It is the most realistic ww2 flight sim out there, it may be a pain to learn dogfighting in il2 for some who havent got the first hand experience in ww2 dogfights, but once you are through, it gives you the most genuine ww2 air combat experience,

Terrific value. Easily the finest WWII flight sim available with over five years worth of content, all for $50.

It's still fascinating and addictive even after years of playing it !

After all this time, this is still THE best World War 2 simulator out there. Period. The insane number of flyable planes, the superior physics, the realistic gunnery and dogfights. There is simply no other game that even comes close. I suspect that IL2 is going to hold that crown for a long time to come.

The finest flight WWII flight simulator out there. Graphics on the non-aircraft objects are dated, and the menu is horrible, but the gameplay is fantastic. I would not advise buying the game off Steam, because the latest patches are not available for download on that platform (this makes multiplayer servers harder to find).

Very boring... played single player and custom game and was bored to tears.

This is disgusting. I come across a lot of games with no tutorial but this is rediculous! Not only is there no tutorial, there's no controls! You are left twisting in the wind (litterly) as you fight to hold this button and push this button WHILE holding this button AND clicking! The player has no controls to put so you have no control of anything except the ESC button and hitting EXIT GAME. $9.99 is too pricy for this GARBAGE!!… Expand

If you even fancy yourself a fan of flight sims, you need this one. There's no real way around it, you need this flight sim, it is simply one of the finest combat flight sims you can find.

Before you get this, you need to know what to expect. A lot of people who say it is "boring" perhaps went in expecting an arcade style game. This is no "H.A.W.X." Oleg Maddox said that his goal was to produce a simulator and not a "game". The axis and allied aircraft are not "balanced" and often players do have advantages/disadvantages due to different types of aircraft. Before buying this game, make sure you have a good joystick. I've worn out numerous sticks on this sim! You might like to look for something which has pitch and roll (forwards and backwards) as well as "yaw" (from twisting the stick). Without a joystick, this game is pretty much useless. While the single player missions are fun (for a while) this game comes into its own in multiplayer mode. There are servers online where you can dogfight, bomb, torpedo, strafe... the list is endless, all with other players as both allies and adversaries. You can also partake in closed missions/simulations where several people crew one aircraft as gunners/bombadiers etc. I have spent many evening/night on teamspeak to online friends while flying with them in game. Since joining the IL2 scene, I have learned a lot about aircraft and world war 2 and I've started going to more airshows!!! In short, if you want instant gratification, this may provide some but not a lot. If you want something to sink your teeth into, then this is for you. Be prepared to invest time and learn. World war 2 pilots had to learn about their aircraft and (seeing that this is a simulator) so must you. Oh and the mods... so many to choose from (provided you have a non-steam version) if 1946 didn't have enough flyable aircraft, people have made the Ai aircraft flyable now as well as "scratch" building aircraft for the game! 10/10 gameplay 10/10 lastability 10/10 multiplayer 5/10 graphics… Expand

Actually, this game needs two scores: one as purchased and one as patched. As purchased, it's about a 5 by modern flight sim standards. I know the IL-2 fanatics will disagree with me here, but truthfully the flight model isn't really as convincing as, say, Aces High 2 or Rise of Flight (my two fav prop sims). Patched, the graphics bring this about the AH2 standard, and the game deserves a 9 there--- BUT you'll either need a friend to point you in the right direction, sift through forum posts, or just suffer trial and error. For example, it took me forever to figure out how to integrate TrackIR, whereas any state of the art game just is plug and play. Before everyone gets snotty about the guy who gave it a 0 for lack of tutorial, imagine if you came to this game with no previous flight sim time. Not explaining controls isn't a badge of honor, nor does it make those who figured it out better people. Bottom line, although its age shows, as played probably the best WW2 flight sim out there. But expect to put some work in-- not in learning to fly, but in futzing with patches and such. Then again, at $10, you can't beat the price (AH2 is $15/month, and while it has a better FM, the graphics are just painful)… Expand

Years after its initial release, thanks to unprecedented support for this game from the developers, this simulation still stands alone as the best WW2 combat flight simulator of all time. While the flight model might not be perfect, it is very, very good, and the planes are very smooth to fly (provided you have a joystick with throttle and rudder). The patches for this game not only contain minor fixes, but a wealth of realism and balance tweaks, and new free content including dozens of new planes. Despite concentrating on the Eastern front theatre of war, IL2 1946 presents a very complete history of WW2 aircraft (and beyond, with the theoretical 1946 aircraft) and their relative performace. There is a very devoted online community for this game, who are very vocal in making sure that the weapons and relative flight performance characteristics between aircraft are as true to life as possible. The fact that this game can be found for only a few dollars in the bargain bin just make it an unbelievable deal. Although it has no real interactive tutorial, the game does have excellent options to make the planes easier to handle, if you're not 'hardcore'. The downsides? The graphics aren't quite up to today's effect-laden standards, but you can forgive it that because it's an older game, it still looks nice with a few config edits to enable 'perfect' water/clouds mode, and damage modeling is still impressive. The main flaw in the game is the campaign generator, it is more random than dynamic. However the game includes a full featured mission builder, and robust online play which more than compensates. If you like the subject material, this is the only game you will need.… Expand

This game is by far the KING of Combat flight simulators. Though a little old it is still the best by far and it surprisingly has little or no bugs in it aside from a few minor compatibility issues. This game however is only for people who are fans of this genre due to the fairly steep learning curve. You are basically thrown into the **** of the plane and forced to fly. Aside from this, IL-2 Sturmovik is the finest WW2 flight sim you can get, with a heap of flyable planes, many ridiculously huge maps, mission builders and pre-made missions to fly, giving you plenty to do.… Expand

OK, if you hate the game, you're either doing it wrong or clearly aren't interested in simulation games. IL2 IS A FLIGHT SIMULATOR. If you want action-packed simple controls, get something else like Blazing Angels. Several years old, but remains probably the best combat flight sim in existence. Destruction, realism, good flight simulation, and okay graphics. In game multiplayer is useless, but getting Hyperlobby (www.hyperfighter.sk) is easy and pain free, and offers many benefits. Mods are readily available, with many communities alive to this date. At only $9.99 on Steam, this game is a must-have for all simulator fans, and a good play for others.… Expand