Rise of Flight: The First Great Air War

 PC
User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 84 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 59 out of 84
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 84
  3. Negative: 15 out of 84
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  1. OttoKill
    Mar 28, 2014
    10
    The very best WWI flight sim available! The planes are great, they all fly with their own characteristics. If you haven't ever played flight sims before, you will Love this after a modest learning curve. The graphics are great and game play is smooth. If you aren't willing to learn some flight technique and spend some time learning this very worth while game..... Then this isn't for You.The very best WWI flight sim available! The planes are great, they all fly with their own characteristics. If you haven't ever played flight sims before, you will Love this after a modest learning curve. The graphics are great and game play is smooth. If you aren't willing to learn some flight technique and spend some time learning this very worth while game..... Then this isn't for You. Get an arcade game. I recommend this game.… Expand
  2. King_Hrothgar
    Oct 23, 2014
    10
    When the game was initially released back in 2009, it was limited and arguably incomplete. But in the years since, it has turned into the current standard for how to do a combat flight sim. It has the best SP play around, putting even IL2:BoS (based off it) to shame. MP is also solid, though it's started to thin out a little. Flight, damage and sound modeling are all top notch and evenWhen the game was initially released back in 2009, it was limited and arguably incomplete. But in the years since, it has turned into the current standard for how to do a combat flight sim. It has the best SP play around, putting even IL2:BoS (based off it) to shame. MP is also solid, though it's started to thin out a little. Flight, damage and sound modeling are all top notch and even though the game is 5 years old, it still has solid graphics that will bring anything but a high end machine to its knees if you crank up the detail. With more than 30 flyable planes, there is plenty of variety too. Development has taken a back seat in the rush to get IL2:BoS out, but allegedly they have more stuff planned now that BoS is released.

    If military or early aviation is your thing, I can't recommend this game enough.    … Expand
  3. 1iJack
    Dec 28, 2014
    10
    Easily one of the best combat flight sims ever published when combined with the free add-on Pat Wilson's Campaign Generator (PWCG). Superb feeling of flight and the best WWI plane models available at the time of this writing. The map of the Western Front is beautiful and highly accurate based on the work of a user (Fifi) who created an overlay for it based on a 1918 map. Fifi found theEasily one of the best combat flight sims ever published when combined with the free add-on Pat Wilson's Campaign Generator (PWCG). Superb feeling of flight and the best WWI plane models available at the time of this writing. The map of the Western Front is beautiful and highly accurate based on the work of a user (Fifi) who created an overlay for it based on a 1918 map. Fifi found the location of villages, rivers and wooded areas in Rise of Flight to be accurate within 1 km over the entirely of France when compared to the original map.

    The game and the first two planes are free, so no reason not to try this game. You can then purchase any or all of the additional 50+ planes you are interested in, including scouts, 2-seaters, the Gotha and Handley Page bombers, and early float planes and a flying boat (the Felixstowe). Activities not only include dogfighting, but also bombing missions over England (with the purchase of the Channel Map) attacking shipping and submarines, and attacking ground units...its all there in Rise of Flight.

    A superb game.    … Expand
  4. ZaPPPa
    Jun 16, 2011
    10
    Some of the earlier reviews are out of date and should be re-evaluated. In May 2011 the developer released the 1.019 superpatch that added a dynamic campaign to the game and the game has been extremely stable on my machine. This at no extra cost to the customers who already paid.
    The game plays fine with just a simple Logitech Extreme joystick without TrackIR. It supports padlock, snap    Some of the earlier reviews are out of date and should be re-evaluated. In May 2011 the developer released the 1.019 superpatch that added a dynamic campaign to the game and the game has been extremely stable on my machine. This at no extra cost to the customers who already paid.
    The game plays fine with just a simple Logitech Extreme joystick without TrackIR. It supports padlock, snap view and all other normal features. Their business model of having to buy additional playable planes allows the developer to continuously add features to the game instead of creating a new version or new game. Best of all, as a user.. you don't HAVE to buy those planes. The AI will fly them whether you pay for them or not. A free demo is now available that has all features enabled, including the full campaign. The only limit is that only two types of planes are available to the player.
    Pros: The graphics are gorgeous. The planes are a joy to fly and the damage model is impressive. Land a bit rough and see you plane topple over, bend struts and tear cloth. The new campaign really added a lot of atmosphere to the game.
    Cons: AI can be clumsy and needs work.    … Expand
  5. FLGibsonJr
    Nov 21, 2010
    10
    You can tell right away this is a great Combat Flight Sim...the potential for the future seems limitless. I received mine after pre-ordering it (original Rise of Flight release) and have been enjoying it ever since. Like all new games there were a few bugs and areas that needed to be refined, but those have all been addressed. What is exceptionally nice is that you have developers who haveYou can tell right away this is a great Combat Flight Sim...the potential for the future seems limitless. I received mine after pre-ordering it (original Rise of Flight release) and have been enjoying it ever since. Like all new games there were a few bugs and areas that needed to be refined, but those have all been addressed. What is exceptionally nice is that you have developers who have been continuing to work and further develop this game.

