Take to the virtual skies for a realistic simulation of flight and combat in one of many modern U.S. and Russian fighter craft. Developed under the working title "Flanker: Attack," this combat flight sim from the producers of 1999's acclaimed Flanker 2.0: Combat Flight Simulator offers virtual pilots the chance to climb into the cockpit of the F-15C Eagle, the MiG-29k, the A-10 Warthog, the Su-27 Flanker, or one of several other real-life marvels of late 20th-century aviation.
As the game stands now, though, that beauty often feels skin deep, thanks to a bunch of bugs and questionable design decisions. Among of the most significant problems is the fact that it's very difficult to get an enemy aircraft to show up on radar -- and once you've got a lock, it's extremely tough to hit him. I've been directly behind a big, fat Russian AWACS plane at just a few miles' range and watched it somehow evade three radar-guided AIM-7 missiles and a heat-seeking Sidewinder as I closed in on it. Ubisoft says that counter-measures (radar jamming, chaff, and flares) are all over-done in the release version of Lock On and will be fixed in a patch. (The radar will also be made more effective.)
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The developers have stuck to their tried and tested format - modern jet combat over Russia, this time between the former USSR and NATO - and old Flanker players will spot three identical aircraft from the series: the German MiG-29A, Russian MiG-29A, and MiG-29C along with the SU's themselves: the SU-25 Frogfoot, SU-27 Flanker B and SU-33 Flanker D. There are, however, two new aircraft. The American fighter F-15C Eagle and the much loved, but very ugly A-10A Thunderbolt II tank buster (better known as the Warthog).
Based on the code we've been playing, Lock On looks good and plays great. The only question mark lies over the genre itself. Until recently, the flight sim market was DOA. Can Lock On do for the modern combat flight sim what IL-2 did for WWII dog fighting? Probably not, but at least it shows there's life in the old birds yet.
But the main reason for playing Lock On is combat. Lots of combat. And here it delivers -which is both a good and a bad thing. You see, there's two schools of thought on combat flight sims. There's the one that likes to get up close and personal, and there's the one that likes to see a small dot on the screen and fire off a long-range missile (imagine playing Call Of Duty by radar and you'll be close to what I'm talking about). Lock On belongs firmly to the latter school. That's not to say you can't get in close and use the cannon - the A-1OA Warthog was designed to do just that -it's just that modern air-to-air combat doesn't work that way. Try and bounce a pack of F15s and you'll have ten Sidewinders up your arse in no time.
Lock On is one of the best modern jet combat flight sims about - but it's also one of the only modern jet combat flight sims about. It looks good, the flight models are good, physics and ballistics seem accurate and there's a diverse range of things to kill. But you rarely get the adrenalin rush associated with WWII flight sims such as IL-2 Sturmovik or WarBirds III. This is no slight on the developer, it's just the way of modern air combat.
Movies like Top Gun and outstanding games like IL-2 Sturmovik and Flanker 2.5 have helped capture the exhilaration and challenge of taking to the skies in a fighter plane and fighting exciting aerial battles. Games like these are experiencing something of a renaissance, and even though it's been popular in the past to set combat flight sims in historical conflicts, like World War II, we're glad to see a new crop of games that take place in modern-day settings, complete with the kind of the sleek, top-of-the-line multimillion-dollar fighter jets and attack choppers we've already enjoyed seeing in action in films like Behind Enemy Lines and Black Hawk Down.
One of the most promising games in this new breed of flight sims is Lock On: Modern Air Combat, a game set in a modern-day, fictitious conflict. Lock On will let you fly nine of the world's top military aircraft, including the F-15C Eagle, the A-10A Thunderbolt, and the Su-33 Flanker, and engage in fierce, fast-paced dogfights with enemy pilots. From what we've seen of the game so far, Lock On promises some very impressive-looking graphics, including beautiful environments and incredibly detailed ships--which are carefully modeled down to the individual dials and switches in the cockpit. And much like in the most exciting movies (and with the real thing), you'll have your hands full with chatter from both your allied wingmen, as well as from friendly AWACS (airborne warning and control system) aircraft and ATC (air traffic control) on the ground. And though the developer plans to have a campaign game in place, Lock On will also have instant-action modes that will let you hop into the cockpit and get right to the point.
