IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad

 PC
User Score
6.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 279 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 147 out of 279
  2. Mixed: 35 out of 279
  3. Negative: 97 out of 279
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  1. Pigmachine
    Oct 28, 2014
    8
    IL2:BoS have a very solid platform, and great flight-models, a real feeling that you are in an old WWII bird, and an incredible sensation of real flight, that I can't remember when the last time I felt.
    It looks good, it plays good. And mainly I really want it to take over the coming 10+ years as the New IL2 in the ..ehh.. IL2 series.
    I've been an owner of the game for quite some time,    IL2:BoS have a very solid platform, and great flight-models, a real feeling that you are in an old WWII bird, and an incredible sensation of real flight, that I can't remember when the last time I felt.
    It looks good, it plays good. And mainly I really want it to take over the coming 10+ years as the New IL2 in the ..ehh.. IL2 series.
    I've been an owner of the game for quite some time, and I already got my 100$ worth out of it, several times over.

    I'm not really bitter anymore about the forced SP campaign, to unlock stuff for MP and QM's.
    I tried some positive thinking, and pretend I have to attend flight-school against my will.
    This title will only grow stronger in time, but I recommend you to voice your opinions about the unlocks were the devs can see it, not immediately feel it in their pockets.

    This is my greatest fear about the project.. the unlocks. If I would today stand between buying a 100$ sim.. and then having to unlock weapons I would just laugh, and browse on, I'm 42 years old.. I don't 'Gotta catch them all'
    But I'm glad I bought it when I did, since now I have it, instead it being showed to me today, I would take the word 'unlock' on the same page as simulator as an insult.
    But see it as being forced to learn your surroundings, identify planes etc etc. that you will benefit from a lot in MP While being 'rewarded' for doing it

    The dedicated server and full mission builder will be out sooner then later

    I will make a re-review after I finish my first campaign, so this score is not set in stone

    Since I can't even force myself to play the 'unlock game' and not even playing it at all right now, I changed my rating    … Expand
  2. ChiefRedCloud
    Nov 22, 2014
    9
    You have to question any review that starts with a comment like "Disregard and positive or negative ratings as being FanBoys or Nay sayers". A review should be about the facts (as each of us see them) and NOT on feelings or anger.

    Battle of Stalingrad in a nut shell gives you a stable platform to fly one of the biggest historical battles in the books. Is it perfect? Most likely not. But    You have to question any review that starts with a comment like "Disregard and positive or negative ratings as being FanBoys or Nay sayers". A review should be about the facts (as each of us see them) and NOT on feelings or anger.

    Battle of Stalingrad in a nut shell gives you a stable platform to fly one of the biggest historical battles in the books. Is it perfect? Most likely not. But then what game is perfect?    … Expand
  3. King_Hrothgar
    Oct 23, 2014
    9
    This is a midcore CFS, not as complicated as DCS but much more realistic than war thunder and similar games. Complexity is about the same as Rise of Flight or the original IL-2 series from early/mid 2000's. With that in mind, it has superb feeling flight modeling and impressive damage modeling. The sounds and graphics are also very good, especially given that it's actually using DX9.

    In    This is a midcore CFS, not as complicated as DCS but much more realistic than war thunder and similar games. Complexity is about the same as Rise of Flight or the original IL-2 series from early/mid 2000's. With that in mind, it has superb feeling flight modeling and impressive damage modeling. The sounds and graphics are also very good, especially given that it's actually using DX9.

    In terms of gameplay, the multiplayer is top notch. Even at this early stage, we have 60+ player servers with a buddy of mine looking at doing a 120 player server. Combined with a powerful mission builder (in closed beta as of this review, but with some of those custom missions being made available to all), the multiplayer maps are incredible. There is the possibility of player made fully dynamic online campaigns and complex missions in general. This is the MP CFS to play for the next few years at least.

