F/A-18 Precision Strike Fighter

OK, lets cut the crap. F/A-18 Precision Strike Fighter (F/A18PSF) is a four-year-old game, re-boxed and repackaged. So while the blurb on the box screams "the most incredible graphics available today," the reality is different. The publishers call it a new release, but closer examination reveals in microscopic print that it's an 'enhanced' version of F/A-18 Korea. Sure, they've tacked on some clouds and smoke but that hardly makes for a new game. It's more a nice facelift. The game is based on the F/A-18 Hornet, a carrier-based fighter plane, which served as both an air-to-ground attack and air-to-air combat role. The flight models are still as slick as they were back in the '90s and the learning curve isn't too bad for novices. But the game is defiantly pitched at the enthusiast rather than the casual gamer. However, four years on, it doesn't seem like a single bug from the original has been corrected, including a carrier that remains stationary. In fact, the list of faults is endless.

What's more, the manuals are scans of the original, tucked away on the CD as Acrobat files. No key guides to keep next to the PC, no easy reference if you're stuck. Total arse. And buried on the CD are a host of user created missions downloaded from the Internet, with not a jot of info from the publisher Xicat on how to install or run them.

The only way we can describe F/A-18 Precision Strike Fighter is a scam. Xicat should be charging a budget price for what is a budget game. Pitching it on the new release list, with a hefty price tag is totally ridiculous Avoid this game like the plague until it ends up in the bargain bin.