U.S. Navy Fighters '97

"One word: Amazing"

I'm amazed no one has written a review for this awesome game. I got bored, so here is my thoughts on this game:

Gameplay: 10

There is tons to do, and you will never run out of things to do for quite a while. Anyone who played the original USNF like me, must have been quite annoyed. Very limited fighter selection, and one campaign. Big deal. This is like an expansion pack, only better.

First, you get the ''Ukraine Campaign'', which lets you earn various medals. The campaign is 50 missions long, and involves sinking battleships, protecting aircraft, quick strikes, and fleet defense. Fail too many missions, and the campaign is over. It's tricky, because from the start you think with all the aircraft and weapons to choose from, that you won't run out. Near the end of the campaign, however, you'll find yourself running out of your favorite warhead. Not a good thing.

Then there's a Marine Campaign, which basically centers around you flying for the Marines in an AV-8B Harrier II Jet. The Harrier, as you probably know, can take off from short runways, and land vertically. This adds a new element to the game, and in this campaign, you get a few medals, and promotions.

There is also a Vietnam flashback Campaign. It's short, and you fly some old aircraft. It's a pretty good one, and makes you rely on short-range radar and weapons.

Then there are also 50+ single missions to test various skills. If that's not enough, there are over 20 different aircraft to pilot. You will not get bored quickly.

Graphics: 8

Well, it's an old game. The framerate is smooth, but objects are not very well detailed. The most noticeable things are Helicopters and buildings. They don't look all too great, but other aircraft look quite well. The explosions look realistic, and leave craters in the landscape, as well as flaming wreckage from tanks and crashed airplanes. The Ukraine Campaign features very lengthy cutscenes after every mission, and has a great plot to it. The Marine Campaign doesn't have one, and the Vietnam campaign shows Richard Nixon saying some things.

Replay Value: 10

Besides the 150+ missions to fly, mix those in with playing as other planes for a challenge. Heck, you can create your own missions, campaigns, and whatever. You can create quick-missions by selecting the enemies, friendlies, and whatever. And the game is not $50, anymore. You can find this game bundled with five other games for less than $20! You can't beat those prices, and practically any speed machine can handle it, too.

The Final Word

Sure, you could pay a ton of money to get a well detailed game like F-15, and I'll agree that is a much better game, but it takes a ton of performance to run. Not all of us have ultra fast computers, you know. But when you get six flight sim games for only $20, how can you go wrong? This game has variety, and even an online multi-player mode. This is the flight sim you want if you have nothing else to blow your money on. Trust me, you won't be disappointed.

Overall Rating: 10
(Not an Average)

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 03/08/02, Updated 03/08/02