October 24, 1998
Almost a year after the release of the brilliant and realistic flight simulation, F-22 ADF by DID, they have released the sequel. F-22 Total Air War will pierce a hole in the opponent simulation's frail chassis as hard as its predecessor did. The break through technology used in the campaign engine is completely new and innovative.
Mission Replay?
The heart of TAW lies within its campaign engine - which is one of the
only differences betweem it and ADF.
Almost everything ranging from the AWACS to the Training Simulator is identical. Same interface, same missions, same briefings, and so on.
TAW was released as a separate simulator, instead of being released as an add-on to ADF.
You may think this repetitiveness is a train-smash.
Think again.
It is quite clever in my opinion, as an experienced F-22 pilot can practice missions and certain tactics, while a new-comer can learn the essence of the F-22 from a fresh start.
Spot the Difference
There is very little to add about
the graphics and sound as it is almost the same as F-22 ADF. Note this
screenshot of the great photograph quality graphics:
Personalized Playing
A cute, personalized
touch is added at the startup when you choose your player name, his callsign,
his face-on photograph, and his squadron sign. This enables you to have a number
of different pilots who visibly look different and fly for different fleets - a
smart way to quickly recognize and sort pilots of different experience levels,
or for different family members each leading totally separate Air Force
careers.
Once that information is entered you come to the main page which has also been changed slightly. It is a more organized and orderly set up than ADF, but still hold its unique, java-like picture show when the cursor is brought over it. Throughout the entire game, the interface has been built to be stern, serious, and bestow a peerless military character.
Choose Your Combat Mode
Another new addition is the
custom combat mode. This, like the name suggests, allows for full customization
of a practice mission. You can choose your terrain, distance from the enemy,
enemy air, sea, or ground vehicles, their weapons, and their numbers. You can
also customize your aeroplane and your wingmen craft and numbers. This is a good
way to practice something you've had problems with without having to wait for a
certain mission to do it for you.
So, What's the Secret Weapon?
Remove the covers and lay
out the red carpet. TAW's campaign engine is one the most impressive and
technological advances I have seen in any game for a long time, and one which I
think should launch it far ahead of other games.
Real-Time Real-Life
The structure of the campaign is a
real-time, real-life situation which you are entering. There are a number of
different campaigns, each holding their own geographical location, nations,
ground and air vehicles, and goals for you to achieve. You keep track of your
war-fleet, opponent craft and their movements. No matter whether you are flying
a mission yourself or if you are controlling the complete battlefield through
the AWACS system, you must look out for enemy approaches and attacks, as well as
ensure clear and unpatrolled passages for your flights, and create tactical and
swift charges on your enemies.
The campaigns are all set in real time. That means you can start a campaign with ten hours to take control of the situation, and it's gonna feel like ten hours. There's no quick way out. Reaching the campaign goal is not the difficult part, it's maintaining safety and keeping damage levels down throughout the campaign which requires all your concentration and awareness.
Once you enter a campaign you come to a separate base-page, the War Room, which can take you to all parts of the campaign. You have a number of choices ranging from seeing a continuously updated map of all craft in the area. You can also see a number of statistical graphs such as a sortie graph and a damage report for and against you.
Scramble Missions
Now having a very long continuous
battle is not what TAW is all about. While controlling and patrolling, you can
sign yourself up for scramble missions. This is much like a red-alert siren
being sounded with top priority. You must act immediately and take to the air to
complete your goal, or one of your flights or crucial radar systems is sure to
be lost. Every movement must be monitored and instantaneously reacted upon to
guarantee survival and an upper hand on the enemy.
There is also a choice of speeding up time a bit. This is good after a long patrol of the AWACS, when you are ready for some intense action. You can sign yourself up for scramble missions, and let time fly until you are needed in the air up there.
Available Missions
Besides the option of flying scramble
missions, there is also an option to fly available missions. There are many
types of missions ranging from a CAP intercept mission to a ground target attack
mission. These missions arise throughout the campaign, and you are given
clearance to fly them according to rank. While you start on a low rank, you only
get to fly simple, safe missions. Each mission holds points according to their
difficulty and when you succeed you stand in line for promotion which clears you
to fly extremely dangerous and complex missions.
Along with each mission possible or scramble alert you are called up for, there's a mission planner. This allows you to change all aspects of your flight including your wingmen or escorts and their weaponry, as well as total optimization for yourself, or for the specific mission you are flying which in turn allows for infinite variations, which must be considered with each sortie.
Smart Campaign Engine
You may think that you will
endeavour a campaign, lose the battle, and then when you retry the campaign
it'll all be the same again. Wrong. The campaign engine is all new and
innovative. It uses a method of assessment and reaction to whatever you do,
where your craft are, and how each side is persisting in the war. This means
that now matter how many times you play a campaign or even a single mission. it
will never be the same as before. It adapts itself and your missions to the
current situation and status. The tactics in the engine is one which was used by
the US in the gulf-war, which is accurately explained in the manual. It has
detailed paragraphs, diagrams, and theories which was called the Five Ring
Process. This tells you exactly how to approach a battle, which gives you the
best and most cost-effective way to hurt the enemy while keeping you alive and
on guard.
Conclusion
If having it all your way is what you
want, it's what you get with TAW. The game has everything for a new F-22 user,
as well as some pretty nifty extras and added bits to keep an adept pilot busy
for a long time.
The new campaign part of the game is another giant leap in the world of flight sims and is sure to set F-22 TAW by DID apart from any other simulator for a long time to come.
This is a terrific program and I give Digital Image Design's F-22 Total Air War a treble-tactic five out of five Go Inside Review Lights!
Copyright © 1998 by Carmel Lerner
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Boles Trademark