IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad

Mechanics

In the single player mode, one assumes the role of a pilot fighting for one of the available factions aboard one of the eight available airplanes. Players get at their disposal such units as LAGG-3 s.29, Bf-109F-4, IL-2 AM38 (a 1942 model), Ju-87 D-3, Pe-2 s87/s. 110, He-111 H-6, as well as Yak-1 and Bf-109G-2. The midair battles take place on impressively large maps, spreading out up to 360 km from East to West, and 230 km from North to East. Developers did their best to translate the WWII reality into the game. The AI-controlled opponents are remarkably cunning – their actions on the battlefield are almost human-like. The mission editor, featured by Rise of Flight, allows players to design their own battle scenarios.

Technical aspects

The game is based on an altered version of the Digital Nature engine, designed for the sole purpose of presenting the reality of World War II. The entire experience is based on the DirectX 9 library. Developers abandoned the mouse-controlled cockpits – now players have control over basic airplane systems, such as the propeller pitch, the fuel blend, and munitions. Fidelity to historical detail has been observed, among others, through the utilization of the original sketches and blueprints describing the construction of particular machines.

The multiplayer mode offers a chance to fight other players in aerial battles, as well as the opportunity to cooperate and fight together. It is possible to join forces and pilot one airplane along with some friends. One can play through dedicated servers or self-designed missions with unlimited time frames.

Misc.

The developers decided to base their game on a business model that is a hybrid of what players know from Rise of Flight and the original installment in the IL-2 Sturmovik series. Those interested can purchase additional content at a special web store. A number of expansions were released, featuring other famous aerial battles from WWII along with planes that took part in them.

The game features an achievement system that allows players to unlock some additional content, including new airplanes as well as some modifications and upgrades, which can be installed on the already owned machines. One acquires these elements depending solely on the missions’ results. Moreover, the game delivers global statistics and rankings, in which players can compare their scores on a regular basis.