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version 5.0, Interactive Magic revamped last year's iF-22 in an
attempt to become this year's F-22 champ. With all the advanced
fighter simulations out there, iF-22 Persian Gulf v5.0
is leaping into a crowded market. Anyone who wants to be a virtual
F-22 pilot can choose from three simulators being sold of the United
States' next generation multi-role attack aircraft.iF-22 vies for the "Best of the Year" with some really great features. The game features 3D support through Microsoft's Direct-3D. Terrain is modeled upon maps and satellite imagery, to realistically recreate the three theaters: Bosnia, Ukraine and the Gulf. In each of these theaters, the TALON (Total Air and Land Operations Network) campaign engine fights the war and generates unique missions. Nothing is scripted! There's even multi-player support.
The cockpit gives you four multi-function displays (MFDs). The sim
groups all the displays into different modes. For instance, in a
dogfight situation you switch into air-to-air mode; ground attack,
air-to-ground mode. Three of the MFDs are easily accessible, the
fourth you need to pan your field of view down. They give you your
basic threat, radar, navigation and damage displays. To activate many
systems you need to point-and-click with the mouse. For instance, to
lock weapons on a target, select the target with the mouse on a MFD.
Unfortunately, you have to switch back to the keyboard or joystick to
fire the weapon. There is a lot of controller-jumping; a symptom of
its complexity.
Obviously, this is no World War I biplane simulator and therefore dogfights do not occur. You cannot see the face of the enemy ace as you line up for the shot. In iF-22 you should feel lucky if you occasionally see the other jet flashing past. F-22s push the range of battle even further than today's conventional aircraft! Many of your engagements occur over the horizon and usually before your stealthy F-22 is detected. To enjoy this F-22 sim, you need to enjoy fighting an "electronic battle."
The game comes with three complete, real-world modeled theaters of operation: Bosnia, Ukraine and the Gulf. Since the theaters are based upon real-life imagery, the graphics engine draws very pretty graphics, especially with a graphics card that supports Direct-3D. However, when you fall to a low altitude the ground, which looked beautiful from above, looks dithered and washed out. And as you move along, the game occasionally pauses to load a new terrain texture. Vehicles are modeled nicely, but you infrequently get close enough to view them due to the standoff nature of the F-22's weapons.
Minimum requirements:
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Interactive Magic's Web Site