F/A-18 Operation Iraqi Freedom

With the war in Iraqi winding down and the peace keeping mission under way, armchair pilots are finally getting a chance to see what our pilots were up against in the Persian Gulf. Using the F/A-18 Hornet on flights over Iraq, you'll have the opportunity to fly using a diverse set of mission objectives that including escort, bombing, and patrol. Although certain aspects could have been better, there is just the bare minimum here to keep the interest of most armchair pilots.

F/A-18 Operation Iraqi Freedom has a simple structure where a list of missions is given and any one can be selected. The different missions do cover a range of objectives with enough diversity to keep the game at a reasonable length but doesn't offer any sense of flow or continuity from mission to mission. Each mission also allows armament selection for the F/A-18 with a wide variety of missiles and bombs to choose from that were used in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

You would hope that since the game focuses on the F/A-18, the simulation would be as accurate as possible and thankfully it is for the most part. It can be difficult to get used to at first, but it doesn't take long to get accustomed to the control system. In addition, the F/A-18 is responsive and bound to real world attributes but other issues like the 1000 square miles of satellite images from Iraqi, Kuwait, and Iran are disappointing because of the severe lack of clarity on the ground.

Like many flight simulations, the ground textures almost always look terrible and F/A-18 Operation Iraqi Freedom isn't any different. It's so bad that it can be difficult to tell exactly how close the ground is without the altitude gauge, which can become disorientating at times. From the air however, the F/A-18 looks decent along with the other aircraft in the air. You'll notice weather effects that are acceptable and missile launches and gun attacks that mimic actual launches.

Although there isn't much innovation or originality associated with F/A-18 Operation Iraqi Freedom, since it isn't plagued by any major design flaws or bugs, its able to keep above water. The fact that there aren't any incentives to finish specific missions may be a disappointment for those that are more goal orientated but the number of missions available should justify the $30 for fans of pure combat flight simulators.