B-17: FLYING FORTRESS, THE MIGHTY EIGHTH
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Try flying the Memphis Belle

By JAMES ANTHONY

Ever since the movie Memphis Belle came out this would-be bomber commander has been hanging out for a developer to produce a flight simulation using heavy bombers.

The World War II German warhorse, the Heinkel 111 would have been good, a Lancaster bomber better yet but, when you talk of the heavies, then the Flying Fortress comes instantly to mind as the pick of the bunch.

Almost 25 metres long and 33 metres wide, the Flying Fortress was the mainstay of the Allied daylight bombing raids over Germany. It had nine crew, 13 machineguns and a bombload of almost 8000 kilograms.

Despite its size, the B-17 was vulnerable if it outdistanced fighter support and so plans were made to fly the monstrous aircraft in tight formations so that a squadron's massed guns would offer some protection against the hovering German fighters.

The tactic had limited success and casualties mounted quickly as daylight bombing continued in a bid to smash Germany's arms manufacturing capabilities.

In Microprose's excellent new title, B-17: Flying Fortress, the Mighty 8th, you get the chance to be part of the bombing campaign and you can do it from a variety of viewpoints.

Not only can you take over the role of any crew member of a B-17 - pilot, co-pilot, waist gunners, rear gunner, chin and belly gunner, navigator or bomb aimer - you can also hop into the key fighters of the era and try to either defend the formations (in P-51 Mustangs) or shoot them down (Focke Wulf 190s or the first jets, Me 262s).

One of the best duties among the crew is looking after the large machineguns. For aircraft buffs it's a big buzz to sit as the tail or belly gunner and try to shoot down the fast-flying fighters as they zoom through the bomber formation.

The limited viewpoint through the Perspex windows makes it feel very cramped and you'll find the best tactic is to fire a wall of lead (a la the Iranian air defences during the Gulf War) in the hope the enemy planes will fly through and get hit.

Switching between the different positions is easy, through hidden mouse-over menu bars that appear on screen. You can engage the computer to take over your position if you want to try something else too - a nice feature indeed. With the limited vision available to gunners it can be handy to leave the computer in charge of the gun until it points you in the direction of the enemy and then you can take over.

It is best to begin The Mighty Eighth with the training missions, which will teach you how to take off, land and throw your large and awkward kite around. If that doesn't suit and you want to fly into the teeth of the action, then the quick start scenarios may be the way to go.

Once you're confident of your skills then you can try your hand at the campaigns, which are considerably more technical and difficult. Try a single bomber at first in Bomber Command and then progress up to Squadron Leader, where you are in charge of a large number of bombers and escorts.

Now, taking off is a major hassle as the level of detail in the game is both astounding and head-spinning. Effectively, as the pilot or co-pilot, it is up to you to get the plane into the air. That means going through the same checklist as real pilots did, activating all the historically accurate switches, starting up the massive engines - in the correct order - and basically learning how to fly a B-17.

It is a level of seriousness not usually seen in a game, but is something that adds so much to the whole experience. Getting into the characters available in your crew also boosts the being-there factor and you need to make sure that all your crew members improve their skills or else you can be caught out in crucial moments.

For example, if your pilot does everything and gains all the experience ahead of his co-pilot, then you face big trouble if he is injured or killed during a mission. Trying to limp home on two engines, with fighters up your six, and a basic-level co-pilot would not fill you full of confidence.

The Mighty Eighth is a resources-hungry beast and will likely have most computers under Pentium III/Athlon chugging along. Fortunately, you can adjust the graphics and this helps considerably. The game looks fine on 800x600 (with 3D acceleration), but 1024x760, if your machine can handle it, looks sick.

Microprose has definitely come up with another winning flight-sim here (remember European Air War) and this chap just cannot wait for multiplayer to come along. It may even knock Counterstrike off the office system!

ORIGINALITY 95%
SOUND/GRAPHICS 85%
PLAYABILITY 90%
ADDICTION 90%
ENJOYMENT 95%