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Highly recommend.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 7
Date: May 07, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Gigantic and imposing, 'Falcon' is more or less the last word in ultra-realistic, ultra-anal combat flight simulators, one which shot itself in the foot. After half a decade in the making, it came out two years ago to variable reviews - most praised the stunning graphics, the realism and the campaign, whilst bemoaning the monster PC required, and the mountain of bugs. Nonetheless, this is a product of quality and depth, something to which the passionate network of fan sites testifies. Two years later it still looks stunning (the horizon stretches away seemingly forever, and only the chunky textures look dated). The newer patches (multi-megabyte downloads all) fixed the bugs, leaving the world with a rock-hard simulation of an F16 locked in combat with North Korea.

Apart from the ultra-realism (just for example, you don't just have to fly waypoints - you have to do it *on time*) the campaign mode sets it apart from the competition - you're basically flying over a giant war-game, one that is played out in real-time (even when you're selecting ammunition load-outs and so on), and your actions, however small, play a part in the big picture. As you soar over the battlefield, you watch explosions ripple along the ground in the distance. The complexities involved in planning and administering strike missions can be daunting - thankfully, you don't have to, as you can just drop yourself into an existing mission.

Despite the ability to tweak the realism, this is still frighteningly complex to start with, even if you're a flight sim veteran. The relative antiquity of the F16, compared to such sci-fi aircraft as the much-simulated F22, contributes to this - if you're expecting to just press 't' to hit the nearest ground target, you'll be horrified at the array of radar modes, bombing crosshairs, and the insanely strange way in which you can't just press a button to drop a bomb - your fire control computer does that for you. Nonetheless, once you start to get the hang of it, it's gripping.

As in real life, the Other People fire back - and, often, your first warning of an incoming missile will be a loud bang, followed by a complete loss of control, a spin, a radio voice announcing an incoming missile, and a crash. It's not fair, but then again neither is real life. Flying low over enemy vehicles will get you shot to pieces, and with 510 cannon rounds you can't strafe them into oblivion. On the other hand, I can't think of another sim that lets you drop napalm over the enemy.

Also, I bought my first FS software to fly the number one freeware aircraft simulator on the Internet - The TR-3B Flying Triangle. I flew fighters for the Air Force in late Vietnam, specifically the F-111 and am rated commercial also. The TR-3B Flight Simulator for Microsoft's Flight Sim, is based on the writings, lectures, and TV interviews of Edgar Fouche who wrote "Alien Rapture." (See amazon)

Why? This is what the genius who developed it wrote: "For the experienced flight simmer on FS2002 PRO, I have developed this complete exotic amphibian TR-3B package, which is now available as freeware for download. It includes 3 models - the purple Astra, blue Locust and white Hellas - and as an extra 4th model the TR-3X with its own speedy attacker flight dynamics. The package includes TR-3B panel & gauges, noise cancellation sounds, fsuipc and special lights effects.

This TR-3B is a heavy tactical reconnaissance aircraft equipped with a magnetic field disruptor that reduces the weight by 89 percent (it is not the same as anti-gravity, though). It has been created for Microsoft Flight Simulator. All gauges are included.

The TR-3B can float like a speedboat at Mach 1.5 over water, fly like a heavy helicopter, like a bush plane, a business jet, like a military jet and lift like a rocket. Cruise speed is approx Mach 4.7 at FL340 and above, and approx Mach 2 at sea level. Service ceiling approx 69,000 feet ASL. Super stable. FSFREEWARE, SURCLARO, FSPLANET aircraft simulator sites have reported as many as 5000 downloads in one week!

I searched and read many many web pages about his book and the author, Edgar Fouche including; startfinish(put in the dot com.)biz/wise Click on links for Fouche and Flying Triangle. You will find his full presentation, and the download links for the TR-3B. Get the Great TR-3B Top Secret aircraft simulator and X-Plane, which I highly recommend.

Falcon 4 news and info...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: February 05, 2000
Author: Amazon User

Falcon 4 is the pinnacle of realism. The fact that it is sodifficult, and takes months to learn, is a testament to howrealisticly modern fighter combat has been modeled. Every true simmer will admit that no other game on the market has or will come close to Falcon 4 in immersive realism.

I have been playing Falcon 4 since its release over a year ago. Yes there are bugs but the patches do work. Many of the bugs are driver related. So be sure to install the latest drivers from your 3D card manufacturer.

It is important to mention that Hasbro, the new evil empire and unfortunately the owner of Microprose, has decided to no longer support Falcon 4. Apparently Hasbro feels that the combat sim market is too insignificant to justify their continued investment. They have therefore disbanded the development team. So no future development, or bug fixes are planned. This is indeed a shame. Falcon 4 is the most advanced, realistic and ambitious flight sim ever created, and we will not see it's equal for many years. END

The only sim you would ever need

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: February 12, 2000
Author: Amazon User

Well what can i say but this is the best game.First of alleverything about the game is so accurate except for a few things.Youmay need the patches but that just improves the game by so much. I know real pilots that say the game is so accurate that it is scary.If you think about buying janes f-18,don't even think about it,i bought it right when it came out and played it twice and put it back in the box wishing i never bought it.That game is not even close to accurate.