    Sadly the game does have one major short coming and that is the single player aspect. The career/campaign is basically non-existant. In its place, we have what basically amounts to an advanced quick mission builder (QMB) in addition to the regular QMB. It has some historical background in cutscenes and an historical frontline at various stages, but the player doesn't have an assigned unit, plane type or even nationality. The player is everyone and no one at the same time. Terrible design decision imho. That said, functionally it works just fine. I simply hate the design of it.    … Expand
  4. JagdNeun
    Oct 23, 2014
    8
    I've been flying combat flight sims for the last twenty five years....and this game is the best quality flight sim to be released right out of the box, in all that time. If you want to experience some historical immersion complemented with great graphics....and atmospheric flight conditions rendered in superb authenticity, you really need to try this game. The learning curve is notI've been flying combat flight sims for the last twenty five years....and this game is the best quality flight sim to be released right out of the box, in all that time. If you want to experience some historical immersion complemented with great graphics....and atmospheric flight conditions rendered in superb authenticity, you really need to try this game. The learning curve is not overpowering, and the plans for the games continued support both by the company and third party enthusiasts has already began. This is the best flight sim to come out in years and I urge you to give it a try.

    In all fairness, the game uses a system of unlocks which can be viewed as equipment upgrades, so it is necessary to complete the campaign section of the game, one phase at a time. Some of the multiplayer guys are a little upset about the unlocking system, so you might see some lower ratings based on that situation alone. Had it not been for that situation and the lack of a better historical unit based career mode....I would have given this game a "10".    … Expand
  5. AstronHaizer
    Oct 23, 2014
    10
    I played Il2- Forgotten battles, I played SB War Thunder, Rise of Fligt etc. So far, Il 2 BOS the best and perspective flight-simulator.

    Guys, dont forget how much content there was in Il 2 sturmovik in 2001 y. Almoust nothing,
    Now Il 2 BOS its a platform made to make a game of our dream,but not in one day.
  6. von_queca
    Oct 23, 2014
    9
    A very advanced flight dynamics engine, after all the same behind Rise of Flight, astounding graphics that, even restricted to the area of Stalingrad and Winter time, have a quality and impact in overall immersion and sensation of being there that is truly UNIQUE among the whole flight simulators I ever used. Even weather rendering and modelling is simply superb.

    You can play at online    A very advanced flight dynamics engine, after all the same behind Rise of Flight, astounding graphics that, even restricted to the area of Stalingrad and Winter time, have a quality and impact in overall immersion and sensation of being there that is truly UNIQUE among the whole flight simulators I ever used. Even weather rendering and modelling is simply superb.

    You can play at online servers, missions, single player Campaign mode, online, or offline in mission and Campaign modes.

    AI, both in the air and ground, is plausibly modeled and you can really get into extremely realistic scenarios.

    A flight simulator that will get you addicted for sure - I am!    … Expand
  7. IIN8II
    Oct 23, 2014
    9
    The game is beautiful and immersive. The multiplayer experience has been my favorite aspect so far, especially when teamed up with some other pilots over teamspeak. The feeling of flight is very satisfying as well, even more so with the weather and wind effects. The game has the ability to attract newcomers to flight sim games from the very popular Free-to-play titles, by offering easierThe game is beautiful and immersive. The multiplayer experience has been my favorite aspect so far, especially when teamed up with some other pilots over teamspeak. The feeling of flight is very satisfying as well, even more so with the weather and wind effects. The game has the ability to attract newcomers to flight sim games from the very popular Free-to-play titles, by offering easier setting for more novice pilots without sacrificing realism until they can get comfortable with complex engine management.. Some people seem to be turned off by this and turn their nose up at these types of players and the dev team for trying to appeal to a broader market. Bringing in players who's interest has been sparked by the arcades style games and want something more is essential to the survival of the genre as a whole.
    The single player campaign is fun and immersive as you may stumble upon patrolling enemy fighters on your way to the target, or witness a dogfight taking place off in the distance. You can also see tank and other battles going on in the distance as well, which is very immersive. I will say that it does lack the career mode like ROF which would have been a nice touch. The lack of this feature can make the campaign feel a bit like a single mission generator at times.

    I think the biggest negative aspect of this game was the decision by the developers implement an xp/unlock system. In order to used field mods for your aircraft in MP, you have to unlock them while playing singleplayer. This has upset a lot of MP only players who don't want to have to grind out xp in the SP campaign in order to have their desired load out in MP. I agree that the SP and campaign should be separate and all unlocks should be available in MP unless restricted by server settings.

