IL-2 Sturmovik: 1946 PC
  • Publisher: Ubisoft
  • Release Date: Mar 13, 2007
User Score
8.8 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 60 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 56 out of 60
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 60
  3. Negative: 4 out of 60

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  1. Mark
    Jul 5, 2009
    10
    This is the absolute best WW2 flight sim yet. Given the age of the engine, it is still amazingly good looking and now supports a huge modding comunity which keeps me still very interested in flying after thousands of hours on both single and multiplayer. No other sim even comes close in scope and detail. Minor flaws are the, at times, dull dynamic campaign missions and AI flying into terrain occasionally. The weather is not very detailed and has limited user controls. Forests are only visible from above, meaning you may fly into them when very close to the deck. But really, as I said the greatest WW2 combat sim ever!… Expand
  2. DukeNukem
    Nov 14, 2009
    10
    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,
  3. DashC.
    Jan 26, 2007
    9
    Terrific value. Easily the finest WWII flight sim available with over five years worth of content, all for $50.
  4. FerdzA.
    Jan 31, 2007
    9
    It's still fascinating and addictive even after years of playing it !
  5. PeterB
    Aug 4, 2008
    10
    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.
  6. Flyer
    Sep 13, 2010
    10
    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.
  7. BIGGrobb
    Nov 3, 2010
    10
    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
  8. HunterZero
    Jul 7, 2011
    10
    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.… Collapse
  9. Mikester7
    Dec 22, 2010
    10
    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
  10. EchoAlpha
    Jan 19, 2011
    10
    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
  11. Aodecim
    Jul 31, 2011
    9
    Extremely realistic and addicting, provides the best immersion experience in "hardcore" servers in multiplayer. Large learning curve for players who have never played flight-sims but nevertheless, was endlessly fun.
  12. Shika
    Jul 1, 2012
    9
    For a 2007 release, this is still the best WW2 sim to date, every single thing about this game is so good. So many planes, you name a plane from WW2, it's in here, and any small detail is added in. Stuka sirens and air breaks? F4F manual landing gear? MiG-9 cannon smoke that will ruin your engines at altitude? Certain planes having odd trimming? IL-2 1946 has them, and other small details that really make planes feel so personal and unique. I was surprised how well the commands system works, it really isn't very hard to learn, and after about a day using them you will have the entire system laid out. This does have a learning curve, you will be in downward spirals and stuck on the runway wondering how the hell to start up this weird jet as a manual engine startup isn't working. Such is the fun of this game, it will last you so long just to figure out your favorite plane. The campaign system and quick mission are pretty eh in the stock game, but at the 4.101 patch they are drastically improved upon, adding in campaigns with briefings that oddly do a decent job of setting up a mood. The physics are spot on and everything works like a dream, with some annoying texture popins and weird issues frequently however. Moving on, I strongly suggest you get the SAS Modact, the modding community is great with this game and basically extends this game to 1956, adding in upcoming cold-war era planes. As for maps, the stock ones get old, but the patch adds in much more European as well as Pacific maps that really add in more length to the game. Voice acting is good with localization, really though the voice acting is solid. Navigation is extremely realistic, no icons, no arrows, no nothing, you have a map with cities and airports, you fly by instructions based on height and heading. There is a heading indicator on your HUD but it can be manually done as well. A.I. is done well, if you expect your wingmen to change formation in a tight formation you'll see a lot of shrapnel coming your way, and on average I have no problems with god-like A.I.. I've experienced the odd technical glitch like instances loading in wrong with planes destroyed and scattered, but a reload has solved them and nothing else major has occurred. The complete flight sim experience… Expand
  13. Ekaton
    Jul 28, 2012
    10
    Along with Silent Hunter III this is my personal favorite simulator of all times. With the Dark Blue World mod, this game is a masterpiece which never gets old and even newer Rise of Flight is not as good as this one.
  14. Hardcard
    Oct 27, 2012
    9
    I'm still shocked after reading JaredJ's review...the poor guy was trying to play this game with the keyboard. I guess it's Ubisoft's fault, since they don't warn people of the need to buy a joystick. In fact, a joystick is compulsory for anyone who wants to play this game.
    I'm going to review my IL-2:1946 modded install (I'm playing Dark Blue World 1.71 mod right now).
    First of all I'd     like to remember the fact that this game was launched in 2001.
    By that time, IL-2 Sturmovik was a total revolution in the pc WW2 flight simulation world.
    Never before a WW2 pc game allowed the player to fly so many aircrafts from so many countries in so many missions, with so much depth and detail.
