Birds of Steel for PlayStation 3 Reviews by Gamers

I realize there isn't much of a market for hardcore flight sims anymore, but if you are a fan like myself, there is none better out there. Anyone who has played the excellent PC sims IL-2 or Pacific Fighters will feel right at home, as this game is basically a console version of those two games combined.

Graphics:
The visuals are quite good imo, so no complaints there. I have seen people complaining about the ground textures, but for the most part, they look very nice. The plane models and lighting are unmatched, and the water is quite good as well. The best part though are the effects. Watching tracers and rockets shooting across the sky as dozens of planes dance around is truly a thing of beauty. The explosions are great, and the damage modeling is the best I have ever seen in a flight game. You will see wings ripped off, bullet holes and oil leaks, ailerons shredded, and even planes cut in half. Really immersive stuff!

Sound:
The sound is very well done as well. The music does the job, but the effects are the important thing here, and don't disappoint. Everything from flak shells exploding around your plane to the sound of the wind buffeting and tires squawking during landing is top notch.

Gameplay:
Obviously the most important area, and also the area where BIS excels the most. The combination of graphics, amazing physics, and realistic flight model make this a joy to play. The difficulties ramp up quickly though, so most will want to play on easy to avoid the frustration. On sim difficulty, just keeping your plane in air can be a chore, much less taking down an opponent. However, once you get good enough to master it, nothing matches the feeling of scoring a tough kill or nailing a carrier landing on sim difficulty. There are also an insane amount of planes 100+, and they unlock very slowly, so it keeps you playing for a while.

Overall:
Easily the best flight sims on consoles. If you have any interest at all in the genre, go g