Falcon 4.0: Allied Force Reviews

• Great Fun and Scalable to Varying Levels

  
  By A16RMJ937TGWU9 on 2005-07-03
  This game/sim is great fun. It has a truly dynamic campaign, which means that your actions do impact the outcome. There isn't another game out there where there is so much going on "in the background" that, aside from playing the game, you can see and use to impact on how you play the game.
  
  I'm no kid, so I don't have time to learn many complex features or learn how to do it on a real F-16. So, while you can have all of the true to life features/requirements of the real jet if you want, you can also scale those down to simplified avionics, etc. There are about 30 training missions with specific instructions on completing them, which cover the major aspects of handling the jet.
  
  As for documentation, if you do want to do all of the "realism" options, you can get plenty of reading material as there is a 716 page .pdf manual).
  
  I would recommend this highly.
  
  

• Falcon 4.0 is back!

  
  By A1O26YWZJ82P68 on 2005-10-10
  As a big fan of the original Falcon 4.0, I was a little bummed out that it was not going to run very well on my new Windows XP machine. I would have to deal without it...until Allied Force. F4:AF is the game to defibrillate the Falcon 4.0 series. However, casual flight simmers should beware - this game is, just like its predecessor, is very in-depth and can be quite hard to grasp. If you're not a die-hard flight sim person, I would suggest items like Microsoft Flight Simulator. Short of the steep learning curve - F4:AF is incredible. The physics, models, and graphics are all top-notch, but what will get you is the realism. If you're into realistic high-end flight simulators...this is the game for you.
  
  

• World's # 1 flight sim...for a reason

  
  By A3ELW62JFD1V27 on 2005-07-01
  
  This sim first appeared back in 1998, and was in development for 5 years prior to it's release in 1998.
  
  The development continued after the 1998 release up until present day, with thousands of man hours devoted to making the ultimate, most realistic flight simulator in the world...mission accomplished!
  
  Don't believe me?... then check out the video I made today at www.f16c.com/af1.wmv (more videos to come...see www.f16c.com)
  
  So when you add it all up, this sim has now been in development since 1993 or 12 years!
  
  A word of caution...you will not expereince the richness of this sim in one sitting. The learning curve is significant, however, once an accomplished pilot, you and your buddies can go into the most realistic DYNAMIC war campaigns ever created for online multiplayer ever!
  
  Every thing you do causes the war to change dynamically to your efforts in real time. No two campaigns are ever the same as you push back enemy advances.
  
  This is not a Quake3 type game.
  
  The only way to describe it would be to go join the Air Force.
  
  You take off and fly in formation to your target(hundreds of miles), drop your bombs, watch for enemy jets, refuel in mid-air, navigate your way thru enemy air defences, keep an eye on your fuel(so you can make it back to base), protect other jets flying with you, search and destroy moving targets.
  
  The dynamic war uses NATO forces with "tens of thousands" of units - AIR, LAND, and SEA.
  
  You will not find, or expereince, a more advanced dynamic war campaign anywhere.
  
  The maps are real life size and time and cover thousands of square miles.
  
  The immersion of this sim is what stands out the most. It looks and sounds so real, you will be shocked beyond beleif.
  
  If you are tired of the point and shoot games out there, this genre of computer entertainment is sure to please anyone who takes the time to try it.
  
  To ease the learning curve, our Wing is creating training videos that you can view for free on the internet at www.F16C.com.
  
  Drop us an email with your comments.
  
  _Bramage "See you in the Virtual Sky!"
  
  

• Falcon 4.0 is Back and Flawless this time around!