    Since 2001 this game has been upgraded almost all the time. Now there are different "supermods" that introduce a huge number of improvements, and also there is a big community of modders/players who enjoy and improve the game day by day. Newcomers would ask: What makes this game so special? Well, if you like the idea of flying almost every plane that fought in WW2, if you like the idea of becoming a decorated flying ace (with the possibility of joining almost any airforce involved in the conflict), if you like the idea of flying hundreds of combat missions (from 1941 to 1946) as a fighter pilot or a bomber pilot or even a fighter-bomber pilot, if you like the idea of experiencing one of the most realistic WW2 flight simulations ever (with unmatched physics effects,realistic flying models, realistic damage models, etc.)...then this is THE game. But, of course, all the games have its flaws and IL-2 Sturmovik isn't an exception.
    Some people would find the game's interface just ugly, even tatty. Some people would find the graphic engine to be obsolete (we are talking about a 2001 game...true that the game's graphics were astonishing by then, but things have changed a lot since then. Though I must admit that, still, IL-2:1946 graphics aren't too bad...considering). Some people would say that the game is too difficult, that it's impossible to survive some dogfights (in WW2 this was the reality for most pilots...when outnumbered it was best to run than to fight). Some people would say that it's impossible to take off or landing without crashing the plane (specially in carriers) and that there aren't proper tutorials. Well, it's true that tutorials could be a lot better, but believe me when I say that it's perfectly possible to take off and land your plane without crashing it, all you have to do is to get the knack for every aircraft (this is one of the great virtues of IL-2 Sturmovik. Every aircraft has different handling characteristics, it's not the same thing flying a Yak-3/BF-109 than to fly a IL-2 Sturmovik/BF-110, for instance.).
    If you want to survive as a combat pilot, you must master the rudder in order to compensate the propeller wash effect during take-off, your must learn to trim the elevators in order to keep your plane in a straight course, you must learn how to get the best performance from the engine using the mixture, pitch and supercharger controls, you must know your aircraft's capabilities as well as the enemy's.
    This isn't an arcade flight game, this is a WW2 combat flight simulator, and you must learn to handle your plane gently and efficiently unless you want to die. Flying and shooting down other planes will get increasingly easier as you progress through the war. By 1943 almost every fighter will be very dangerous, fast and lethal...by 1945 all fighters are dreadfully destructive, fast and maneuverable. Obviously, if you don't know how to aim your machine guns and cannons or when to shoot them, you won't destroy many aircrafts...it's a matter of practice.
    The AI in this game isn't perfect, sometimes your aircraft crashes without reason when in autopilot, sometimes a plane from your squadron simply crashes into you (or between them)...as I said, the AI isn't perfect, but isn't bad either. Another problem that a lot of people find is that there are HUGE distances to be covered and it takes many minutes of flying an empty sky to get to the action. In fact there is a time compression feature, autopilot and a time skip option to cope with those HUGE distances...but anyway, this is a "realistic" WW2 flight sim, what did you expect? Of course you'll need to fly huge distances through empty skies, that's what WW2 pilots did most of the time!
    Lastly I'd like to say that there are countless supermods for this game that take it to another level and make a big deal of improvements.
    If you want the most complete and realistic WW2 flight combat sim, this is the one.    … Expand
  15. eagle262
    Dec 16, 2012
    9
    great game with fantastic gameplay and excellent graphics. There are many enjoyable modes and campaigns to fly and have a really good time doing. There is a great damage engine to enhance the sense or realism and difficulty menu which lets you taylor the realism to your own preferences. However there are some complaints such as lack of tutorial, poor editor and the fact that many of the best planes are unavailable for use. For example if you want to do a mission with a bomber you are stuck with a smaller bomber or the TB-3. Also not that many different missions in single missions many are just take off or land missions. Other than that great game. But best for simulation fans.… Expand
  16. Pepek91
    Mar 6, 2013
    10
    The best WW2 flight sim! There is no better one. Grate physics, flight model lots of content because of all scenarios, static campaigns and dynamic campaigns random set of scenarios witch are generated based on your combat performance and general casualties. Game engine is old but there is still unofficial patch support redoing textures and improving graphics so it looks good.

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
86 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 9 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
  1. PC Gamer UK
    91
    This is the biggest and best combat flight sim money can buy, but it's by no means flawless. [Jan 2007, p.70]
  2. PALGN
    80
    Excellent gameplay and an amazing level of detail should make those who enjoy flight sims giddy (and may even convert a few that aren't into amateur flyboys).
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  3. PC Zone UK
    78
    The definitive "IL-2" collection. [Feb 2007, p.79]
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