Another concession to the weaknesses of the venerable Flight Simulator engine is the poor representation of ground forces. Static guns, buildings, and some ships are present, but the paucity of landing craft and infantry in the close air support missions is a blow to realism. So too is the limited wingman communication. The developers refer to the rare use of radio communications in real life, but in real life one also hopes a wingman could do more than fly like a target tow. Communications in a simulation do not necessarily handicap realism, but rather, help fill gaps in artificial intelligence. Perhaps in real life, pilots did not speak via radio to trigger a Thatch Weave maneuver, but they would have certainly discussed such a tactic before takeoff, and the user needs some way to intimate this to the computer pilots. Here, players cannot specify formations, call defensive breaks, tell a partner to 'check six', request status, or send damaged wingmen home. And it doesn't matter whether the player is an ensign or a commander, they're always the lead of a section, never the supporting wingman in an element.

Other oddities exist, such as the curious victory conditions in strike missions. Told to strafe an airfield, I was perturbed to receive a failing grade after downing two enemy aircraft, a ship, and four ground targets. Ground attacks are judged by the percentage of bullets expended in strafing, so destroying nothing qualifies for success if enough bullets hit dirt. A few of the missions are also dreadfully difficult to win, much less survive. Despite faults, this title is a solid and needed entry in a Pacific Theater flight sim gap many years old.

Combat Flight Simulator 2 is the perfect extrapolation of the Flight Simulator franchise, neither revolutionary nor experimental, but managing to improve gradually without introducing flaws. Novice and intermediate gamers are likely to be thrilled with Combat Flight Simulator 2, and this bodes well for it. Veterans will also welcome it, though some are certain to find the aforementioned barriers to their expectations. By all counts, the title is deserving of no less than the Sharky Games average rating of five, and the excellent artwork, sound effects, and stability push this to a respectable seven and a half.

Should the keepers of Flight Simulator consider building a new foundation? Rob Brown, Combat Flight Simulator 2's designer, said this subject is a constant at design meetings. He looks forward to the day it becomes a reality, but believes a core engine rewrite may still be about two generations of Flight Simulator away. Hatfield and Brown are aware of the need to produce results and as with any endeavor, there were objectives on the wish list left undone for reasons of expediency. They appear to have made the right choices in delivering on the saleable points of stability, graphics, and scalable difficulty. Like the Americans at Midway, they now watch their warrior at this pivotal junction where the right performance can dictate the future.