  
  By A32A1FZNWSBW7G on 2006-03-14
  It Took 7 Years but anyone who remembers when Falcon 4.0 came out in 1998 will have two distinct memories. One of which it being the most realistic Combat flight sim and the Buggiest.
  After Numerous patches and things going from bad to worse, most people in the community gave up on the sim. Now 7 Years later not only are all the Bugs gone But graphics and gameplay is improved. Falcon 4.0:Allied Force took all the best of the previous patches and added them in to make this sim what everyone dreamed it could be. Lead Pursuit spent thousands of hours fixing tweaking and testing the Sim to make a flawless game where you can fly on the korean map or Balkans.
  With photorealistic terrain and cockpits that look so real its almost hard to believe that your flying a sim. The AI Has also been improved so those hours you spent in the air in real time could end in disaster if your not too careful.
  This Sim is not for those who just want a Arcade like sim to play as hey will be bored. Getting to your destination can take 30 minutes or more depending on your starting base. Waypoints must be followed, Aircraft refueled and objectives met and carried out while getting back to your base in one piece and landing. Sounds tough? It sure is and fun. Think about those military simulators the Air force have worth millions, and give it a smaller screen and much smaller price tag and you Get Falcon 4.0 :Allied Force.
  
  
  

• The legend continues

  
  By A2ARY9FPESMIO2 on 2005-06-29
  With a "newbie" 100+ page printed manual, a 700+ page PDF manual, as well as "easy" modes for avionics and flight, this game will allow newbies to get into the hardcore flight simulation arena with ease. Training missions are provided with step-by-step instructions in the manuals that will get new users used to the feel of flying an F-16 Fighting Falcon jet. And then the training will proceed to get you fighting in an F-16.
  
  Although this genre has, in the past, catered directly to the "button-pushers", Falcon 4: Allied Force succeeds in bringing in new gamers with a gradual learning curve, while still maintaining that high level of realism as an option. There is something satisfying in learning step-by-step, bit-by-bit, just how to fly a complex piece of machinary like the F-16. And with gradual "realism" settings, you can work up to flying as realistic as a PC simulation can get.
  
  I'm recommending this game to all those sick of shoot em up games who are ready for a real challenge of skill and intelligence.
  
  
• if you are not an f-16 pilot, prepare to spend time scaling the huge learning curve of the game
  By A363YMWUWE2049 on 2006-06-30
  This game is NOT i repeat NOT a 'game'. it is a simulation. This simulation is not for you if you dont plan on spending hours reading the 700 pages of manual included. I do not mean to presuade you agaisnt the game, i am just warning you in advanced so you are no dissapointed.
  Now, with that aside, the game. The game is, well, accurate. And when I say accurate, I mean every last button, knob, lever, swith, and warning light is included, all of which are fully functional. The radar systems are all 100% accurate (not the 'Gods eye' view of the entire battlefield as in ace combat 4 ect.) The radar and all of it's submodes are complex. I'm not going to lie. But after some practice, they will become second nature. Learning how to call up and use all of the differnt weapons is also a challenge you mujst overcome. From targeting a Maverick, to firing your rocket pod, each weapon is completey unique and accurate to the extreme. Air to Air combat is also somewhat of a challenge, and accurately delivering your Air to Ground muntions takes a steady hand and ample skill.
  Now it may seem like I am degrading the game. But after a few weeks, or maybe a few months, you begin to understand how that radar sumbmode works. You begin to understand how to target your LGB's with success. You begin to understand how to re-fuel while in flight(which can be a NIGHTMARE!) Once you begin to understand all of the complex feautres on the f-16, the game becomes very enjoyable. It is very rewarding. The campaign is AWESOME. The online dogfighting is AWESOME. Nothing can replace the feeling you have after landing your damgaed Falcon with an empty fuel tank after dropping 2,000lbs worth of bombs on your enemy and destroying 2 MiG-21's in the process. It is just wondeful.
  In conclusion, you must dedicate yourself to this sim. Dont become discuraged, because the learning curve here is GIGANTIC! Just take your time, review what you have learned, and in no time you will be the best pilot in the sky.
  
  
• From the Developers, Lead Pursuit LLC
  By A301SWKVC1QFLJ on 2005-07-02
  BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
  
  Falcon 4.0: Allied Force, the successor of Falcon 4.0, is an advanced F-16 combat flight simulator for the PC. The player takes on the role of a pilot flying a multitude of missions in either the Balkans Theater of Operations or the Korean Theater of Operations in a fully dynamic, evolving war.
  