    I just wanted to thank the developers for a great game, and I am still looking to the future with continued hope as this WWI Combat Flight Sim gets better and better.

    This is now the definitive WWI Combat Flight Sim, and perhaps the definitive Combat Flight Sim.

    Regards,    … Expand
  6. PatrickAWilson
    Sep 6, 2013
    10
    The best WWI flight sim out there. So many details. Beautiful planes, flight model, and so many details. Fly either single or two seaters. Two seater missions as never before. Call in artillery. Fly armed escorts.

    And, of course PWCG. What's not to love:). (Visit the forum and this will make sense). It's not quite perfect yet. A few more planes, a few more tweaks and it will    The best WWI flight sim out there. So many details. Beautiful planes, flight model, and so many details. Fly either single or two seaters. Two seater missions as never before. Call in artillery. Fly armed escorts.

    And, of course PWCG. What's not to love:). (Visit the forum and this will make sense).

    It's not quite perfect yet. A few more planes, a few more tweaks and it will be there. This is a sim for true flight sim lovers. It is not casual, so don't expect to play it with a mouse. But f you like flight sims and you like your action up close and personal, nothing beats it.    … Expand
  7. EdwardR
    Apr 24, 2011
    10
    Rise of Flight is a first rate flight sim and probably the best all around World War One sim currently available. The graphics are outstanding, and the developer has included a number of scaling options to fit a wide range of PCs. Any standard joystick will work fine for controls. The flight model is very good, with each airplane having its own unique personality - none feels generic.Rise of Flight is a first rate flight sim and probably the best all around World War One sim currently available. The graphics are outstanding, and the developer has included a number of scaling options to fit a wide range of PCs. Any standard joystick will work fine for controls. The flight model is very good, with each airplane having its own unique personality - none feels generic. Overall, Rise of Flight recreates the sense of flight better than any sim I've ever played. Just flying the planes is great fun. With a new campaign mode scheduled for the next (free!) update, Rise of Flight is a worthy successor to Red Baron. NOTE: The DRM system has changed substantially since the early reviews. Apart from logging on to install the game, download updates, or change your in-game profile (the nationality of your pilot), the game can be played entirely offline. I go weeks without ever logging on to the server; there's absolutely no need to for day-to-day single-player play.… Expand
  8. Tobus
    Aug 11, 2009
    7
    Pro's: Great graphics, only trenches are drawn instead of 3d, but otherwise fabulous. Great sounds. Grreat physics per aircraft, exactly the reason why seperate a/c need to be bought. These are NO simple conversions of settings+model+skin. Each plane has to be learned to fly and has its own characteristics. Cons: Sloppy multiplayer implementation. Unable to join already running Pro's: Great graphics, only trenches are drawn instead of 3d, but otherwise fabulous. Great sounds. Grreat physics per aircraft, exactly the reason why seperate a/c need to be bought. These are NO simple conversions of settings+model+skin. Each plane has to be learned to fly and has its own characteristics. Cons: Sloppy multiplayer implementation. Unable to join already running servers as a player, you get to be spectator until the round ends. Navigation is hard without navigation-icons on, so finding opponents can take time, lengtening the mission and the time you are spectating. All players have to report ready in the lobby to let the round start. Anyone not doing that (gone to the bathroom) will hold everyone up. The host can not kick the player, only a democratic ban can (majority vote). Documentation is poor: no details on which difficultysetting does what, no details on cockpits of different planes, no tutorial for missioneditor whatsoever. Side note: Heavy DRM. Game can only be played when connected to the internet to allow realtime validation with Neoqb. Game is IMO much less playable when NOT having a TrackIR system. I would give this a 9 if the multiplay would be much more opened up.… Expand
  9. MouseOne
    Nov 28, 2010
    9
    If Rise of Flight were to be graded only on excellence of its flight model, it would deserve an 11 here. Seriously, speaking as a RL pilot with a couple of decades of professional flying behind me (military and civilian), RoF is pretty much the only PC flight sim I've played that feels like a plane. And yes, all you Il-2 fans, I've played that. The modeling of the aircraft is exquisite,If Rise of Flight were to be graded only on excellence of its flight model, it would deserve an 11 here. Seriously, speaking as a RL pilot with a couple of decades of professional flying behind me (military and civilian), RoF is pretty much the only PC flight sim I've played that feels like a plane. And yes, all you Il-2 fans, I've played that. The modeling of the aircraft is exquisite, and a WW1 aviation junkie like myself thrills to see the various start sequences animated correctly. Everything but manually priming the cylinders on the SE-5a! The damage model seems pretty spot on-- there's no arcade style instakills (unless you nail the pilot or tank, just like old MvR said to). Expect to miss a lot, grind your teeth at jamming guns, and wish the damn plane would stop bobbing around in turbulence so much.
    Most of the complaints some of the other posters made have been addressed-- MP is much better now, TrackIR is plug and play, and 777 seems to get pricing-- the ICE pack is really the way to go, with more than enough planes to make you happy. That said, ultimately this game is really only about dogfighting right now. There's a promised campaign mode coming, two seaters and all that, but if you're expecting Over Flanders Fields, you'll be disappointed. Then again, if you want a realistic flight model, you'll be disappointed in OFF. In a perfect world, there would be a game that had the best aspects of both-- and maybe RoF will have that in a year or so. But right now, it's just the best damn flight sim out there. And that's something.    … Expand
  10. thedudeWG
    Sep 6, 2013
    10
    Rise of Flight is an amazing sim. Forget all the negative reviews about what it is lacking, how expensive it is to add content, etc. This game is nothing like the original 2009 release, and it is fairly valued. 777 Studios has done an amazing job of improving and adding content to this game throughout the years. For the player, adding content is not necessary, and it definitely will notRise of Flight is an amazing sim. Forget all the negative reviews about what it is lacking, how expensive it is to add content, etc. This game is nothing like the original 2009 release, and it is fairly valued. 777 Studios has done an amazing job of improving and adding content to this game throughout the years. For the player, adding content is not necessary, and it definitely will not make you any better. If you have several flyable aircraft, you can consume endless hours in SP or on-line in MP without issues. If you are interested in getting everything out of the game possible, then yes, you could spend a lot. That is the difference between a simulation and a game especially, considering the "niche" aspect of a WWI flight sim. I have more than a few planes in my hanger that I haven't even had time to fully enjoy, as it can take quite a while to really LEARN each aircraft, as they all have their own distinct differences. Having said that, I have no regrets about any of those purchases, because I know that I will enjoy each one of those planes (campaigns, weapon mods, etc.) some day.