    It's easy to compare BoS to other games that have been out for years and have been heavily modded and say that it lacks certain content. However you have to remember that those games were much the same when they were released. All in all I would have to say that I am very pleased with the game so far and that my money has been well spent. I look forward to the future of this game.    … Expand
  8. mprhead
    Oct 23, 2014
    8
    Good, solid foundation to build on. Works "out of the box", also with bit older computers. Graphics are good and so is feeling of flight. Realism options will help beginners to jump in. Single player campaign is not the most immersive at least at the moment and unlock system doesn't really feel right. At least not the way it's implemented now.
    Multiplayer have potential also, and there is    Good, solid foundation to build on. Works "out of the box", also with bit older computers. Graphics are good and so is feeling of flight. Realism options will help beginners to jump in. Single player campaign is not the most immersive at least at the moment and unlock system doesn't really feel right. At least not the way it's implemented now.
    Multiplayer have potential also, and there is some variety of servers already, some of them being pure air-quake and some others offering more historical approach with full realism settings. The question how many players servers can accommodate is still to be answered, atm largest have limit of 100 or something like that.
    At it's current form, it's by now means perfect, but the core is solid, so there is a lot of potential to build on. Hopefully in time we will see more (user made) content and all the small things (like problem with 3 monitor set-ups) fixed.
    All in all, I would recommend buying.    … Expand
  9. JG1_Baron
    Oct 23, 2014
    10
    Simply - the best simulator from WW2 era. Beatifull graphic, great FM etc. I think that this IL2: BOS is really nexgen game for simulator fans, especially for Eastfront.
    As i said before - the best sim.
  10. IgorND
    Oct 23, 2014
    10
    Excellent.

    The planes themselves feel very faithfully modelled, both visually (particularly the damage modelling) and in terms of flight characteristics. The narrower selection of planes means that each has been finished to a very high standard, although the developers have already made some suggestions about planes being added following release. The visual effects are obviously    Excellent.

    The planes themselves feel very faithfully modelled, both visually (particularly the damage modelling) and in terms of flight characteristics. The narrower selection of planes means that each has been finished to a very high standard, although the developers have already made some suggestions about planes being added following release.

    The visual effects are obviously excellent and the sound is generally very good, although a few effects appear to be missing (eg some hit sounds on your own airraft), but that can probably be put down to the game still being in early access.

    The AI is also very impressive and provides a very challenging opponent without resorting to any cheating: the AI follows the same rules as the player, has his vision constrained by the cockpit and controls his plane via control inputs as well. I've occasionally forgotten that I was fighting the computer rather than players online.

    AI gunners also man the gunnery positions in the Heinkel, Pe-2, the Ju-87 and IL-2, however they can also be manned by other human players. Gunnery stations in each of the planes that have them are fully modelled from a first-person pov.

    The multiplayer is also very fun, even at this early stage where it appears to be a basic team deathmatch placeholder. Servers offer two difficulty settings; Normal (icons, automatic engine management, navigation assists) and Expert (no icons, manual engine management and navigation).

    EDIT: From reading the community page, a lot of people seem concerned that the La-5 and FW-190 premium aircraft are some sort of pay-to-win issue. They're intended for enthusiasts as neither played a significant part in the Battle of Stalingrad itself, and neither are the highest performing aircraft on either side: multiplayer is still largely a contest between the Yak-1 and the 109s.    … Expand
  11. 150GCT_Veltro
    Oct 23, 2014
    9
    It still need improvements but the game just looks superb! Immersion is stunning as for the flight feeling and physic engine, the best land ever seen with a superb bump mapping. This provide really a great immersion when you fly at low altitudes with clouds and snow. Graphic is really very good even if the game is till in DX9. In DX11 it would have been much better however.
    Multiplayer is    It still need improvements but the game just looks superb! Immersion is stunning as for the flight feeling and physic engine, the best land ever seen with a superb bump mapping. This provide really a great immersion when you fly at low altitudes with clouds and snow. Graphic is really very good even if the game is till in DX9. In DX11 it would have been much better however.
    Multiplayer is still WIP (YOU STILL CAN NOT HOST your own missions) but it's really good now with the last update (75 players on-line without any problems if not some lag sometimes), but the on-line experience is great and really immersive: fly the He-111 with friends, and you'll dream!
    We are still waiting for a FMB as for the Dserver but they are both WIP. We'll se, this game can only improve.    … Expand
  12. avlSteve
    Oct 23, 2014
    10
    Long time flight simmer, experienced in IL2, CLOD, FSX, DCS, ROF, and many more going way, way back (think subLogic on a C64). This title, even at release, is the most engaging and addicting flight simulator I have ever used. The 'feeling' of flight is akin to DCS, but with more aircraft selection and a historical WW2 setting.