  The simulation's features include:
  
  
  * Multiple threads in the code for true Dual Core processor support
  * Revamped graphics engine
  * Reworked multiplayer engine
  * Highly advanced artificial intelligence
  * 716 page advanced .pdf manual, 110-page "new player" printed manual
  * Reworked dynamic campaign engine
  * Brand new theater of operations
  * New high resolution models and cockpits
  * Highly detailed terrain and airbases
  * Intuitive User Interface
  
  The graphics engine supports real-time terrain lighting, dynamically-shaded 3D volumetric clouds and alpha-blended scattered clouds. Fog is also implemented and combined with new high resolution textures on models and the terrain, the visuals are tremendously improved. Highly detailed and clickable cockpits for three different F-16 aircraft are included: the Block 50/52, 40/42 and MLU variants.
  
  The multiplayer engine features a new, problem-free connection method with support for a centralized, server-system style of play for internet and Local Area Network (LAN) games. Performance and reliability have been greatly improved for both custom made missions and campaign flights.
  
  The Dynamic Campaign Engine (DCE) is the war simulator where any event happening in any part of the theater of combat affects the war's direction throughout that theater. How you perform in your mission directly, and proportionately, determines what happens elsewhere. This is true for the tens of thousands of computer controlled entities in the game. It means that the player really feels part of a living war environment, part of something that is evolving around them in real time.
  
  Some of the greatest changes have been to improve the interaction of computer controlled aircraft and the hundreds of ground entities in Falcon 4.0: Allied Force. Thousands of hours of work has led to remarkable improvements in artificial intelligence. During missions, computer-controlled aircraft will perform with precision. The role of the Forward Air Controller (FAC) is now implemented, allowing the player to co-operate with other flight aircraft when carrying out ground attacks. Brand new Air Traffic Control intelligently manages the flights in and out of bases.
  
  The F-16's electronic systems simulated in Falcon 4.0: Allied Force, including the avionics, are the most realistic for the home personal computer. Numerous modes and sub-modes in air-to-air and air-to-ground radar are accurately implemented to immerse the player in the feel of operating a modern combat aircraft.
  
  The new theater of operations is the Balkans. There are three time periods stretching from the mid-1990s to 2010, featuring appropriate aircraft, squadrons and units. Each theater period has three campaigns, making nine in total for the Balkans. Falcon 4.0: Allied Force also features a heavily revised Korean theater and associated campaigns.
  
  
• avenger 2-1 avenger 2-2...
  By A3TFPOD1OCW38U on 2005-11-18
  Look guys...I'm not the one who will tell you, Buy it ASAP: it's wonderful, it's amazing, it's realistic, it's breath taking, it's worth spending the nights with (and I mean the whole night), it's you're girlfriend's worst enemy etc..etc...
  No, I won't. I will simply tell you that I'm in my office working and in the back of my head there is a process planning the next BARCAP or SEAD missions, how to proceed in order to avoid the A-A-A near Pyong Yang, when to instruct the formation to turn the ECM on, while diving below 1500ft, or how to handle the two Mig-29s while have instructed my wingman to hit the runway with durandals...the moment I see that an Archer missile coming fast and furious...
  
  I'm a flight-sim freak, from the moment my sort sight cost me a pilot's career...Thank God I have f-16 AF instead!!!!!!!!
  
  I't's the real thing. Just that.
  
  
  
• Falcon 4.0: Allied Force
  By A3C08BZRVV500V on 2005-12-29
  As a pilot and a computer aircraft simulation nut, I bought this eagerly.
  
  What a waste of money!
  Unless you are prepared to spend 3-4 months or more learning this very complex game, forget it!
  
  Just the radar takes 30 pages of the manual!
  
  The manual is in PDF format, & is over 700 pages long. To print this out on a color printer will cost about $175 at 22 cents a page. It is also impossible to print a legible keyboard layout.
  
  Give this one a miss, and try Pacific Fighters or IL-2.
  
  Didn't anyone learn from Jane's F-15 ; this was a great classic, and has never been equalled. It took a week to learn.
  