    Note: even if you are an experienced WWII flight-simmer, be prepared for frustration and humility. Flying these crates is extremely hard to do at first, but the learning is curve is constant and very rewarding. You have to stick with it. If you survive the initial learning phase, I promise you will be hooked!    … Expand
  11. Doconicus
    Sep 6, 2013
    10
    Unbelievable sim. It's simulations like this is why I got into PC gaming in the 80's. This with a decent flight stick, a throttle system and TrackIR, and your there.

    For the first time since the old mech0sim 'Earthseige' This sime lets you finally get the fighter high, which is coming back to base,out of ammo, several kills under your belt, and your craft has horrific damage, which may    Unbelievable sim. It's simulations like this is why I got into PC gaming in the 80's. This with a decent flight stick, a throttle system and TrackIR, and your there.

    For the first time since the old mech0sim 'Earthseige' This sime lets you finally get the fighter high, which is coming back to base,out of ammo, several kills under your belt, and your craft has horrific damage, which may compromise your landing. -Awesome!    … Expand
  12. Branwell
    Sep 5, 2013
    9
    Most of these reviews are way out of date now, and the game has developed nicely in the meantime...

    It has absolutely beautiful graphics and flight models are decent. I also has an engaging career mode, and multiple maps available including the English Channel to fly submarine-hunting missions in your flying boats and seaplanes. Bombing missions, artillery direction, reconnaissance,    Most of these reviews are way out of date now, and the game has developed nicely in the meantime...

    It has absolutely beautiful graphics and flight models are decent. I also has an engaging career mode, and multiple maps available including the English Channel to fly submarine-hunting missions in your flying boats and seaplanes.