    The game mechanics, maps, flight model and damage model    Long time flight simmer, experienced in IL2, CLOD, FSX, DCS, ROF, and many more going way, way back (think subLogic on a C64). This title, even at release, is the most engaging and addicting flight simulator I have ever used. The 'feeling' of flight is akin to DCS, but with more aircraft selection and a historical WW2 setting.

    The game mechanics, maps, flight model and damage model are sound, and the game has been getting updates and attention weekly during early access, and they are continuing to make improvements. The development team (777) is very active and responsive to the community; Check out their forum.

    Joystick will be required, at a minimum. Personally, I've been obsessed with it for months.    … Expand
  13. jamesstewart200
    Oct 23, 2014
    10
    BOS is a fantastic game, it is just now released and it does still needs some polishing. Im sure more planes and maps will be added like Rise of Flight. More servers will be added and the flight and damage models and excellent. No regrets with my purchase.
  14. Mike1960
    Oct 23, 2014
    9
    I have been playing this game in early release for about a year now and I think it is the best WWII flight sim on the market. The feeling of flight is captured better here than in any other simulator except maybe Rise of Flight. The unlock system was, imho, a poor one but it is not nearly as bad as some of these reviews make it out to be. All planes are available out of the box. WhatI have been playing this game in early release for about a year now and I think it is the best WWII flight sim on the market. The feeling of flight is captured better here than in any other simulator except maybe Rise of Flight. The unlock system was, imho, a poor one but it is not nearly as bad as some of these reviews make it out to be. All planes are available out of the box. What you unlock are some skins and some field modifications and some weapon load out choices. But you can hop online and compete on an even field without unlocking a thing. If you are into WWII combat flight sims, this is a must buy.… Expand
  15. RegRag1977
    Oct 23, 2014
    9
    One can be impressed by what the dev team achieved in such a short period of time! The game is already very good and really belongs to the IL2 1946 family. Some so-called experts will tell you that the FM are incorrrect or strange when they actually never flew any WW2 fighter and don't know much more about WW2 fighter piloting than the average sim pilot... Well don't be impressed, try forOne can be impressed by what the dev team achieved in such a short period of time! The game is already very good and really belongs to the IL2 1946 family. Some so-called experts will tell you that the FM are incorrrect or strange when they actually never flew any WW2 fighter and don't know much more about WW2 fighter piloting than the average sim pilot... Well don't be impressed, try for yourself: you will enjoy this sim, and you will learn a lot more from it than from their boring and patronizing ranting and whining :) Try it, you wont regret it!… Expand
  16. Zettman
    Oct 23, 2014
    8
    Coming from War Thunder (FRB/SB) and having no pre Simulator experience (I consider WT SB mode as a soft sim) I notice a few things right away. First the planes flight models (FMs) including the ground handling are much more realistic or atleast they feel that way for me. WT and IL2 BoS FMs are worlds apart, that said I can not compare them to DSC or older IL2 titles, cause I haven'tComing from War Thunder (FRB/SB) and having no pre Simulator experience (I consider WT SB mode as a soft sim) I notice a few things right away. First the planes flight models (FMs) including the ground handling are much more realistic or atleast they feel that way for me. WT and IL2 BoS FMs are worlds apart, that said I can not compare them to DSC or older IL2 titles, cause I haven't played them.

    Graphics are good, definitely better than the ones I have seen in WT, especially the cockpit models (all gauges, levers and switches are working and animated). The landscape is mostly snowy planes with roads, some cities and forests on it. Close up they look good, but winter is not really my favorite landscape theme, but that is just a personnel task.

    Difficulty is okay, taking off is a bit more difficult than in WT (SB) but with some practice it feels nearly as easy. Spotting (if you play on expert with no markers) is easier than in WT. Aiming and flying can be compared to WT, guns do actually do damage and I experienced no issues with hit registration so far. Planes with damaged wings can still fly, even if a 1/3 of one wing is missing, which is realistic. Don't expect to be able to go back into combat with such damage, but flying back to the airfield is possible.

    The game offers a Single Player campaign, which was just released as I wrote this review. It is still in development, so don't expect to much from it in this state. Multiplayer is great, servers allow joining and leaving at anytime (no queues like in WT). Despite being still in development and not released, the number of players is already big. There are two modes in Multiplayer, 'normal' with markers and automatic engine management and 'expert' without markers and with complex engine management.

