Topic: Pacific fighters

[Jack Morris]

As some of you know, Ubisoft (The creators of Silent Hunter 3) has a flight pack of 3 games for $20 at Best Buy. You get Pacific fighters, Lock-on, and IL-2 Sturmovik.

I bought it mainly to play Pacific fighters as I loved Microprose's "Aces of the Pacific" and Lucasarts "Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe" back in the early 90s. It is no secret that Ubisoft probably employs some of the best graphics design teams in the business today, and their games show it.

Some of you have been thinking of buying it, let me tell you the cons before you buy though.

The discs in the package for P.F. is version 3.0, and the latest patch is version 4.03. You will have to go here for downloads, and to get the free ones I've been having to use the australian link. It reminds me of using dial up to download the EAW or OP patches back in the day.

http://www.3dgamers.com/games/pacificfighters/downloads/

Another thing I dislike is the mission timing, sure you have 8 X speed available, but it takes a while till you get to the action part.

The planes available and mission? Not what was advertised on the box. I will contact Ubisoft and ask WTF? I wanted to torpedo a BB at Pearl, but you only get 2 choices, a Val divebomber or Zero fighter.

The campaign mode? It's there, problem is, unlike A.O.T.P. you only get the most historical missions, and so far what you do or fail to do does not impact the war (They advertised that it does).

So, maybe I got some discs they should not have sent, I'll find out. Apart from all that though? The graphics and details are stunning.

I also need to ask Ubisoft how I can print the manuals for all those games. I configured the joystick but still have not been able to bomb anything yet, and my bombsight reticle (supposed to be automatic) will not work. My periscope did not work on silent hunter 2, but SH 3 did, go figure...

[Commander La'ra]

I miss AoTP.  I would love it if they just took that game and jazzed up the graphics.  New bells and whistles would be okay so long as the core idea/exectution was intact.

[Dracho]

Didn't one of the aircraft companies try to make them pay royalties for depicting their planes?  Claimed the images were copyrighted..?

IIRC that mucked up the game at the last minute.

[Lepton]

If you want the full Pacific Fighters experience, you should consider purchasing the full DVD version that includes all the relevant Maddox games and their expansion.  IL-2 Forgotten Battles, The Aces Expansion Pack and Pacific Fighters which all work together to cover the European and Pacfic fronts.  Similarly, look out for Storm of War:Battle of Britain, I believe it is called, in November of 2006.  This is Maddox Games new initial offering in a series of WWII fighter sim games that will have enhanced graphics and flight models.  For the current IL-2 line, there are expansions slated to add the Russian PE-2 and IL-10 as well as a "1946" expansion of conjectural planes if the war had continued.  It's a rich game and one that I miss since my laptop died which is the only system I own that can handle the game.  Pacific Fighters on its own is a little weak and spotty. Notice the lack of American torpedo planes, but the full series is a great game.

[likkerpig]

You are correct Dracho, one or more aircraft manufacturers refused to allow their planes in the game unless they were paid royalties.
I have the complete series, liked it so much I went out and bought a top of the line (for the time) joystick.
Found the multiplayer was excellent, myself and a buddy played two of the eastern front campaigns, one as BF-109 pilots, one as sturmovik pilots. Hellva lot of fun.
I think some of the patches add more aircraft to the mix as well.
You are right Jack, the flight time to target can be a pain in the arse. Does let you practice your formation flying though...

[AcePylut]

Hey I have Pacific Fighters, it's a fun game.  Time to fly to mission sometimes sucks, but damn, flying a zero over Pearl Harbor on Dec 7, coming over the western mtns of Oahu, dropping down on a fog shrouded harbor... pretty sweet.

Flight modelling is pretty cool too.

If you hop on to hyperlobby, lemme know and I"ll fight against ya.

I'll probably have to get the "whole kit" of pacific fighters, IL2, and the Ace Expansion pack, though.  Apparently, that's what most peep use.