    Bombing missions, artillery direction, reconnaissance, dogfighting it's all there. A huge range of aircraft are now available to buy, from single seaters, through two-seaters to multi-engined bombers and seaplanes. Even if you don't own them, they they will appear in your game in AI pilot's hands.

    Yes, if you try to fly this game with the keyboard, you're in for a disappointing experience (as per any flight sim!), but a basic joystick will do you fine initially you really don't need a terribly expensive stick, rudders or TrackIR setup, though they obviously help, if you're really into your flying.

    To the earlier reviews saying it's a terrible funding model to have to buy additional aircraft I disagree you don't need to buy them at all, unless you want to personally fly them. In fact, if you really want to master a type, you need to put significant effort and flying hours into them anyway, to learn all of their little quirks this is not arcade flying, where you can just drag the stick around the without stalling, spinning or losing your wings! So just get yourself a couple of aircraft to start with, and master them, before spending what amounts to a couple of beers to get another, and then learn that..

    So it's a great game, but is it perfect? Well, no... I'd personally love to see more ground activity (it's not non-existant, it's just not 'teeming'!), but I do have loads of confidence in the developers, having owned this sim for getting on for three years now, and I've seen them achieve fantastic things and really listen to their community.

    So it's a 9, for now, but I have confidence it will become a 10 in the future...    … Expand
  13. Yammo
    Sep 7, 2013
    10
    After a dodgy release... 777 Studios have kept working on their product and have ended
    up with what I think is THE best Flight Simulator on the market to date. Operating word
    here is "Simulator" It is not an arcade game, so don't even for a second think that you will get anything out of this masterpiece without a joystick. While I do find the graphics in Rise of Flight to be    After a dodgy release... 777 Studios have kept working on their product and have ended
    up with what I think is THE best Flight Simulator on the market to date. Operating word
    here is "Simulator" It is not an arcade game, so don't even for a second think that you
    will get anything out of this masterpiece without a joystick.

    While I do find the graphics in Rise of Flight to be absolutely stunning for a flight-simulator
    it is the flight model and physics of the simulator that makes me love it. A single tear in
    somewhere on the plane will change the characteristics of the plane...

    If you like simulators this is a must have... Even though I prefer the WWII planes, I enjoy
    just flying around in the beautiful world that 777 studios has created.

    Preferably you should have the full setup with:
    - Joystick (Force feedback recommended)
    - Track IR (Natural Point, Freetrack, Face Noir, etc)
    - Rudderpedals (Not essential but will help a lot)

    Background:
    I have controlled a Piper single prop for real a few times and I am a long
    time simulator fan flying great simulations as:
    - IL2 Sturmovik 1946 (Stunning simulation for its time, that holds even today)
    - Microsoft Flight Simulator (Great for IFR but flight model isn't great)
    - DCS Black Shark & A10    … Expand
  14. vongrube
    Aug 26, 2012
    7
    I have ROF, and I am here to tell you WITHOUT A DOUBT that the Fokker Dr1 flight model is NOT accurate! And before you say "how would you know that?" , let me just say... Because I own one!
    I am the owner of a full size Fokker Dr1 Triplane that I have been flight testing for the past three months. Look up "vongrube" on YouTube and you can watch my flight videos.
    The ROF Dr1 flight model    I have ROF, and I am here to tell you WITHOUT A DOUBT that the Fokker Dr1 flight model is NOT accurate! And before you say "how would you know that?" , let me just say... Because I own one!
    I am the owner of a full size Fokker Dr1 Triplane that I have been flight testing for the past three months. Look up "vongrube" on YouTube and you can watch my flight videos.
    The ROF Dr1 flight model is horrible! Watch my videos. You don't see the nose pitching up and down, or the plane skittering all over the sky. If my plane acted that way on the first test flight, I would probably not have survived the experience. Granted...my plane IS touchy, and unstable...just like the original. But no where close to what ROF depicts! In 35 years as a fixed wing and helicopter pilot I have NEVER flown any aircraft that flies the way ROF depicts their triplane!
    I wish these game designers would actually sit down with REAL pilots of these classic planes and interview them intensly. Then, allow them to fly the simulator and listen to their input. If you really want to know how a plane flies, talk to an actual pilot OF that plane. Stop taking second, third, and fourth hand stories from magazines and books, and then try to interpret the meanings. There are plenty of pilots who fly actual and replica warbirds out there (including myself) who would be more than willing to help out with an accurate flight model simulation.    … Expand
  15. Joris
    Sep 5, 2013
    9
    Rise of Flight offers the purest propsim flying that you can find. You find yourself high up in the air in a wood and canvas biplane, with a very basic engine humming in front of you, ready to perform deadly combat where you can see your opponent's white in the eyes.