  
• WOW
  By A1L52G2TN0DZ5U on 2006-01-31
  Ok,
  I knew I had some learning to do when I picked this one up and I have played some flight sims before but not one with the deep gameplay this has. It is not a game but truely a full simulation and it will take months to learn and longer to ever master.
  
  The graphics are very good and the sounds are also there but it is the amount of learning and goodness that this game brings to the table that will keep you interested. Be it known, it is not a simple jump in and fly type game but a game you need to have some patience with. Sure you can turn all the settings down and make it almost arcade but that is not what I was looking for.
  
  You want something to keep you busy for a longtime then this is it! Dig in and enjoy.....
  
  
• AAR's are the order of the day
  By A32K03EYKUSY2F on 2005-07-11
  Pkg#: 802 Callsign: Rapier Type Msn: Sweep T/O:
  0545 TOS/TOT: 0630 Land: 0820
  Target: Ivangrad-Mostar
  Objectives: OCA Sweep. Prevent strike package from engaging A2A
  
  Name: Ordnance Load: Target:
  Rapier 10 512 20mm PGU-28, 2x AIM-120B, 4x AIM-120C, 2x 300 gal DT, ALQ-131 OCA Sweep
  Rapier 11 512 20mm PGU-28, 2x AIM-120B, 4x AIM-120C, 2x 300 gal DT, ALQ-131 OCA Sweep
  Rapier 12 512 20mm PGU-28, 2x AIM-120B, 4x AIM-120C, 2x 300 gal DT, ALQ-131 OCA Sweep
  Rapier 13 512 20mm PGU-28, 2x AIM-120B, 4x AIM-120C, 2x 300 gal DT, ALQ-131 OCA Sweep
  
  C/S: Type Msn: #/Type A/C: TOT: Target:
  Sting CAS F/A-18 Dubrovnik
  Hornet OCA F/A-18 Podgorica
  Snake CAS F-16 Tivat
  Focus Alpha EW E-3 N/A
  
  
  
  Threat Analysis:
  MIG-21Mbis, MIG-23 & MIG-29 in a/o with A-50 support. SA-10 batteries around Sarajevo and Sjenica. SA-6 and SA-11 expected below FL200.
  
  ROE: At will
  Alternate Airfield: Amendola, Italy TACAN Ch: 054X
  SAR Ch: 102A
  
  
  
  AAR Follows:
  
  The Rapier flight departed Amendola and linked up with the F/A-18 strike group. We reached the push point about 60 miles west of Tivat and Focus Alpha called out inbounds out of Mostar. #1 and #2 split north west and each launched a AIM-120B with 2x MIG-29s confirmed. Myself in the #3 position continued till feet dry between Dubrovnik and Tivat. The RWR would flash up with high altitude AA radars and search radars painting fairly regularly. Focus Alpha directed myself and #4 toward Ivangrad and a pair of MIG-21Mbis's showed. I fired inside of 15 miles with a 120B, #4 was late and the 120B went maddog as soon as it left the rails. But not before the MIG-21 got an R-60 off. It went wide but #4 still took shrapnel damage and bugged out west. Both MIG-21s had chutes.
  
  Sting, Hornet and Snake called goal post at this time and reported high concentrations of ZSU-23 and SA-9 activity. 2 Hornets were damaged by AA and Snake had a near miss by an SA-7. Below me an SA-10 lit up, but much to my surprise and relief the missiles went west toward the strike package and ignored my flight completely. That didn't last long - an SA-6 went active about 15 west of Ivangrad. At 25K, the music was on and selected zone 5 west - occasionally beaming the radar to break the lock. I observed 4 missiles come through the clouds, but the launch warning continued long past those initial sightings. I continued to blow west for the coast when the RWR finally stopped yelling. Still, with my head on a swivel I was a bit paranoid. SA's don't stop tracking you unless they have to - and usually when they have a friendly in the area. It didn't take long, Focus called a bogie to my right side at 15 miles, which turned out to be a MIG-21Mbis by the radar. Turning toward I was slow at getting the F-16 radar into ACM mode. He was at 8 miles about 30 right of my nose when I saw the puff's of smoke from the 3 R-60's that left the rails. No choice now but to continue the turn and kick out the flares. The nose was almost dead on, I might've been too close for an AIM-120C shot, but pulled anyway. It went maddog the moment it left the rail and impacted just forward of the empenage. The R-60s reached their gimbal limits and couldnt cut the corner, this time - luckily for me. I reached the coast at about M1.5 having stripped most of my stores except the 2 remaining 120's and the ECM pod on the center. Focus Alpha gave a steer toward Palese Macchie but elected to goto Amendola with the rest of my flight. I never did hear a peep from the A-50 AWACS in the area - that was disconcerting.
  
