Review

There are two types of combat flight simulation games, arcade shooters and simulations. In the arcade game, players with little or no flight experience get put into a fray, quickly facing off against hordes of relatively weak computer opponents that become burning hunks of metal falling to earth. In simulations, on the other hand, players are expected to know how to fly a plane with the best of them, facing an often unforgiving, ultra-realistic flight model held in reverence by serious gamers. Both types of flight titles provide enjoyment for the gamer.

War Birds Three is a combat flight simulation in which you can play offline against reality easy opponents. But once online it’s a whole new story. There are two major modes of game play in War birds 3: offline practice and online play. The offline mode is essential to newer pilots, as it offers a feel for the action without the frustration of facing more difficult human battles online. There are four varieties of offline practice ranging from free flight without enemies, air attacks against computer enemies, practice runs on non-hostile target drones, and bomber ambush missions.

Once you have enough confidence with your skills playing offline, it's time to play War birds 3 the online game. Players begin their online session by first logging onto their accounts and then choosing one of several online arenas. Some of the arenas are for training and practice, while others focus on historical scenarios and huge team based flights. After choosing an arena, players can pick a side and a location to start. There are four different colored teams to choose from, as well as dozens of controlled airfields in an arena covering many hundreds of miles of European or African land.

The planes in War birds 3 don't just look different, they each have there own unique handling capabilities, they tend to spin because of the force of the rotors and in full realism mode they tend to stall in tight corners which can lead to some nasty spins. Experimentation seems to be the best way to determine which aircraft works best for a player's style, though the online manuals and written tutorials will tend to help to.

In addition to its numerous flyable aircraft, the program has a ground-vehicle model allowing players to bring the battle to the enemy on land. There are seven tracked vehicles ranging from German Panzer tanks, to American Sherman tanks and transports. Players can control the action from different viewpoints in the vehicles, such as driver, commander, or gunner. Although it can be confusing for new players just entering the main online combat arena, there is typically an organized game being played with more of an objective than just shooting down the most number of planes.  There are actual missions in whom you and your squadron need to conform together, make a plan and have an organized attack.

The graphics in this game are not the best and either or the effects but it not those that make this game great, it’s the fact that you can play with players all around the world, come together have a plan and be successful in winning your mission. This game just isn’t another run of the mill flight sim. It has much more detail and in-depth information that makes it a great game for anybody.