I can’t help but marvel at DCS: MiG-21 and the Digital Combat Simulator series: there are few games that so readily embrace depth and complexity over making something immediately playable. For someone who grew up on the Ace Combat series, spending ten minutes getting my plane ready to take off seems alien to me but for wing nuts the prospect of fuel checks and brake line tests is what gets them up in the morning.
I imagine, too, that when you master getting such a complicated vehicle into the air, managing to bag a bogey is significantly more satisfying, too.
The DCS: MiG-21 launch trailer is enough to make me consider starting to learn.
To have a game that focuses such a laser-fine scope on a single plane is an exciting prospect. If you read through DCS: MiG21’s site you can see some of the work that’s gone into realising it. The game’s lead programmer, Novak Djorjdijevic, is an activity duty MiG pilot. So you can imagine that the handling should be spot on. There’s also more than 100 components being simulated to make sure the plane responds to all sorts of stimulous – weather, damage, cargo.
The plane alone comes with a 200 page flight manual!
You’ll need to install DCS World to get started and the DCS: MiG-21 release date is set for 1 October. Till then you can buy other planes that have received a similar treatment.