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Combat Flight Simulator 3: Battle for Europe

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6.2 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 16 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 18 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Microsoft

Developer: Microsoft

Genre(s): Simulation

Players: 8

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)

Release Date: October 24, 2002

Summary

Feel the adrenaline rush as you start strafing enemy positions at 350 mph, 600 feet above the European countryside, guns blazing and bombs blasting. In Combat Flight Simulator 3 (CFS3) you can fly for the USAAF, RAF, or the Luftwaffe in some of the most advanced and exotic aircraft of WWII. [Microsoft]

Also On Metacritic

GAMES: D-Day, 1944: The Invasion of Europe FirePower for Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator 3

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

PC Format

There is a hangar full of new additions including new 3D cloud textures that make hide-and-seek dog-fighting a real possibility.

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ActionTrip

Fans of these simulations will fully enjoy this game, but the rest of the gamers will probably do best if they stick to games with a couple of dozens commands less.

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Gamer's Pulse

I have played a lot of flight simulation games; this one definitively gives you more control over the fate of the world than any I have played before.

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GameZone

Flying was sometimes too hard, and the various little annoyances mentioned previously keep me from rating it higher, but I still think it is a great addition to a Flight Sim fan.

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IGN

"IL-2 Sturmovik" is better in many technical areas but is somewhat less approachable than CFS3.

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PC Gamer

It simply wasn't polished enough before it was booted out the door. [Jan 2003, p.96]

PC Gameworld

Didn't the developers play "IL-2 Sturmovik"? They should, so they can see how it's supposed to be done.

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GameSpot

If you're a longtime flight sim fan who has played that title to death already and you're eager for another visit to the western front, Combat Flight Simulator 3 is a reasonable choice.

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Adrenaline Vault

An experience which never rises above being a cool simulation, albeit a fantastically detailed and well thought out one.

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Computer Gaming World

By far the best-looking and most entertaining simulation in the series so far. But the improvements are marred by A.I. oddities and performance problems. [Feb 2003, p.82]

Game Chronicles

There are just enough things wrong with this title that it feels like it needed another few months in development before being sprung on the public.

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GameSpy

Disappointing, and CFS3 actually falls below standards set by previous series titles.

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FiringSquad

From the interface, through performance to the actual gameplay, it fails someone, somewhere, at every level. The missions are too simple, the campaign usually ends up looking strategically dubious, and there aren’t enough rewards for the prestige the player earns.

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G4 TV

Despite the beauty of CFS3 and its engaging campaign mode, the performance issues we experienced kept us from losing ourselves in the experience.

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Yahoo! Games

A system hog...There are better choices for flying on the Western front in the Second World War, most notably "Rowan's Battle of Britain," which remains an enjoyable sim two years after its release date.

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Computer Games Magazine

The lack of support for AI in dogfights, a bad padlock, and a half-assed view system make this a second-rate multiplayer flight sim. [Jan 2003, p.66]

What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 6.2 (out of 10) based on 18 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Ryan C. gave it a10:
Good game better than IL-2 because it's user friendly.

Brett D. gave it a10:
Incredible missions that intrigue. As with any new technology, two years is actually a long time. CFS2 was great, CFS3 is better! Same old game but more of it, and the graffics have improved. Will there be a CFS4? I hope so!

John S. gave it a6:
Fun, but nowhere near the level of realism that is found in IL-2 Sturmikov. As for the guy that thinks an airplane stalls when it loses momentum...well, you are utterly and completely wrong. Momentum and speed have absolutely nothing at all to do with a wing stalling; angle of attack is the ONLY critical factor in stalling a wing. If you are in a dive at 140 knots and yank back hard enough to exceed the critical angle of attack the wing will stall. Likewise, an airplane that is traveling at 20 knots may not fly, but it is NOT stalled, the wing is simply not providing enough lift. Higher angles of attack are needed to provide enough lift at lower speeds but that also creates more drag which requires more power. After you exceed the critical 'angle' of attack....not 'speed'....the wing will stall.

G E gave it a0:
I returned the game to the retailer and obtained a refund. I loaded it onto a dual core AMD 64 bit system running at 2.4 GHz, and 4 GB of memory. My monitor has a resolution of 1680 x 1050. At the highest resolution the game could produce, the ground effects were patchy, with little detail. Viewing out the cockpit looking at the "ground" was nauseating. The aircraft were slow to respond and extremely difficult to control. Don't waste your time or money. The product did not match the advertising hype. In my opinion, this game is a complete piece of crap.

Chris P. gave it a5:
Fun game except for the fact that the control sucked! If you know anything about real airplanes, you know that when an airplane stalls it is because it runs out of momentum. Tell me something, in the game you can be diving then pull out of it and it says you are stalling. Another thing is that it should take many more bullets to shoot down an airplane. The AI stinks. If you are looking for a fun game and aren't concerened to much about realism, then this game is for you. Yet if you are a gamer who demands reality then NO.

Sam M. gave it a 9:
I liked it because it offers more in choices and I am a nut for WWII IL Stormivik is not as forgiving but you have to "fly" them both.

Steve D. gave it a 2:
My computer is well above what's printed on the box as required. But, the frame rate is WAY too slow, even with all the settings on low. Very sad. Wasted money.

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Combat Flight Simulator 3: Battle for Europe

Game Info

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