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JANE'S UNITED STATES AIR FORCE By JAMES
ANTHONY
While wars are ended by ground forces, it is fair to say that they are often decided by air power. Take NATO's air strikes against Serbia (for atrocities in Kosovo) and the massive number of missions launched by the United Nations against Iraq (for invading Kuwait) during the Gulf War. In the former, air power damaged Serbia's economy so badly it either had to agree to NATO demands to free the rebel province of Kosovo or face ground invasion. Such an assault by European troops could have been costly and once NATO's hardline was actually accepted by the Serbs they realised there was nothing else to do than agree to terms. With Iraq, the massive military force headed by Saddam Hussain had to be pulverised from the air before the West deemed it sensible to send in United Nations ground forces. It took thousands of sorties, by mainly United States aircraft, to reduce Iraq's mighty armies to shellshocked shadows of the forces that had defeated Iran and invaded Kuwait. After the air war, the ground war took but three days to finish. Such is the power of a modern air force and in United States Air Force, from Jane's Combat Simulations, you get to handle a stunning collection of aircraft that will take you back to Vietnam and forward to a future war over Germany. Like most of Jane's stunning flight-simulation series, you have an extremely powerful piece of software at your disposal and can take the reasonably easy - fly and shoot flightpath through the game, or else read the two-centimetre thick manual so thoroughly you probably could fly one of the seven planes offered up to you on the flightdeck. Take to the skies in Vietnam-era F-105D/F Thunderchiefs or F-4E Phantoms, or updatethe technology a hundred fold and strap yourselk into F-15s, F-16s, an F-117A Stealth Fighter, an A-10 Warthog (Tank Buster) or the F-22 Raptor. Gaming-wise, the missions involving the A-10 are the most fun as you obliterate ground enemies with its seven-barrel 30 millimetre cannon that can not only brew-up tanks, but sink heavily armored patrol boats as well. The Warthog may be ugly - but it's a beautiful killing machine. The basics of USAF are that you can choose to fly seven missions, featuring the might of American air power, or take on campaigns that involve Vietnam and the Gulf War. Whichever way you begin, you will end up trying all scenarios because they are not only testing but wide-ranging. Stop Chinese tanks and naval vessels capturing a crucial island, blow up one of Iraq's nuclear reactors, defend a vital early-warning centre against Russian attack or else wipe out a heavily defended drug-importing task force. Picking up gameplay is not excessively difficult and once you get the hang of things you really do have a good time indulging in air shoot-em-ups. The graphics in USAF are terrific. Aircraft are beautifully sleek with all the necessary moving parts when viewed in fly-by and the cockpit interiors are clean and functional. While Jane's is very happy with the terrain mapping, it has to be said that there were times when it was impossible to see ground or low-flying units (eg. the drug helicopters) and this can be frustrating. United States Air Force is a winner on many levels. It looks good, it flies well and it has a huge choice of talent to choose from. A must for flight sim fans.
ORIGINALITY 85%
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