    It may has fewer planes than WT, but the few it has have great FMs, alot of skins and highly detailed cockpits which are fully animated (gauges and levers). The Heinkel 111 has all gunner positions fully modeled. Also each planes offers alot of diffrent configurations and weapon loadouts. The Ju 87 D-3 for example can be equipped with bombs up to 1800kg bombs, 3.7 cm cannons or underwing machine gun pods with 6 guns in each pod.

    The developers recently introduced an unlock system for skins and weapon modifications. I for myself coming from WT am used to this. IL2 BoS unlock system doesn't take that much time compared to WT, but it is only available in Single player, so you have to play the SP campaign to be able to use certain skins and weapon load outs in multiplayer.

    All in all this sim feels great, one of the best WW2 flight sims out there. Switching to this game from WT was the right step, as I prefer historical matchups and realistic FMs over quantity of planes. I am giving this title a 8 cause the unlock system is in my opinion spoiling the fun for the MP players that don't want to play SP to get them, even if it is way faster than the unlock system of WT.    … Expand
  17. harsh_penguen
    Oct 23, 2014
    8
    BOS has very nice and detailed Plane Models and Graphics and a nice big detailed historical map.
    The flight models are quiet good and dynamic, aircraft don't "slide" on the Ground like in other older Sims.
    During the early access programme the devs very clear what they could acive in the very limited time they had to develope it. The SP campange is NOT a dynamic Carrier as many may    BOS has very nice and detailed Plane Models and Graphics and a nice big detailed historical map.
    The flight models are quiet good and dynamic, aircraft don't "slide" on the Ground like in other older Sims.
    During the early access programme the devs very clear what they could acive in the very limited time they had to develope it.

    The SP campange is NOT a dynamic Carrier as many may had hoped, rather randomly generated missions that fit in the time of the Battle you choose.
    If you want roleplay you have to add that yourself.

    The unlocks are not great, but the most important ones are very easy to get, 2 or 3 missions/plane will get you there for most parts.

    MP is quiet good at the moment already, the SYN Server runs now games with 75 players and more to come soon.

    The devs have stated that they are currently working on the Dserver, skin making tools and the FMB, and in December we will get a roadmap for futher development .

    This Sim might not be perfect from the start but it is working good and has huge potential and will hopefully evolve as Il2 1946    … Expand
  18. CountValar
    Oct 24, 2014
    9
    The team behind the WW1 sim Rise of Flight did this WW2 game with 1C. Fundamentally this is a hardcore simulator which is visually very appealing and polished. The developers probably glanced at War Thunder when they created an achievement based singleplayer campaign. It allows the player to quickly drop in and out of the game, which is positive, but in its current state it is not terriblyThe team behind the WW1 sim Rise of Flight did this WW2 game with 1C. Fundamentally this is a hardcore simulator which is visually very appealing and polished. The developers probably glanced at War Thunder when they created an achievement based singleplayer campaign. It allows the player to quickly drop in and out of the game, which is positive, but in its current state it is not terribly engaging. Nonetheless this is an excellent package with much to offer the serious simmer… Expand
  19. pavig
    Oct 23, 2014
    8
    Excellent sim, and a complete reboot of the IL2 franchise based on a new engine and development team. Great FM on expert, and good balanced helpers for newcomers to the genre. Really atmospheric graphics - don't get put off by the bright snowy screenshots everywhere, having such a reflective landscape makes for great evening/night mission visibility, and gamma controls are built in to takeExcellent sim, and a complete reboot of the IL2 franchise based on a new engine and development team. Great FM on expert, and good balanced helpers for newcomers to the genre. Really atmospheric graphics - don't get put off by the bright snowy screenshots everywhere, having such a reflective landscape makes for great evening/night mission visibility, and gamma controls are built in to take the edge off.… Expand
  20. tzigy
    Oct 23, 2014
    9
    Avid flight simmer, going back to RedBaron, Falcon 4, AOE, etc. Have most of DCS titles, ROF, etc. Many hours online in IL-2 1946, CLOD, and now BOS. This product is simply incredible. Yes, it is not perfect, and I would like some features changed (unlocks, having full controls over graphics settings and few other minor things). I have flown in RL. The feeling of flight/immersion in thisAvid flight simmer, going back to RedBaron, Falcon 4, AOE, etc. Have most of DCS titles, ROF, etc. Many hours online in IL-2 1946, CLOD, and now BOS. This product is simply incredible. Yes, it is not perfect, and I would like some features changed (unlocks, having full controls over graphics settings and few other minor things). I have flown in RL. The feeling of flight/immersion in this sim is second to NONE. Great job developers!!!… Expand
  21. Sputi
    Oct 23, 2014
    8
    Not the TRUE remake of the classic (yet), but certainly a big step in the right direction:

    + fantastic 3D plane models from the outside (never seen better in any sim out there). + good FM for what it is (certainly much better than the old il2 or 1946) + runs stable and smooth and hasn't any major bugs or technical flaws - the cockpits aren't nearly as sophisticated as they could be    Not the TRUE remake of the classic (yet), but certainly a big step in the right direction:

    + fantastic 3D plane models from the outside (never seen better in any sim out there).
    + good FM for what it is (certainly much better than the old il2 or 1946)
    + runs stable and smooth and hasn't any major bugs or technical flaws

    - the cockpits aren't nearly as sophisticated as they could be graphic wiese in 2014 (they are worse than Cliffs of Dovers which is 3 years on the marked...)
    - the map and the cities are lifeless and have not many details (i.e. rubble, telegraph poles, etc., again worse than Cliffs of Dovers)
    - no infantry, which is a shame for a game about one of the biggest infantry battles in history

    (-) if you dispice unlocks, well, the game has them (however no microtransactions or that sort of s***, thankfuly)
    (-) no clickable cockpits, for hardcore simer (like me) thats a real bummer
    (-) outdated graphics engine; I fear we will stick with the same graphical quality for quite a long time, which is a pitty considering this is an engine (digital nature engine) is already outdated today.

    And for the FM debate: you won't find a game in which everybody agrees about the flight model. There isn't just one. So imho you can ignore the FM debate, because for me as a long time simer I think it is well enough to immerse you into the world and enjoy the strengths (and weaknesses) of your plane.
    An F4 is the truly superiour plane than a LaGG. I don't know if it is correct to the last 5% but who knows? It certainly is sophisticated and far away from being arcade.

    I would give the game a 7.5 but will give it an 8 because is the game exactely what I wanted? No. But is it a good product for everyone to enjoy and did the devs sincerely try to release a good flight sim? Definitely yes.    … Expand
  22. Rumcajs
    Oct 23, 2014
    10
    BOS is a very well done sim when it comes to flight modeling. It's level of aerodynamic simulation goes far above what original IL2 had or IL2 Cliffs of Dover has. It's a sim for people who search for realistic FM. Each of the planes has its very unique behaviour. It's not exactly easy to be successful in combat with those planes but when mastered it's rewarding. This sim is probably notBOS is a very well done sim when it comes to flight modeling. It's level of aerodynamic simulation goes far above what original IL2 had or IL2 Cliffs of Dover has. It's a sim for people who search for realistic FM. Each of the planes has its very unique behaviour. It's not exactly easy to be successful in combat with those planes but when mastered it's rewarding. This sim is probably not for everyone. A good joystick + rudder pedals + Track-IR are a necessity. A fast PC and a good gaming monitor are necessary too. Graphics is simply stunning - great visibility of aircraft, great implementation of weather, clouds, fog, sunset and so on.

    The offline Campaign is not so great. Is serves its purpose but is lacking more depth. Night missions are great though. There are plenty of ground targets around. AAA gets interesting because of its visual effects. Light-beams may blind you. Trucks have lights on. The overall feeling is much better than during day missions when everything is black and white.

    This game is a great choice for seasoned flight simmers and WW2 enthusiasts. It's not too friendly to gamers new to this genre. But this will probably change over time when there is more community created content available including detailed tutorials with all the tricks.

    10/10 my two cents.    … Expand
  23. Bearcat99
    Jun 1, 2015
    9
    This is my second review of this sim. Much of the deficiencies in this sim since my first review have been corrected as I felt very confident that they would be. As of this date the biggest flaw in this sim is it's single player campaign and the still as of this writing lack of graphics options, however in that respect the graphics presets work very well on most user PCs. The potential isThis is my second review of this sim. Much of the deficiencies in this sim since my first review have been corrected as I felt very confident that they would be. As of this date the biggest flaw in this sim is it's single player campaign and the still as of this writing lack of graphics options, however in that respect the graphics presets work very well on most user PCs. The potential is there greater than it has ever been for the future of this sim. User content is being created in the form of missions and skins and there is new content in the works for BoS in the form of summer maps and an entirely new theater is also in the works, The Battle of Moscow, coming with 6 totally new aircraft and new variants of three other aircraft already in the sim.

