Rise of Flight is an unusual flight simulator in that it is hardcore, but simulates a period of history when the mechanics of combat planesRise of Flight is an unusual flight simulator in that it is hardcore, but simulates a period of history when the mechanics of combat planes were simple enough to be easily learned. This makes it approachable in a way that many hardcore flight sims are not. By the same turn, it is much harder to master than more arcadey flight sims available, as the planes respond realistically and must be managed properly and with finesse to get the best out of them. This creates an immersion severely lacking in arcade sims, and a great sense of acomplishment from playing well.
For a hardcore sim it is particularly pretty to play, with a lovely sense of realism lacking in some of the more humorless sims in my collection. The graphics strike the right balance of naturalism and romanticism without going overboard... WW1, when pilots were allowed to paint their own planes, was a very personable and attractive period of air war compared to later more stodgy periods. The developer also has a huge collection of player contributed historically acurate skin packs at their website making the variation in planes quite astounding.
Like many smaller developers they have chosen to release the game incrementally (by developing new planes as DLC), but you don't need to buy these to enjoy play. The included planes each have their own strengths and take a long time to master, so DLC is only required if you wish to try something different.... eg. flying a multi-crew bomber or sea plane. Some players always complain about DLC, but the RoF approach compares favorably with sims like DCS which charge fifty bucks a plane, or blatant pay to win schemes like War Thunder. Channel Battles gives you enough content to play and master the game before deciding if you want to invest further in expansions.
If you are going to play though, you really need a joystick (or HOTAS). Despite being approachable it is not an arcade sim. Though you can play with an xbox/ps3 controller, it will be uncomfortably imprecise. A proper joystick with at least rudder and throttle is worthwhile (and potentially cheap.) If you are unsure if you want to invest in the game and a stick I would try the free version (from the developer website) using a game controller to see if the game is your style. If you have the patience to get off the ground and learn to dogfight using that then you'll definitely get more out of the full game with a better controller.
The joys of Rise of Flight come from mastery of the skills and challenges it provides. Dogfighting in planes which are barely evolved from a kite with an engine is great fun. Engagements often end unresolved, so limping home with a damaged plane is another challenge. Learning bombing is tricky. Even navigating with only the sun, a compass, map and visual landmarks is a challenge. It all adds up to a very immersive sim which nails the crossover between hardcore simming and fun gaming. It's a bit of a gateway drug for more casual gamers to get into the sim hobby, and a welcome change from combat flight sims where you need to read a book just to learn to turn your plane on. :)… Expand
