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IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey

Generally favorable reviews
Based on 28 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 6 votes
Read user comments
Rate this game >
Game Info
Publisher: 505 Games
Developer: Gajin Entertainment
Genre(s): Flight Combat Simulation
Players: 16
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)
Release Date: September 8, 2009
Summary
IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey is based around the large-scale aerial combat and ground military operations of World War II. Players can participate in some of the war's most famous battles piloting fighters, battle planes and heavy bombers across a range of thrilling missions. There are five theatres of war to engage in 0 The Battle of Britain, Stalingrad, Berlin, Sicily and Korsun' representing the main airborne battles of World War II in Europe. IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey also boasts an all new damage effects engine as well as advanced environmental visuals enriching the game play. Players can see real time damage to the aircraft such as holes in the wings and trail lines during dog fights. IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey features hundreds of airplanes taking part in air battles. The unique environmental engine also produces highly detailed, realistic landscapes that allow players to see breathtaking ground support actions. [505 Games]
Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central
Also On The Web: Official Website
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
GamingXP
The IL2 series is known for its high realism, also the latest part Birds of Prey. Easy to learn, but hard to handle. Good that there is also an arcade mode.
Read Full Review >Eurogamer Italy
Birds of Prey is both a realistic flight simulator and an historical and deluxe edition of Ace Combat, leaving the fans of this genre of games extremely satisfied. Sturmovik is a well-finished and balanced product, that will nail you to your seats for more than 40 hours in single player and virtually forever in multiplayer. The best choice for all those willing to fly high in the sky.
Read Full Review >GameFocus
For those who have been hoping for an incredible flying game to play on their home consoles, the wait is over. The variable controls, the authenticity and the sheer enjoyment of taking down Axis planes is something that everyone can enjoy. From top to bottom, IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey is an absolutely incredible journey and certainly one of the biggest surprises of the year; don’t hold back, pick this one up.
Read Full Review >LEVEL (Czech Republic)
Perfect example of how format conversion should be made. Stunning visuals, physics engine, sounds and music, variable difficulty settings create together a truly unforgettable experience. [Oct 2009]
Playstation Official Magazine UK
A huge surprise - a nerdy, technically accurate flight sim that's also loads of fun to play. [Oct 2009, p.114]
GameZone
IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey is the flight/combat game no one should be without.
Read Full Review >IGN
IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey has almost all the bases covered. It can be an accessible, forgiving flight combat game for novices, a challenge for veterans, and a true test of will for the ultra hardcore.
Read Full Review >3DJuegos
The main virtue of Birds of Prey is its diversity. Probably the best air combat videogame in years.
Read Full Review >Multiplayer.it
Extreme realism, enhanced graphics, additional vehicles and more, Birds of Prey is a great and complete simulator for veterans gamer, but also it’s accessible for the novices the genre, depend of the options you select.
Read Full Review >PSX Extreme
IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey is a bit more polished, a bit more refined, a bit more realistic, and overall, a better-quality product than Heroes Over Europe.
Read Full Review >Vandal Online
Ignoring some small flaws, IL 2-Sturmovik is delicious, honest, mature and deep, one of the most complex and fascinating flying simulators ever published in console.
Read Full Review >Cheat Code Central
Birds of Prey shines brightly as a solo endeavor in large part due to the extreme level of authenticity and attention to getting the flight mechanics just right.
Read Full Review >PSFocus
Fight in a lot of important WWII battles in the UK, Russia and more. A nice flight game with a lot of immersion.
Read Full Review >PSM3 Magazine UK
Heaps of fun, accessible and gorgeous: but it's a WW2 plane sim. [Oct 2009, p.66]
Digital Chumps
You get all aspects of what it's like being a fighter pilot. IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey is one of the best games I've played in a while and I'll keep playing it well beyond this review.
Read Full Review >GamesNation
IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey wisely mixes both action and simulation elements with realistic graphics and awesome effects. Thanks to that, it gives players an intense and realistic gameplay experience, including real flying techniques (with different difficulty levels) and an immersive WWII atmosphere.
Read Full Review >Playstation Official Magazine Australia
Far and away the best flight game we've played - a huge surprise and thoroughly recommended. [Oct 2009, p.68]
Gamer.nl
IL2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey succeeds at bringing a flightsim to the consoles. The game delivers a few things that console gamers haven't had for years, but at the same time takes its place between the less-realistic alternatives on the consoles. If you can look past the minor flaws, Birds of Prey is recommended for the serious flightsim-enthusiast.
Read Full Review >SpazioGames
The console port of this important series has certainly proven successful. The game is an excellent title based on aerial combat in the middle of World War II when played in arcade mode.
Read Full Review >InsideGamer.nl
IL-2 Sturmovik is the most realistic flight-simulator on the consoles. Although it misses some appeal of a top-game, it has very profoundly controls and beautiful graphics. Give this game a shot if you’re a hardcore simulation fan or if you just like to see old planes.
Read Full Review >Cynamite
Birds of Prey is a great mixture of simulation and arcade. The missions get repetitive quickly, though.
Read Full Review >Eurogamer Portugal
This made the heavens with Birds of Prey ultimately represent the most courageous adaptation to a new line of platforms that so far nothing was the Sturmovik.
Read Full Review >XGN
Il-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey is the best World War II combat flight simulator at this moment. The game really brings you the atmosphere of WWII. Thanks to the good gameplay and content, this game is definitely worth buying.
Read Full Review >Pelit (Finland)
Really needs one more difficulty level. Arcade is so easy that it gets boring really fast, at realistic planes feels too unstable to even aim straight. [Aug 2009]
Play UK
It carefully bridges the gap between its PC flight sim heritage and the arcadey world of consoles. [Issue#183, p.74]
RealGamer
IL2-Sturmovik is a solid aerial combat game that is accessible enough for anyone to pick-up and play, whilst still offering hardcore simulation fans the option to play the game in a fashion they feel comfortable with.
Read Full Review >Eurogamer
Taken as a rousing aerial shooter, it's easy to recommend - and sadly rather too easy to complete. There's a ton of content, at least, and it's all presented in a whiz-bang style that draws you in with heart-pounding action without belittling the history behind the explosions. It's just a shame that for such a venerable simulator series, it's the more serious game modes where Birds of Prey feels most compromised by its hardware.
Read Full Review >Playstation: The Official Magazine (US)
Straightforward, aerial combat. [Holiday 2009, p.85]
What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this game is 8.6 (out of 10) based on 6 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
V V gave it a9:
I have been a fan of the IL-2 series on PC for some time, and playing IL-2 Sturmovik Birds of Prey for about a week now I must say I am really enjoying it. You can have some real good light fun in "arcade" difficulty but the real deal is in "realistic" and "simulation" modes, the physics are great and the graphics photorealistic, with real time damage model, the combat is intense and fun. It may not be as deep or as long as the PC IL-2 games but it is a unique game very well executed. Play it with a Thrustmaster or Saitek flight stick(I use the Thrustmaster TFlight HotasX for PS3) to really appreciate the physics and gameplay.