    The sim was released in 2009 with just 4 planes, and it has come a very very long way since then, it has been improved in    Rise of Flight offers the purest propsim flying that you can find. You find yourself high up in the air in a wood and canvas biplane, with a very basic engine humming in front of you, ready to perform deadly combat where you can see your opponent's white in the eyes.

    The sim was released in 2009 with just 4 planes, and it has come a very very long way since then, it has been improved in ever possible way. There is a lot of DLC available, but even the free to play version at riseofflight.com is breeming with content that will last you weeks if not months. The amount of fidelity you get in flight models, graphics and game modes is unparallelled. And you can experience it without having to spend a penny, so there's no reason not to be your own judge on it!    … Expand
  16. EddieElNino
    Sep 6, 2013
    10
    Simply the best WW1 Combat Flight Sim there is out there. The aircraft and objects look gorgeous even to this day. During the very often sales you can acquire the aircraft very cheaply and enjoy them by yourself or with friends. This is my favorite CFS so far and I look forward to what else these developers can do!
  17. BellinoP
    Sep 6, 2013
    10
    One of the best Flight models ever. And for those complaining you need a joy stick to fly this game should go get an x Box flight game and play with that TOY.... anyway it is buggy and hope the fixes come soon also paying for more planes to fly is a RIP OFFFFFFF!!!!!!!!!! still all and all can't distract from the fact this is still one of the best flight games out there.. Ohh and while IOne of the best Flight models ever. And for those complaining you need a joy stick to fly this game should go get an x Box flight game and play with that TOY.... anyway it is buggy and hope the fixes come soon also paying for more planes to fly is a RIP OFFFFFFF!!!!!!!!!! still all and all can't distract from the fact this is still one of the best flight games out there.. Ohh and while I have everyone's ears just think what the Oculus Rift will do for this game... Ohh my God!!!!!!… Expand
  18. Mark16642
    Sep 17, 2013
    10
    I have always played on flightsims as long as i can remember and this is one of the best. 10/10 for this as it doesn't feel like an arcade game. You get such a huge sense of achievement when you complete a mission and then land and switch off your engine. The flight characteristics feel very realistic and the graphics are stunning.
  19. Isolated_Pawn
    Oct 12, 2013
    10
    Rise of flight contains the finest flight modeling, physics and graphics available. The standard of excellence maintained by this simulator are the result of an ever expanding work in progress from the development team which continues to make this simulator the most effective tool for user emersion into historical war aviation. Most of the negative criticisms leveled at this simulator haveRise of flight contains the finest flight modeling, physics and graphics available. The standard of excellence maintained by this simulator are the result of an ever expanding work in progress from the development team which continues to make this simulator the most effective tool for user emersion into historical war aviation. Most of the negative criticisms leveled at this simulator have been rendered obsolete by free updates expanding the sophistication of this simulator and its total range and scope. I purchased this flight simulator in 2010 and today it provides a completely different and far superior experience then when I first acquired it. Even the most fiscally conscious of Sim Pilots can enjoy the basic package which contains everything needed to enjoy this historical flight sim and can be downloaded, completely for free, from the Rise of Flight web sight. Further customizations of your WW1 experience have been made available for purchase and include weapons modifications, additional aircraft and more however, these modifications are not necessary as you are free to add only the customizations that best fit your personal tastes and budget. The Rise of Flight community is second to none and the online experience contains servers for pilots of every level of experience. As a special note to beginners who are considering getting started with this amazing simulator there is a training campaign which originally attracted me to this Sim however, I am pleased to report that instructional videos posted on line are excellent and feature individual aircraft familiarization, basic flight instruction and advanced maneuvering and strategy which can be utilized right away and over time as your skills evolve. (Special thanks to IRFC Requiem who created these videos and posted them on You Tube making it easy for beginners to get started) so why not get flying right now? I hope to see you in the simulated sky's of the first world war, good luck and Godspeed. Salute!… Expand
  20. Contiusa
    Sep 6, 2013
    10
    It is simply amazing.