Excellent Flight Sim

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: July 16, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I've only played a few other flight sims, and that was quite a while ago. When I got the urge to play again, I read many reviews, postboards, and asked a lot of questions. I came to the conclusion that Falcon 4 is the best, and from my experience, it is. I was very impressed with the 300+ page book that came with it, in a time when most games consist of a flashy box with only a jewel case inside.

The guide, which was written by an actual F-16 training pilot, is very helpful. The radar modes are awesome, the advanced ones being quite complex. But if that's what real F-16 radar is like, than that's what I want! The flight model is very impressive. At the easy level, the plane feels like a video game, but at the highest level, it really feels like a sim.

The team dog fights are the best. You can go head to head with anything from MIG19s to other F-16s, including other players on your local network.

A must-buy for the flight sim enthusiast.

Flawed perfection

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 3 / 6
Date: January 19, 2000
Author: Amazon User

First off get the current patch (1.08). Without it Falcon 4 is a buggy dung heap. Second the system requirements are too low. Start with the "HOT" system. Anything less will be anticlimactic. Patched and running on a HOT system, Falcon 4 is the beautiful, challenging, and exhilerating. At max resolution it is stunning.

The training engagements should be considered a requirement; the SAMs are deadly, the enemy aircraft intelligent, and the flight model is unforgiving. I have yet to be able to use the most realistic avionic settings; Some day. This is a fantastic example of a pure hardcore flightsim. I love the challenge. This one has finally pushed EF2000 off my hard drive.

By the way I would have given the game 5 stars if it had been released in its current patched version. It's a shame we wind up doing playtesting for companies.

Looks good, plays terrible

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 3 / 6
Date: January 27, 2000
Author: Amazon User

I purchased this game even after reading about all the bugs and crashes, hoping that somewhere under all the problems I could find the great sim that Microprose advertised. Big mistake. Even with the lates 1.08 patch, this game crashes to the desktop about half the time. It seems there is a hardware conflict with just about every device known. And even a PIII 450 with 96RAM and a Viper 550 card can't keep up with frame rates in campaign mode, even with graphics set at medium-it's more like watching a slide show. The real problem is that even after patching, getting the update for the patch, reading the confusing manual cover to cover several times, flying the lame training missions (you'll have to read the instructions for each mission as you fly, as there is no on screen directions), and spending endless hours "mastering" the avionics and weapons systems, the game is still not only frustrating, but borders on unplayable. Communications will instruct you to attack and enemy, give you a range and bearing, but the enemy will not be there. And when an enemy is right behind you? The tower will tell you the "picture is clear". I spent days just trying to find out what I was supposed to be TRYING to do. Oh yeah, and if you choose to use the new patch to fix some of the bugs (plenty still exist), you will not have force feedback at all. I'll admit, the graphics are great, the manual looks good, but when you consider that Hasbro aquired Microprose and forced them to release the product in an unfinished state, it makes you wonder why you should be paying to test what is really a beta version product.

None Better

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: April 03, 2003
Author: Amazon User

It gets better every year! Members of the Falcon 4 community have worked on this game for years to improve it. Free downloadable improvements, including multiple cockpits of various other aircraft, are being added all the time. It has the best dynamic campaign of any flight sim on the market! Other Theaters of Operation have also been added, including Desert Storm, The Balkans, and Vietnam.
If you can find it, then buy it!

So-so game.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 2 / 5
Date: June 10, 2000
Author: Amazon User

For those of you wanting a good Flight sim. Turn to Jane's.

I am a Hardcore Flight Simmer. Flight Sims even convienced me to join the NAVY AVIATION. But this game's graphics are rather sad. I mean I have a serous system 600MHZ P3, 128MB ram, 32MB VideoRAM Nvida GeForce card. Well enough about my system. Back to the game. The Flight modeling is good but the Game in the nicest way possible Sucks. Spend your money on F/A-18, Usaf, or Flanker 2.0 if you are a hardcore flight simmer looking for a new game for the arsenal. Take my Military Honor on it.

Request vector to target

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: August 29, 2000
Author: Amazon User

Truly a work of art Falcon 4.0 is a hyper realistic simulation of air combat with impressive detailed graphics and sounds. Set in Korea it contains 31 training missions, multiplayer, dogfights, and a Tactical Engagement window that provides accurate detailes about allied and enemy ground, air, and naval capabilities. The Campaign provides radio comands, pre-mission planing and post-mission evaluation. Everything is run in real time with ground and air forces attacking, crashing, even calling for help all around you. It stays true to it's realism with accurate weapon effect, realistic turns, G's, and stalls. But it's still not perfect with some glitches (ie stalling, slowing down and sometimes no sound) and the occasional annoying return to windows it shows some choppy workmanship and inadequet testing. Yet with it's flaws it is a must have for airplane fanatics with a fast machine and joystick.

Falcon 4.0

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 7
Date: December 17, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Just like the real thing. This is not a game but a flight simulator and will take time to master.

Hours ( days) of fun.

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