tank or engine strike.
Players can adjust the physics, weaponry, and enemy AI to suit their personal comfort level. Apart from
a flawed padlocking system and an annoying tendency for friendly AI pilots to fly into mountains, Pacific
Fighters’ unscripted and immersive single-player game
delivers a consistent challenge from full-throttle take-off to
sphincter-puckering carrier landing.
The upgraded multiplayer environment also features a
massive new 128-player dogfight mode as a supplement
to the seamless co-op and campaign-based games, but
Pacific Fighters’ biggest drawing card is its marvelous new
oceanic theater. The frantic island-hopping and carrier-
based action injects a fresh look and feel to the franchise
while still delivering the unflinching realism its dedicated
fan base demands.
—ANDY MAHOOD
Pacific Fighters
The battle for the Pacific—
Russian style
More than 40 gorgeously rendered WWII
aircraft; scaleable realism; strong multiplayer
component.
CONFIRMED KILL
MIA
AI glitches; crappy padlock view system; no
torpedo bombers.
$40, www.pacific-fighters.com
8
MAXIMUMPC
VERDICT
O
riginally designed as a training
tool for U.S. infantrymen, Full
Spectrum Warrior is all about
gritty realism in its depiction of mod-
ern-day urban combat.
You are the phantom general who
directs the actions of two four-man
infantry squads throughout a series
of missions set in a fictional hotspot
called Zekistan, where you are tasked
with ruining a terrorist regime’s day.
While directing your troops to navigate Zekistan’s war-
torn streets, you encounter entrenched enemies, against
which you must use suppressing fire and flanking tactics.
This play cycle frequently repeats itself; this repetition is the
game’s biggest flaw.
In the end, the ultra-realistic presentation—which is
supported by authentic military lingo and realistic troop
banter (expletives abound)—solid AI, co-op options, and
the palpable realism and tension can’t quite save the day
for Full Spectrum Warrior.
—STEVE KLETT
Full Spectrum Warrior
Maybe they
should have called it
Full Spectrum Bore-ya
Authentic feel, solid AI, and two levels not included
with the Xbox version.
HOO-HA!
HOO-D’OH!
A little on the short side, and a bit too repetitious
throughout.
$50, www.fullspectrumwarrior.com
6
MAXIMUMPC
VERDICT
Pacific Fighters includes dozens of aircraft.
Here a Ki-61 ‘Tony’ makes short work of a
B-24 Liberator.
Lose one comrade and you can carry him to
medical help. Lose two and it’s game over.