The Flight Sim Review Zone is a web site devoted to reviews of computer (PC) combat flight simulations.  All the reviews are by the web site author, callsign Drona (myself).  In the future this site may expand to include reviews by other flight sim enthusiasts, but for now I am limited by time to just post what I can, when I can.  Naturally, these reviews will be biased by my view of what a good sim should be, but the main purpose is to describe as best I can what you the consumer will get for his/her money.  No one likes buying a stinker!

Computer gaming is a big money-making industry, and sometimes profit takes precedence over quality.  There are plenty of great computer gaming review magazines out there, and lots of web sites.  I wanted to create one single source devoted to combat flight sims.  Of course, I can only review what I have played myself - and since I have never had a software company send me a free title, the sims I review are also limited to what I can afford!  I am somewhat of a collector though, and I love shopping for bargains.  As such, you will more often than not see older sims reviewed here - just because a title came out years ago doesn't mean it has no value!  Newer does not necessarily mean better.  Even though the constant advances in desktop computing power make graphics more and more dazzling (and more and more voracious for memory), this does not guarantee a great overall sim experience.

Falcon 4.0, for instance, was supposed to be the cutting edge in flight sim technolog, but was so plagued by bugs that some users (I am referencing from the Falcon 4.0 offiicial site and the posts I saw there) couldn't enjoy the game until patches were released by Microprose (and not exactly on time, either).  I myself had maddening installation woes, and shelved the game until the latest patch release because of program crashes in mid-flight, and by that time I had lost interest in it.  Of course, now that I can actually play the game, it is $20 cheaper in stores.  And that might just be the redeeming value of it now for someone who has been thinking about purchasing it, but wasn't quite sure.  Now that most of the major bugs are worked out, it could be a heck of a deal for $20.
 
Just to let you know what my idea of a good simulation is, and thus how my reviews might (though I will try not to) be biased, here are the three major things I look for in a good combat flight sim:

1)    Flight World Realism
There is nothing that turns me off more to a sim than a boring simulated world.  Deserted airports, empty skies, flat, dull landscape and little ground detail make for a very boring experience.  Good graphics are nice, but more important is a good sense of speed and motion.  And please PLEASE make good use of all that radio equipment!  There is such a thing as tower control!

2)    Aircraft Realism
To me, playing with all the little knobs, buttons, levers, switches, bells and whistles is as much fun as flying through the sky.
So the more interactive the aircraft and the more complex the systems, the better!  And if I wanted to fly a spaceship, I would buy space simulators - give me realistic aircraft dynamics!  I want to crash a few times while landing - that way when I do get it right, I feel like I've actually accomplished something.

3)    Replayability
I am a firm believer that a good game should last a long time, and be interesting enough to make you want to play it again and again. The number and variety of missions, adversaries, and objects are important, and non-scripted campaigns are a must.  I don't want to fly the same missions over and over again.

One more note - I am not a huge multi-player fan, but do get on occasionally with other cyber-pilots.  If I have any knowledge whatsoever of a game's internet/LAN/etc. multiplayer performance, I will include it in the review.  So, enjoy this site - I hope it is of some value.  So keep checking back!
- Drona