Although it’s by no means a hardcore combat flight simulator, Birds of Steel is definitely going to appeal more to people with a dedicated interest in World Ward II aviation than to your average console gamer who wouldn’t know the difference between a Spitfire and a Mustang.
Having said that, being of the latter influence, I still did quite enjoy Birds of Steel, despite the fact that I am rarely captivated by games from the genre. It manages to be entertaining and challenging, with an adjustable learning curve that ensures that you are constantly required to apply your wits to every encounter.
The game is not tied to an overarching narrative, which I quite liked. Instead, it is designed to replicate various historical events from WWII. There are various goals spread throughout the campaign which provide a sense of direction and progression. As you complete missions you will earn experience points, which can be used to unlock new planes.
There are two campaigns – the US campaign, and the Japanese campaign. Throughout both, you will be given the chance to fly an impressive variety of real-world aircraft through actual events which took place during World War II, which is why Birds of Steel is an absolute treat for WWII aviation buffs.
Birds of Steel
In terms of actual gameplay, like most games in this genre, there is a fair amount of repetition. Players will typically have to take off, fly to a location, shoot down other airplanes, possibly drop a few bombs, return to an airstrip and land. The actual combat is exhilarating and challenging, but the time it takes to get to battles, and then back to the airstrip will frustrate less patient gamers.
My favourite of the game’s features is the tweakable realism settings. You can play it as a straight forward arcade shooter, in which your challenges don’t stretch much further than flying around, lining up your crosshairs and shooting. However, if you want a more dynamic and challenging experience, you can increase the difficulty.
With full realism enabled, wind currents become a massive consideration when in combat, and you cannot simply fly as you please. Turn your plane too hard and it might spiral downward, and of course stalling becomes a regular occurrence when trying to ascend too quickly. These and other considerations make the game far more interesting, and just staying in the air becomes a fair challenge. While this mode certainly won’t appeal to all gamers, it does offer an extremely satisfying experience when you do actually manage to shoot down an enemy plane.
The single player campaigns are both significant and meaty, but I have a feeling that a more fulfilling multiplayer component would have dramatically increased the game’s value proposition. While Birds of Steel does allow you to play online, I struggled to find other gamers to play with. Whether this has something to do with being located in South Africa, or simply a low global player count, is neither here nor there – the reality is that the multiplayer component is not really a viable feature at this point.
Birds of Steel
In terms of production values, Birds of Steel is surprisingly impressive. Detailed textures, impressive effects, and a satisfying physics system make it one of the most polished and immersive flight simulators I have played. I reviewed the PS3 version, and the frame rate appeared mostly solid, with very little, if any, screen tearing to speak of. On top of that, robust sound effects and responsive controls left me with nothing to complain about.
Birds of Steel is a highly enjoyable, solid, and scalable WWII flight simulator. Two significant campaigns and a large variety of planes and missions to choose from, all of which are based on real events, provide a decent amount of content to play through. The gameplay is solid and enjoyable, and those looking for a real challenge can get stuck in with maximum realism enabled.
I would definitely recommend this to flight sim enthusiasts, and possibly even gamers looking to explore the genre.
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