GameSpot: Thanks for taking the time for this interview. It seems that the combat flight simulators we've seen in the past few years were mainly focused on historical conflicts, especially World War II. Could you explain why you chose to go with a modern-day setting for Lock On instead?
There is only one other major "modern" air combat simulation in development at the moment besides LO: MAC. That competitive title is historical in nature and does not feature current, modern-day aircraft. There is room for competition in the area of combat flight simulations, but we certainly like the opportunity of being one of the only ones in development. Overall, the differences between LO:MAC and the other moderns sims that were released in the past few years are the following:
The successor of the famous Russian assault 2.0 Flanker fighter Simulator. This time SSI decided to allow players piloting the Russian machines and an American in a rendition of a 3D environment. Lock On (also known as Flanker: Attack), contains many options that allow you to pilot combat aircraft for both novices and advanced Flight Simulator enthusiasts. There are a number of the most modern military aircraft, among others. F-15C Eagle, A-10 Warthdog, Su-27 Flanker, MiG-29 Fulcrum, MiG-29 k, Su-25 Frogfoot is presented by, the Su-33 Flanker, Su-39.
Lock On: Modern Air Combat has been one of the most anticipated simulations in flight sim history--and for good reason. Not only has there been a dearth of serious combat flight sims in recent years, but Lock On has a stellar pedigree (the Flanker series), a highly esteemed development team, and a stable of aircraft designed to thrill any sim fanatic. Does it live up to the hype and hope? Lock On clearly has the potential to be an all-time classic sim, but there are problems in the retail version that will make some want to watch and wait for a patch or two before purchasing.
Mavericks here aren't magic missiles as they have been portrayed in most simulations. In Lock On, you have to learn what a real A-10 pilot has to learn about weapons deployment with the AGM-65 Maverick. Specifically, you have to learn about how the missile "sees" the ground, the differences in how the TV version and the IR version discerns a target from its background, how to fly to maximize the range at which you can identify and lock on to a target, and more. And that's just the Mavericks. You'll need to do the same for the unguided rockets and the awe-inspiring cannon--all while learning the details of the flight avionics in the A-10 cockpit and how the Warthog handles under various conditions. Then, having developed proficiency with the A-10, you can start all over again in, perhaps, one of the advanced air superiority fighters. Then you can learn the complexities of modern air-to-air radar operation or perhaps how to destroy ground targets in the relatively crude, HUD-less Su-25 Frogfoot. A simulation of any one of these aircraft, at this level of accuracy and detail, would be a must-have for the serious flight sim fanatic. To have all of these disparate jets simulated with such loving care is combat sim nirvana.
There are more issues that mar what is otherwise a superior simulation. Lock On suffers from numerous bugs, as is unfortunately all too common with such complex games. Some are relatively minor, like options that revert back to their previous settings. Some are serious but may take some time to realize in such an intricate sim--like a bug that causes you to essentially lose control over one aspect of the F-15 radar system, problems with radar sensitivity at low altitudes, odd missile behavior, problems with the padlock system, and more. And there is one absolute showstopper bug for those who haven't yet upgraded to Windows XP. In spite of what it says on the box, the current version of Lock On will not run on Windows 98 or Windows ME systems.
In spite of all of this, the heart of Lock On is a truly great combat flight simulation. When you finally figure out how to effectively get your AGM-65 to lock on to a dangerous mobile SAM unit in the middle of urban terrain; when you finally become proficient at quickly switching radar modes and locking on to an enemy fighter before he even knows you're in the air; when you finally appreciate how much you enjoy the personality of the ugly, crude, but effective Su-25; when you finally realize that you've spent hours and hours enjoying the unique attributes of one aircraft and still have several more to explore; and when you finally and successfully complete a hairy cooperative online mission (online play is very solid), you'll understand that this is a truly special flight sim. Whether you wait for some of the bugs to be ironed out (while this review is based on the initial release, we've seen a 17 meg patch that addresses many of the problems discussed), whether you wait to see what the mod community comes up with, or whether you go ahead and purchase the game now is a matter of how much you're willing to work around its initial problems. While it's a diamond in the rough in its initial release form, there's enough depth and breadth here that there's no doubt at all that Lock On is destined for greatness. 2ff7e9595c
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