I am certain that quite some of the older guys around recall the feel of sims, namely flight sims and Microprose sims from back in the 90s. Graphics were as they were back then, we were young, the tech and the matter was new, and evertyhing thus was magical and fascinating as a result. Sims today may have become more perfect, more complex, more realistic and visually more photorealistic, but somehow, for me at least, the thunder of those years is gone. We got used to perfection. We expect it. It stuns nobody anymore as some small progress from one sim to the next did back in those days.
When I got VR in winter 2017, somebody mentioned VTOL VR in Early access back then, saying it was good. I looked at the images and videos and thought "Meh", but kept a mental note of it. I took note of the ongoing development, but did not get into it. But now, the full game has been released, the feedback is impressively positive, and I thought I now must try it out.
First things first. This is not a DCS sim. In no way. Not vosually, not tehcncially, not in terms of realism. Do not compare to it, or sims of that callibre. Okay, with this off my chest, lets see.
I have done just two test flights now, and I am stunned. Its the overall package the author has pout together in these three years. Developed for VR from beginning on, typical weaknesses of VR (tiny letters of panel labels beign almost unreadable for example, or a nightmare of butto flipping needing to get done with VR controllers, have ben elegantly evaded form beginning on by designing the interfaces such that these issues do not become "issues". The reuslt is visually rmeinding of sims from the late 90s, of Microprose - just massively improved. The title surfs safely on a balance between basic physics and functioinality realism, and partly simplified, partly futuristic interface and cockpit ambiente. Much is self-expalnatory. I found myself on the bridge of a carrier, watching the flight deck. Visually, its 90s style. Then jetfighters scream by, low and fast. I stood up from ym chair and bend forward so that I could see more of the flightdeck. Never before have I goitten a more alive impression of size and compactness of a carrier flightdeck. There is not that much detail, but it is the combination of typical VR strengths and the familiarity of these kinds of graphics that made me feel immediately at home.
The bame offers three flyable VTOL and or stealth planes. It comes with map and msisione ditor (on 2D sxcrfteen), and you can download workshop content and missions from within the 3D interface.
I took the F-25 on a free flight in the morning, without further reading (I do not even know if there is a manual). And the sim spit me out on an open cockpit in typical Microprose flair and feel, just evertyhing better. I had grabbed a helmet before, and man, in no VR game wearing a helmet looked and felt more convinmcingly than here, working fantastically around the unnatural limitation of yoru viewing field the VR helmet would normally give you, this is better than the helmet-feature in ACC. I looked aroudn, folund greta buttons for stuff needed to get an engine runnign and the aircrfat rolling, what I recalld in switches andlocations from Falcon 4.0 and the likes, was enough. Then canopy came down, I rolled, I scrambled, and up ther I was, over an island scenery that reaslly catapulted me back tothe 90s, in a good way, and much improved. Really, when I say it reminds of the games form the 90s, that is nothing bad to say, everythign falls in its place in this package. Surprisingly, the steering with Oculus handgrips works very well, I do not miss hardware joysticks and tghrottles. I then checked the MFDs and found more functionality hidden in them than I was prepared to find, a pleasurable surprise! And the HUD, let me say, this one is high tech, grpoahcially, it looks stunning, it sgropahcis are outstanding, I am completekly bought by it, also by the way this HUD and the fact that I have real stereoscopic view now provides me with a realiostic impression of how the numbers and symbols dance on the small glass shields and appear slightly differently for each of your eyes, its a weired sensation at first, you feel how your brain must adapt to this at first.
Inevitably I finally searched and found the carrier, and pissed the deck crewws with low and fast fly over, greetings to Top Gun, but sorry, Maverick, I did it faster and lower than you.
And then, landing. I looked and found arrestor hook lever, flaps, the rest like gear and throttle was alraeyd known, and I did not care for comms and calling the ball (which is there). I also had no real idea of approach and touch down spoeeds, and altitide needed, and for a first attempt I produced a decent touch and go at 260 kn, not too well aligned and missing all clable, full throttle, and up I went again, after almost having kissed the waves. In the second attempt, I was better aligned, or so I thought, but maybe came in too steep, I caught a cable, but the plane started a pirouette and I knew it was all messed up, I grabbed between my virtuzal legs for the emergency handle and pulled it with my virtual hands, then it was chaotic and evertyhig nturtned and unde rme was the carrier, and I heard the plane splashing into the water and then I hanging on the chute and dropped into the sea at a not comfprtable but certainyl survivble speed, with carrier passing by and an escort cruiser running almost over me.
Never felt ejecting from a simulated plane so satisfactory.
I cannot say much oin the missions and camopaign, again it all looks a bit retro,but as I said: workshop. Map editor. Mission editor. All content needs can be served, it seems.
This all seems to be much, very much better than I had expected. For launch the game is reduced in price to around 20 Euros. One of the best VR titles I have played so far.
If you have VR, get it.
And feel like the guy again that you were 20, 30 years ago, fascinated by Total Air War, Microprose, and sims of that time - their unmistakable flavour, but massively improved in eveything.
