This post was made 1 year 2 months 13 days ago which may make some information out of date. Please consider using the search page to find something much more recent.

I’ll be posting a review of this as soon as I can, this will be one of my birthday gifts when they release it. I always like to support developers like this who make this kind of simulation…

If you want to buy it, you can use this link which currently allows you to pre-order from Amazon.com and ship to U.S. and APO/FPO addresses only. You can contact me if you’d like to discuss getting this outside the U.S. via me shipping to you, but you should find out when or if there will be an easier way for you to get it first.

Anyway, here’s some game info (it isn’t often I am looking forward to a game title this much, but I was addicted to ‘Wings’ – a WWI flight game I had on the Amiga – for a while!)

All is not quiet on the Western Front in 1917…. high above the trenches and scarred No Man’s Land the sound of piston engines can be heard, the chatter of machine guns fill the air and the bark of flak bursts echo across the countryside. During the First World War a new breed of warrior emerged, reminiscent of the Knights of old, inspired by chivalry and pushed to their limits by modern technology, they fought a new kind of war… an air war. Welcome to Rise of Flight: The First Great Air War.

In flying machines invented just a few years before, young, brave and daring fighter pilots took to the skies to fight for their country’s cause. In airplanes made of mostly wood and canvas they climbed, dived, spiraled and sacrificed their lives. The average pilot lasted just 17 missions and if you were hit there was no parachute to rescue you. Death could come at any time and from any direction, only the best survived. Rise of Flight puts you in the cockpit, in the sky and in the fight. Do you have what it takes to survive? Can you make a difference in the war? Can you become an Ace Fighter Pilot?

Rise of Flight from Russian developer neoqb is a state-of-the-art PC flight simulation title that sets a new standard in fidelity, beauty and realism. You can fly either the agile Spad XIII or the deadly Fokker D. VII into aerial combat. Rise of Flightfeatures an advanced flight model that simulates the unique handling characteristics of WWI biplanes. Spins, stalls, loops, takeoffs and landings are all accurately modeled. A complex physics model tracks the trajectory of every bullet and shell fragment. The detailed damage model leaves no room for error. Stay in the line of fire too long and you’ll lose a wing or a tail, land too hard and the spine of your plane will crack.

Historical references and modern computer graphics were combined to render 125,000 square kilometers of French countryside that is disfigured by a terribly cratered battlefield. Fluffy clouds fill the sky which you can fly into for cover. Rain and fog are also modeled in realistic detail making flying even more of a challenge as water drops cover your windscreen or goggles. Advanced graphics featuring moving shadows, depth of field, light bloom and reflections make the objects and scenery come to life in a very realistic way.

As a new fighter pilot you can fly several helpful Training Missions and once graduated, you can fly several Single-Player combat missions against a computer opponent. If you feel you have mastered the art of aerial combat you can embark on a Pilot Career and fly a historically accurate Campaign for the French, British, German or American air forces. You will be tasked with destroying enemy fighters, bombers and balloons, escorting your own bombers or attacking ground targets such as trains, trucks, tanks and artillery. As you complete your missions successfully you will be promoted and awarded commendations by your military high-command. You can rise through the ranks from a green Lieutenant all the way to full Colonel.

If you think you’re good enough, try flying against real human opponents over the Internet. Rise of Flight features a robust Multiplayer option designed to allow players to fly co-operatively as a team against the computer or human opponents. Multiplayer statistics such as aerial kills, targets destroyed and missions completed are tracked by neoqb servers.
Also included is a very powerful Mission Editor that allows players to design custom missions. The Mission Editor is included on the disk and is accompanied by 150 page instruction guide! There will never be a shortage of missions to fly.

So hurry! Grab your goggles and silk scarf. Enemy airplanes are approaching. Who will emerge as the next Baron von Richtoven or Eddie Rickenbacker? Is it you?

I’m not sure if these are required or recommended, but here’s some system information as posted on gogamer.com:

Windows XP (SP2 or Higher)/Vista (SP1)
Intel Dual Core 2.4Ghz
2GB RAM
6GB Hard Drive Space
DirectX 9.0c
512 MB GeForce 8800GTS/Radeon HD3500
1280×960 resolution
Sound Card
256/kps Internet Connection

I was lucky enough to be able to attend the 2010 Indy 500 via work this past weekend and I have to say I had a fantastic time. I am …