    My current score of a 9 is a reflection of the positive changes to this sim that have been achieved and als a reflection of my confidence that the deficiencies that remain will be corrected to the satisfation of a majority of the simmers who own this product.    … Expand
  24. Felix53
    Oct 23, 2014
    8
    A worthy addition to the library of any enthusiast of WW2 aviation. The flight model was developed by a guy 777 got from DCS. The DCS model is well regarded by the flight sim community and I would say il2 BOS is at least on a par with DCS on that issue. The developers have concentrated on the flying aspect of the game rather than every button and switch like DCS. This will appeal toA worthy addition to the library of any enthusiast of WW2 aviation. The flight model was developed by a guy 777 got from DCS. The DCS model is well regarded by the flight sim community and I would say il2 BOS is at least on a par with DCS on that issue. The developers have concentrated on the flying aspect of the game rather than every button and switch like DCS. This will appeal to many, particularly those new to the genre. BTW I like WW2 DCS models as well, when I am in the mood for detail. At the moment BOS is better than DCS with the range of aircraft, ground attack targets (moving vehicles) and graphics.

    Ignore the haters (what is all that about!!??) and try this title if you are a WW2 flight sim enthusiast. More upside than down side. Is it perfect, no, what game is? Is it very good? Yes.    … Expand
  25. Kalimba1
    Oct 24, 2014
    10
    BOS is a wonderful sim. And so much more to come. I give it a 10 because it is a first to see such a complex
    simulator being so great at release. I predict that BOS will surpass in every aspect of graphics and complexity any current simulator. It is the new Milestone in WW2 sim.
  26. ALROM
    Oct 23, 2014
    10
    It is quite enaugh for simulator, i wonder how people can be so negative. I have not best computer with i3 3.5 GHZ and Radeon r 280 X and i run BoS at Ultra settings with 65-85 FPS.
    I really like to learn to fly Lagg 3 and Bf 109 and want to become really dogfighter.
  27. 312_Jura
    Oct 23, 2014
    10
    Great sim so far, can't wait too see what the future development brinks. Title worthy of the Il-2 Sturmovik name. Participated in the Early Access of the title.
  28. Azradiel
    Oct 23, 2014
    9
    Excellent flight experience. SP campaign is not what I was expecting but is not that bad either. The game has a very dedicated community so it will shine once all the player created missions hit in. You can already feel some of it when visiting MP servers like SYNDICATE that are testing custom missions creation at the moment.
  29. IanJeremiah
    Oct 23, 2014
    9
    Gorgeous graphics, a wonderful feeling of flight and for me rock solid performance. Some people don't like the campaign and unlocks and personally I wasn't sure how they would affect my enjoyment of the game. But after playing it the campaign missions are so immersive that I'm actually loving it. The unlocks are nearly all minor items that were rare at the time so they shouldn't affectGorgeous graphics, a wonderful feeling of flight and for me rock solid performance. Some people don't like the campaign and unlocks and personally I wasn't sure how they would affect my enjoyment of the game. But after playing it the campaign missions are so immersive that I'm actually loving it. The unlocks are nearly all minor items that were rare at the time so they shouldn't affect your enjoyment of the game even if you don't want to play through the campaign. Currently waiting for the release of the dedicated server and mission builder, both of which have been promised by the developers. Once they are in I'll give it 10.… Expand
  30. Flightsimvids
    Oct 23, 2014
    9
    This sim, a successor to the venerable Il-2-series, is made by the team of Russian programmers that created WWI flight sim Rise of Flight.

    IL-2 Battle of Stalingrad may - if sales are good - be just the first in a whole new range of combat flight sims that will encompass many WWII theatres of war and planes of all nations. This first release only takes place over the frozen steppes of    This sim, a successor to the venerable Il-2-series, is made by the team of Russian programmers that created WWI flight sim Rise of Flight.

    IL-2 Battle of Stalingrad may - if sales are good - be just the first in a whole new range of combat flight sims that will encompass many WWII theatres of war and planes of all nations. This first release only takes place over the frozen steppes of Russia with just one major city modelled: Stalingrad. Let's hope upcoming releases will give us more than snow and ice to fly over, because the map modelling, lighting, weather and volumetric clouds are really top-notch and it will be wonderful to see green land, oceans, deserts and mountains making their appearance in this sim one day.

