If you’ve read any of
my other reviews, I’m guessing that you see me as some sort
of old, stubborn man who hates everything, including flight
sims. It may surprise you to know that I am nothing of the
sort…wait, wait, I am stubborn…and a man…well, my point
is, I loved F/A-18. The graphics were fantastic, the gameplay
was pretty good, multi-player was exceptional, and only a few
imperfections here and there. I’d just like to say this
right now, this is one of the best hardcore flight sims to
date.
Now you may ask why I
use the word "hardcore". F/A-18 was made to be
extremely realistic, realistic to an astonishing level. The
one downside to this is the extreme difficulty in creating
adequate training 
missions.
This unfortunately was not done as well as it could have been.
Many of the more advanced weapons and such are not covered.
Also, I found the manual to be more of something you would
write a report with, rather than a tutorial. Even when it wasn’t
a reference, it still couldn’t match up to being tutored in
the cockpit of the F/A-18.
The campaign is one of
the best parts of the game. Despite the fact that there’s
only one, different actions can trigger different events,
causing varied campaigns. If, at some point, you get tired of
the campaign, keep in mind that the campaign can be flown in
multi-player (which I found to be very stable) co-op, and you’ll
actually care about your wingmen! Also available is a mission
editor, for those who lust for an insanely outnumbered
dogfight in the middle of a raging storm, and for those
easy-going flyers.
The multiplayer, again,
was well-done, and the pace of gameplay was very quick and
action-packed thanks to my wonderful cable modem, despite the
fact that I kept getting blown out of the sky by pilots much
more talented than I am.
The graphics of F/A-18
were superior, especially the weather effects and your F/A-18.
However, the other
planes could have been done a bit better, but that’s just my
opinion.
This game is highly
compatible with the player...for a simulator, which is why it
didn't score higher in this category. It is still very
visually intimidating for someone who's never played a combat
simulation before in their lives to pick up and start using.
So with a combination of
all the things that a flight sim should be, graphics,
multi-player, replayability, weapons that make me laugh
maniacally, I strongly recommend this game, but probably not
to the inexperienced pilot. Now if you don’t mind, I’ve
got to find my dentures, find my sweater, and watch Matlock.
-Salil Tamhane