    After a Day of hard work, I take off in a plane just to roam over France and England and have some chivalry with folks around the world. The flight model is superb (I am in love with the Nieuport 11), the graphics are stunning and the on-line community is super. You should give it a try. They have a free play version to check it out.
  21. JetIntake
    Aug 14, 2009
    6
    As far as graphics and flight model are concerned, this game tops anything ever released. But the game ain't "done"... Sound are poor, multiplayer is crappy, documentation is not there, getting the full game is expensive ($7 for each extra plane), setting up the game with TrackIr and X52 is a pain in... It's really a pity because flight experience is increadible,but this is As far as graphics and flight model are concerned, this game tops anything ever released. But the game ain't "done"... Sound are poor, multiplayer is crappy, documentation is not there, getting the full game is expensive ($7 for each extra plane), setting up the game with TrackIr and X52 is a pain in... It's really a pity because flight experience is increadible,but this is enough to make a good game.… Expand
  22. diomedesbc
    Sep 7, 2013
    9
    I've been playing this Flight Sim off and on since it's release. It's amazing and truly does make you feel like you are immersed in the air battles of WWI. Career mode is really fun and the flight models are awesome.
    Hours of fun with the base free game and it's great that you can just add the planes you want for very cheap. Great community as well. Highly recommend!
  23. BlackVoid
    Apr 8, 2015
    1
    Overpriced and too much "realism".
    The business model is broken, for the full game, you have to pay in excess of $100.
    The aircraft feel incredibly wobbly and unstable. This may be realistic but it is way over the top as your wings move around way too much - several meters in seconds. It feels like a paper plane instead of realistic. I understand that these planes were unstable, but    Overpriced and too much "realism".
    The business model is broken, for the full game, you have to pay in excess of $100.

    The aircraft feel incredibly wobbly and unstable. This may be realistic but it is way over the top as your wings move around way too much - several meters in seconds. It feels like a paper plane instead of realistic. I understand that these planes were unstable, but surely not this much. It is impossible for any aircraft to move this much up-down in level flight.

    Then, when you get hit, your vision will be obscured by oil. Apparently in 1915 people could not blink. There is no other explanation, because there is no windshield.

    AVOID.    … Expand
  24. joefresco
    Sep 6, 2013
    0
    This in-app purchase model needs to die. You spend $40 to $60 to buy the game, and it only comes with a handle of aircraft and it costs $7 to $10 to buy more aircraft and options. Avoid this junk, don't let in-app purchases be a thing.
  25. Goden
    Jul 17, 2011
    0
    I cannot even give this game a (1) because the majority of the games content does not even come included. You have to pay for it extra. Out of the box, you only get a handful of airplanes as standard, the rest you have to buy at 7 to 15 dollars each. AFTER this you can then by upgrade packages for which cost 5 dollars and add things like lights and dials to the aircraft. You also have toI cannot even give this game a (1) because the majority of the games content does not even come included. You have to pay for it extra. Out of the box, you only get a handful of airplanes as standard, the rest you have to buy at 7 to 15 dollars each. AFTER this you can then by upgrade packages for which cost 5 dollars and add things like lights and dials to the aircraft. You also have to buy these upgrades for each airplane. Rubbish.… Expand
  26. Loucetios
    Feb 5, 2013
    0
    Flightstick required should have been painted all over the website.

    I read the journal of the PC Gamer pilot and thought this game sounded like fun. I was horribly wrong. The flight model is terrible, you have the owner of one of these planes in the review section telling you it is wrong because he owns the real thing and has compared the two. If real planes were this un-flyable no    Flightstick required should have been painted all over the website.

    I read the journal of the PC Gamer pilot and thought this game sounded like fun. I was horribly wrong.

    The flight model is terrible, you have the owner of one of these planes in the review section telling you it is wrong because he owns the real thing and has compared the two. If real planes were this un-flyable no one would have survived their first flight in all likelihood.

    The plane simply CANNOT be controlled by keyboard.

    On top of that, you have maybe 2 planes at your disposal.. despite this being labelled a 'free' game you have to pay for it in reality. The website flat out lies to you in some regards.

    I can appreciate what the dev team are trying to do, but they're doing it in the most inaccessible way possible. What could have been a userbase of 30,000+ is now likely a userbase of 3000.

