Jane’s F/A-18
Score: 90% ESRB: Not Rated Publisher: EA Games Developer: Jane's Combat Simulations Media: CD/1 Players: 1 - 8 Genre: Flight/ Simulation/ Online
Graphics & Sound: This is the first Jane’s simulation game I have played, and I must say I’m very impressed. Jane’s F/A-18 has absolutely the best graphics/sound I have seen in any Flight Sim game to date. Realism is the key in all simulators, and Jane has spent a lot of time to make sure it feels like the real deal. Fully dynamic lighting, rolling oceans, shimmering water and metal, 3D clouds, full weather effects... all the details that define “photo-realism” are in Jane’s F/A-18.
Gameplay: From the novice to the seasoned veteran, F/A-18 meets and exceeds the needs of the virtual pilot. From the thorough training missions to the detailed briefings, debriefings, and in-flight objectives, F/A-18 offers the highest level of situational awareness of any simulation ever. And with F/A-18’s highly detailed manual (more than 200 pages) and interactive reference section, everything you need is at your fingertips. As if that weren’t enough, you can enter quick instant-action scenarios or build your own war with F/A-18’s powerful mission editor. The editor delivers a flexible and comprehensive tool to create an unlimited number of missions and scenarios. Oh, and how does going head to head with up to seven other players over LAN, modem, or playing for free online with Jane’s Combat Net sound? I thought so.
Difficulty: If you’re a Flight Sim fan, you should have no problem with the difficulty, as I’m sure most fans of the genre have played Flight Sims before. Inexperienced gamers may find the controls too difficult, or may be confused on what they should do. Fortunately, the game does a great job of teaching you the basics of flying in the training scenarios, and the very comprehensive manual helps give you all the info as well. So just spend some time with the game, and the difficulty will not be bad at all.
Game Mechanics: The controls in Jane’s F/A-18 are fairly complex, especially for people just trying to get involved in Flight Sim games for the very first time. You use the keyboard for your flight, but it can get very confusing at times. After you get the basics down, this game becomes very enjoyable. Fans for the genre should already have a joystick, which should make flying more pleasant and realistic. If you want to get the most out of F/A-18, I suggest getting a joystick when you pick it up. Fans of the genre should definitely pick this up as it’s an A+ title. If you’ve always wanted to get involved in a Flight Sim, this is an excellent title to get you started in this great genre.
-Raider, GameVortex Communications AKA Chris Duran
Minimum System Requirements: PII 266MHz, 64 MB Ram, 250 MB hard-drive space, Windows 95/98, DirectX 6.1, 4X CD-Rom, 4MB Video Card, Keyboard, mouse, Supports all major 3D acceleration cards Recommended System Requirements: PII 350MHz, 64MB Ram, 100% DirectX 6.1 or higher, 4MB Video Card 100% Direct X 6.1 or higher compliant 3D Accelerator Card   Test System: PII 450, 128MB Ram, 44X CD, Voodoo 3 3000 video accelerator
Driver Forgotten Realms: Menzoberranzan