Top 10 Air Combat Games
Whether screaming through the air at mach speeds or puttering along on a single rotary engine, air combat dogfighting games are as exciting as it gets. For this list, we're looking at games that see players taking control of fighter aircraft, and combat in the sky. The games can stem from arcade or simulator roots, as long as they incorporate fixed wing aircraft into the mix. With that being said, join http://www.watchmojo.com as we throttle up and count down the top 10 air combat games.
Special thanks to our user Joao S for suggesting this list on our website http://www.WatchMojo.comsuggest.
Script written by Matt Wende.
#10: “Chuck Yeager’s Air Combat” (1991)
Borrowing the namesake of the man who piloted the first jet ever to break the sound barrier, this game saw players taking control of fighter planes over simulated theatres of war, including Vietnam and World War 2. At the time it was a technological marvel, as was renowned for it’s technical fines and playability. Yeager leant more than just his name to the project though, as he also allowed his voice to be used and acted as a technical consultant.
#9: “Birds of Steel” (2012)
WWII is not just a hugely popular stage for first person shooters, but also air combat games, so expect to see a bunch of them on this list. Birds of Steel is one of the more modern flight games to hit consoles, and fans of the genre are thankful it did. Featuring more than a hundred real, flyable planes from the Second World War era, the game is also quite versatile, as like many of it’s contemporaries, it allows players to switch between simulator and arcade style controls.
#8: “Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X.” (2009)
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Spawning from Ubisoft’s canon of Tom Clancy licensed works, H.A.W.X. finally let players take on warfare in the sky. Sporting a nifty new flight mode that allowed players to perform harrowing acrobatics in one on one dogfights by turning off the safety features in their planes, HAWX was might not have been the successful franchise Ubisoft wanted, but it’s still a recent example of modern dogfighting goodness.
#7: “After Burner” (1987)
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Cruising in on the Jet Stream left behind by Top Gun in the ‘80s, afterburner allowed players to easily and safely take on the thrills of combat in an F-14 Tomcat. Although clearly the most arcady game on our list, Afterburner seems to end all other arcade games by placing players in a moving cockpit complete with head-rest mounted speakers and a joy stick. Admit it, you want one in your living room right now.
#6: “F/A-18 Interceptor” (1988)
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Coming out in the late ‘80s as well, this was the computer game that started the trend of flight simulation games. Although limited in terms of graphics, Interceptor allowed players to feel like they truly were seated in a supersonic aircraft, and even placed landmarks from the San Francisco bay area into the game. Laugh at the graphics if you want, but for 1988, we’re pretty impressed.
#5: “Digital Combat Simulator World” (2008)
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Coming in at midpoint on our list is this free to play, pay to add-on game that strives to be the last word in modern simulation. With an ever growing list of flyable aircraft, the attention to detail is staggering on this game, even going far enough to simulate the pilots blacking out from the G-Forces. If you’re itching to get behind the stick of a A-10 Warthog, look no further.
#4: “War Thunder” (2013)
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Very few games can capture the scale of WWII, but this game tries it’s darndest by using online multiplayer to create massive battles. Along with ground vehicles, this game allows players to pilot hundreds of planes, and even allows them to switch between three different play styles: arcade, simulation, realistic. With over 350 aircraft and the ability to shoot planes down by injuring the pilot himself, War Thunder is a historian’s dream.
#3: “Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War” (2004)
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The storied Ace Combat series has several worthy entries, but nothing really comes close to the fifth. A wide variety of contemporary aircraft with extensive detail combine with a story that is both endearing and epic, and a perfect blend of realism and arcadiness make the game both fun and accessible. The final result is a timeless game that will have you keeping your old PS2 out of storage for a long time.
#2: “Falcon 4.0: Allied Force” (2005)
This simulator owes it’s legacy to both the real life F-16 Fighting Falcon, a staple of the U.S. Air Force, and to the original Falcon 4.0 game, which was released in 98’. Upgrading the original’s source code, the result is a sleek and polished simulator, one that allows pilots to push both their dogfighting and ground attack skills to the limit. With a heavy focus on destroying targets that are miles away, this is the king of modern simulation.
Before we go head to head with our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
“Rise of Flight: The First Great Air War” (2009)
“Tornado” (1993)
“Combat Flight Simulator WWII Europe Series” (1998)
“Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII” (2006)
#1: “IL-2 Sturmovik” (2001)
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Over the past decade, this series has been the last word in world war 2 air combat, so we’d be remiss if we didn’t pick the game that started it all as our first pick. Allowing players to play as pilots from a variety of nations, this game focused on battles around the eastern front of the war. It’s authenticity and it’s detailed planes are surpassed only by the sequels and add-ons that have followed – check out that sweet damage modeling.
Did you agree with our list. What air combat games did we miss.
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