    Greed essentially got in the way of this game being good. That and the flight model being crap.    … Expand
  27. SimonF
    Aug 28, 2009
    4
    Compared to Over Flanders Fields...this sucks! Buying additional aircraft, being logged onto Russian Servers,..little in the way of atmospherics...I feel cheated!
  28. minijedimaster
    Dec 27, 2013
    0
    I think this developer gets the most greedy award for 2013. That's saying a lot considering who they compete against for said award (EA, Ubisoft etc). As of this writing this game is on a flash sale on Steam for 75% off. If I were to purchase this game at that discount with all of it's "DLC's" it would cost me $60. That's at 75% off. why do people support devs who act like this?I think this developer gets the most greedy award for 2013. That's saying a lot considering who they compete against for said award (EA, Ubisoft etc). As of this writing this game is on a flash sale on Steam for 75% off. If I were to purchase this game at that discount with all of it's "DLC's" it would cost me $60. That's at 75% off. why do people support devs who act like this? Boggles the mind.… Expand
  29. BSH
    Dec 29, 2009
    3
    Beautiful game, excellent flight system and damage model (improved IL2 erngine), and solid controls. The problems: bad implementation of all gameplay modes especially multiplayer, extremely long load times (on a 3.2ghz quad core with WD Raptors and a 260 GTX), ridiculous DRM implementation/authentication and, get this, over 7 dollars per addon aircraft if you want to buy the DLC (all of Beautiful game, excellent flight system and damage model (improved IL2 erngine), and solid controls. The problems: bad implementation of all gameplay modes especially multiplayer, extremely long load times (on a 3.2ghz quad core with WD Raptors and a 260 GTX), ridiculous DRM implementation/authentication and, get this, over 7 dollars per addon aircraft if you want to buy the DLC (all of which should have been included with release). To buy all the content for this game (and it's only been out a few months) will cost you over 100 dollars, and you'll only get a few "extra" planes. They didn't include much in this game to start with, it's not polished, it's crippled by technical problems, lack of content, documentation, long load times, and vicious DRM, and worst of all it is a huge middle finger from a greedy startup that values money over their own potential fanbase, which won't materialize. I am a die-hard simmer going back to the olden days of CGA and Microprose, and I've played IL2 nearly every day for 8 years now, so I am the target audience for this game. However, I will not buy it until these issues are fixed. I played the full trial for about 20 hours, but I see tons of potential, but I won't drop some cash until these glaring problems are sorted out. Pity. We've all been awaiting a top quality next-gen WWI flight sim. Guess we'll keep waiting.… Expand
  30. sst66
    Sep 6, 2013
    2
    Too much money for a sub par game. Flight models are inaccurate, game ruining and have been confirmed to not be fixed due to lack of money. The community for the most part is okay save a few absolute apologists and sycophants (BSR AJW & DW27).

    Any threads that give a well thought out review that is other than 100% positive will be locked after the "good ol boys" mentioned above get to    Too much money for a sub par game. Flight models are inaccurate, game ruining and have been confirmed to not be fixed due to lack of money. The community for the most part is okay save a few absolute apologists and sycophants (BSR AJW & DW27).

    Any threads that give a well thought out review that is other than 100% positive will be locked after the "good ol boys" mentioned above get to have their go at the poor souls who dare to have anything other than a favorable opinion get locked.    … Expand
  31. crash101
    Sep 8, 2013
    3
    after playing this sim for years I quit. To play competitivly you WILL need- a good stick, pedals and a good PC with really good internet speeds. The guys you play against have cutting edge equipt no matter what they say. Get Track IR if you want to live. Its BS when they say you dont have to buy other aircraft. Costs include- new planes, new maps, new mods- blah blah. The reason its onafter playing this sim for years I quit. To play competitivly you WILL need- a good stick, pedals and a good PC with really good internet speeds. The guys you play against have cutting edge equipt no matter what they say. Get Track IR if you want to live. Its BS when they say you dont have to buy other aircraft. Costs include- new planes, new maps, new mods- blah blah. The reason its on steam is cause they lost so many players due to bugs and price. This game is so bug ridden- every update carry's a bug and they still have bugs from years ago. Trust me I put a lot of money in this to play it rite- dont get sucked in- its buggy and expensiive… Expand
  32. willgibbs77
    Sep 8, 2011
    6
    Nice looks game, I wouldnt call it realistic but lots of eye candy, rather boring and not much action but when there is a nice furball its lots of fun. Trackir and top of the line computer a must. 777 studios is ripping off its customers big time charging extra for the same planes with different model number and mgs, very greedy should be all included in one big collectors edition withNice looks game, I wouldnt call it realistic but lots of eye candy, rather boring and not much action but when there is a nice furball its lots of fun. Trackir and top of the line computer a must. 777 studios is ripping off its customers big time charging extra for the same planes with different model number and mgs, very greedy should be all included in one big collectors edition with free patchs rather then being charged alot for stuff that should be free to keep our interest in thier game we were kind enough to purchase.… Expand
  33. Eisert
    Feb 1, 2015
    9
    This is the best WW1 flight simulator around. The high price can be countered somewhat if you buy during a sale. There are single missions, various campaigns (pass one mission to go the next mission in the story) and career. The career mode is quite realistic (several missions per day) although it could be improved somewhat (more role playing elements and more variety in random generatedThis is the best WW1 flight simulator around. The high price can be countered somewhat if you buy during a sale. There are single missions, various campaigns (pass one mission to go the next mission in the story) and career. The career mode is quite realistic (several missions per day) although it could be improved somewhat (more role playing elements and more variety in random generated missions).