    If the map is a bit bland (being all snow-covered) the same cannot be said for the action taking place there. When playing missions in the single-player campaigns included in the sim you really feel as if you are flying over a live, heavily embattled combat zone. Huge palls of smoke hang over Stalingrad and other small towns on the frontline. Flak and tracer fire paint the sky and lots of action happens on the ground, where you see artillery shells crashing down constantly. A far cry from the sometimes sparsely populated maps of RoF.

    When it comes to the core of any combat flight sim, namely the planes, the flight and damage modelling, the dogfighting and the bombing, Il-2: BoS is frankly second to none. The graphics, sounds, the realism in flight, the sense of inertia and heft to the planes, the brutal clatter of machineguns, twisting smoke trails of cannon fire, the multi-faceted damage modelling... it is all just superlative and a really updated, intense improvement on all earlier sims. White knuckles and sweaty brows guaranteed!

    It is clear that the developers have aimed for high realism, without any compromises in the name of "balancing". If you take up a Russian LaGG against a Messershmitt Bf-109F prepare to be outgunned, out-maneuvered and quickly out of options! - It can be brutal, but also a real challenge, where superior piloting is the only thing standing betwen you and disaster. You don't get many simming experiences much more satisfying than winning a dogfight in BoS. It won't come easy, it will require a lot of practice and mastering a sometimes steep learning curve, but oh is it delightful to get there in the end and see an opponent (online or AI) going down in flames trailing a billowing smoke trail!

    The cockpits are beautifully modelled, even though they don't quite meet the (almost) ridiculous detailing of cockpits in Cliffs of Dover and the DCS series. No complaints though: the 'pits are definitely gorgeous and look fabulous with six degrees-of-freedom TrackIR. The sim will support the upcoming retail version of Oculus Rift, which is reportedly totally mindblowing in BoS (something I can easily imagine, having tried OR Devkit 1 with WarThunder).

    The campaigns in BoS are very good: much more lively than single-player fare in earlier sims such as Il-2: 1946 et al. A nice variety of missions that very often throw surprises at you and really let you try all kinds of missions, from escorting to groundpounding to intercepts and free-ranging dogfights. The AI is very impressive and can really give you a run for your money: much better than in earlier sims, even to the point of using advanced tactics and energy management. There are unlocks of secondary features (extra liveries and the like) that can be earned throughout the campaigns. This feature has strangely attracted the unbridled hate of a small group of flight simmers who think it is too "gamey", which explains some of the ridiculously negative reviews here on Metacritic.

    Multiplayer is (for me) where the real fun is, and it has been fantastic throughout the period in which the sim was in open beta. It doesn't get better than fighting live opponents in the excellent servers that are gradually popping up. BoS obviously offers rich opportuinities for mission creation and some servers are already exploring very advanced features, where players get very realistic missions to accomplish.

    All in all, Il-2: BoS is a great beginning to (hopefully) a new series of sims that I wish will branch out to many WWII theatres of war in the coming years. There aren't many high-fidelity combat flight sims out there: this is the most promising and the most ambitious. It is polished and surprisingly bug-free, a really solid release worth every penny to the discerning simmer who prefers realism and historical correctness to mindless shoot-'em-up gaming.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

36
#36 Most Discussed PC Game of 2014
53
#53 Most Shared PC Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
74

Mixed or average reviews - based on 7 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
  1. Pelit (Finland)
    Jun 14, 2015
    74
    Il-2: Battle of Stalingrad boldly seeks to renew the genre by adding modern game design elements to the admittedly often sterile genre of flight simulators. Unfortunately not only does the bold attempt fail spectacularly, the developers also seem to have completely forgotten what made the original Il-2 a legend. The Rise of Flight legacy shows in the rather impressive visuals and physics modeling, but strangely a lot of its nice features didn't make the cut either and the “sequel” falls short of its predecessor in many ways. [June 2015]
  2. GameOver.gr
    Feb 10, 2015
    70
    The excellent handling and the immense realism that Battle of Stalingrad offers, manages to balance out the poor single player campaign and some of its design flaws.
    Read full review
  3. PC PowerPlay
    Feb 8, 2015
    70
    The lack of content and generous helping of bugs can be easily forgiven thanks to the developer's high reputation. [Feb 2015, p.16]
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