The Top Five Flight Combat Games of All Time

Sometimes shooting through the skies at blistering speeds can be just as exhilarating, as running and gunning on the ground. With the wind pulsing through your hair and the target primed for demolition, there is no greater joy than performing acrobatic stunts of awesomeness. Over the years, there have been many flight combat games. That said, let’s hop into the cockpit once more, and unveil the top five flight combat games of all time. In what is undoubtedly a list that would have Maverick, Iceman and Goose high-fiving all the way to heaven!

 

IL-2 Sturmovik (2001)

First on our list of the top five flight combat games of all time is IL-2 Sturmovik [ Штурмови́к ] . In this soaring sim, players sky-rocket through the air, with immense precision, and grace. The all-out action takes place during WW2, as the Allied forces battle it out against the Axis powers for airborne supremacy. What’s more, players could choose to fly as a pilot from a wealth of great nations. Better still, a gamut of authentic plane designs and ultra-realistic damage effects made taking to the skies an exhilarating joy-ride of chaos and carnage. A great way, to jumpstart our list of the top five combat games of all time.

Falcon 4.0 Allied Force

Second to grace this list is Falcon 4.0 Allied Force. The high-stakes combat sim which utilizes the high-flying speed demon, the F-16, Falcon to excellent effect. After all, the plane is a trademark and the go-to aircraft of the US military. After remastering the archetypal source code of the series, the finished product is a smooth and streamlined sim with advanced weapon technology and distant target demolition duties. The ultimate demonstration of advanced, aerial warfare. Well worthy of a spot on the top five flight combat games of all time.

 

Ace Combat 5

 

Third to clinch a place on this list of the top five flight combat games of all time is Ace Combat 5. In truth, Ace Combat 5 has had many turbo-charged iterations down the years. Perhaps, none quite so ground-breaking as number five in the series canon. Firstly, the wide variety of authentic planes dazzled with polish and impressed with tons of detail. Add into the mix an epic and impactful story, and you have a top-gun, combat sim. In reality, this is how combat flight games are born to ride.

Also, its high-octane mix of realistic graphics and arcade animations made performing death-defying stunts of maneuverability and outlandish acrobatics a blast. Thus, making the game accessible to all.

 

DCS: A-10C Warthog

Fourth on this list of the top five flight combat games of all time is DCS: A-10C Warthog. As realistic as it is rewarding, this feature-rich sim mimics the magic of the skies like no other. Complete with high-fidelity flight models, tight avionics and eye-popping graphics, this is the pinnacle of jet-propulsion sims. That is if you can master the steep learning curve. That said, the journey from novice to a plucky pilot is one of the most fulfilling out there. Unquestionably then, this faithful reimagining of life in the fast lane deserves a place on the top five flight combat games of all time.

 

Combat Flight Simulator WWII Pacific Theater

Last on this list, is Combat Flight Simulator WWII Pacific Theater. Although not the tightest simulation experience in the genre, in terms of vehicle handling, CFS: WPT adds a new level of immersion to game-play. Despite the linear nature, lushly landscaped vistas, true-to-life cockpits, and realistic damage to aircraft recreate the airborne anarchy of the era with pin-point precision. Finally, last-ditch bailouts add extra intensity to combat situations.

 

That completes our list of the top five flight combat games of all time. Which flight-sims give you a surging adrenaline rush? Please write in with your entries. Your thoughts matter to us.