    Dogfighting is intense. Recently also flying using the mouse has been added. The only "bug" I sometimes have are some graphical glitches during the menu screens. Luckily after a restart they are gone. A must buyer for every flight simmer.    … Expand
  34. tracy502
    May 17, 2015
    10
    This flight sim is Fantastic! I have never played one this good. The only sim that comes close is DCS World. I have both of them and spend hours flying combat missions in a WW II fighter in DCS or flying a WW I tri or bi plane in ROF. A truly excellent work in progress as more planes are added for purchase. There is a learning curve for this sim.... unless you just play in arcade mode,This flight sim is Fantastic! I have never played one this good. The only sim that comes close is DCS World. I have both of them and spend hours flying combat missions in a WW II fighter in DCS or flying a WW I tri or bi plane in ROF. A truly excellent work in progress as more planes are added for purchase. There is a learning curve for this sim.... unless you just play in arcade mode, even then it isn't easy. Worth every penny it costs! You gotta have this one if you like flight sims.… Expand
  35. zorba-buddha
    May 20, 2021
    10
    Был в команде разработчиков, я делал сам сайт игры, но всех принуждали играть в неё, чтобы мы понимали над чем работаем, каждый.
    Это единственный подобный симулятор, в который я играл с удовольствием.
    Кстати, все основные участники команды разработчиков имели лётные часы.    Был в команде разработчиков, я делал сам сайт игры, но всех принуждали играть в неё, чтобы мы понимали над чем работаем, каждый.
    Это единственный подобный симулятор, в который я играл с удовольствием.
    Кстати, все основные участники команды разработчиков имели лётные часы.
  36. rotagen
    Jan 3, 2022
    2
    I'm a huge WWI aircraft enthusiast with way too many hours on Red Baron 3D so I was excited when this came out. I gave it a very good chance, with quite a bit of time trying to get into it. I gotta say it has been doing nothing on my drive for at least 3 years, while I re-installed RB3D and worked hard on getting it going well on my newer system.

    Here's why it has no staying power,    I'm a huge WWI aircraft enthusiast with way too many hours on Red Baron 3D so I was excited when this came out. I gave it a very good chance, with quite a bit of time trying to get into it. I gotta say it has been doing nothing on my drive for at least 3 years, while I re-installed RB3D and worked hard on getting it going well on my newer system.

    Here's why it has no staying power, it's simply not fun or addictive. The damage models are pure drudgery, nothing is customizable so there is no mod community. I'm not a big multi player guy but I tried hard to enjoy that, but the only map that was tolerable was the dogfight map and again the DM made it very dull. The all-important single player missions were a joke. It's pretty clear that games like this destroyed the flight sim market. Clearly it was all about making money via showing potential customers pretty graphics and pretty planes. I won't get fooled again.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

66
#66 Best PC Game of 2009
57
#57 Most Discussed PC Game of 2009
23
#23 Most Shared PC Game of 2009

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 14 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 14
  3. Negative: 0 out of 14
  1. Games.cz
    Jul 19, 2011
    90
    The best World War I combat flight simulator ever. To hold your airplane in the skies is an easy task. But it will take some time and lot of training to become a real ace. Rise of Flight is heavily inspired by IL-2 Sturmovik's style and it is able to deliver and entertain almost every virtual pilot.
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  2. GameStar
    77
    Rise of Flight offers great and realistic battles during the First World War, but without a story and variety it's short-lived fun. But there's no comparable game out there where you can just go and fly into battle without much hassle. A joystick is recommended.
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  3. GamingExcellence
    55
    Rise of Flight is at its core a strong flight simulator. So while flying is fun, dogfighting and bombing ultimately left something to be desired.
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