  
  
  
  
• ...and a bag of chips.
  By on 2006-11-16
  Well... we're all kids at heart.
  
  Yes, Falcon 4.0: AF is the most engaging flight simulation I have experienced, and this includes Jane's F-15; Microsoft Flight Simulator series (up thru recent MSFS X and CFS3), IL-2 and Lock-On.
  While F4AF does not have the MSFSx immersive graphics, it does have a virtual cockpit and combat artificial intelligence that far excedes anything in any other flight sim. F4AF's campaign and evolving battlefield far exceeds Jane's F-15, MSCFS3, Lock-On, and IL-2.
  
  Yes, the learning curve is awesome. But, this is a simulation for the flight enthusiast looking for virtual reality. NOT FOR THE ARCADE "AFTER-BURNER" CROWD. Learning the simulation and going through the tutorials was (in my opinion) gratifying on it's own even if you don't engage the campaign mode.
  
  I would have given the sim 5-stars overall if: 1) the terrain and building graphics were more lush (but that would require more hardware horsepower); and, 2) an actual printed and bound manual was included in the package. Maybe in a neat USAF operations manual and checklist format.
  
  Overall, F4AF is all that and a bag of chips.
  
  
  
• Best combat avionics sim comercially available.
  By A17TAYBEIJHN0M on 2005-06-30
  If you are looking for an arcade flying game, look elsewhere. But if you are interested in how the F-16 really works and how an air war is really organised, then there is no alternative to this sim besides a commercial simulator.
  
  
• F4AF and version patches
  By A1FUTXLCAUT42Z on 2005-12-22
  bought this 12/19/05. the game is great. if you are a falcon 4.0 fan this is a must get. i have followed falcon 4 from day one, though the zillion upgrades,sp2-4, and patches for the last 10 years. it is intense, requires patience to master, must have hotas controls for realism, but oh so much fun! the real time missions are mind blowing. however,
  
  exploring the various websites supporting the game, i found 3 must do (i think) patches vv's 02 - 04. i have no idea if the last patch (v .04) is all that is needed, if the game must be patched sequentially, or if the version being sold needs no patching. complicates the install and set up..the first thing you must do and do correctly if you want the game to work optimally, particularly with MS's ugly stepchild xp.
  
  wouldn't it be wonderful if the production date and version number were part of the discription? i'm suprised that atari did not bundle all the iterations of the game in this version and say so in glowing terms. for the affectionados the game would be a must have for that alone. if you don't mind tinkering with the patches, adding some of the after market enhancements, and want realism, this is the game for you.
  
  
• A sim that can make you sweat
  By A67LDD2OGMD6B on 2006-08-16
  This is an incredible simulator. They've modeled nearly every aspect of flying an f-16. Almost all the buttons in the cockpit actually work exactly as they would in a real jet. (You even have the option to sit there on the ramp while the inertial navigation system gets its bearings and the radars warm up) It's not so much fun as it is engaging, if you're trying to rendevous with a tanker for refueling, you probably won't be thinking about much else. The online manual's around 700 pages, and it could have been longer, if that tells you anything about it.
  
  
• Falcon 4.0...its the best flight sim out there. ;)
  By A339PCGPYSAM2A on 2005-10-02
  This game is unbelievable. Its affordable, the graphics are stunning, and the simulation itself is as good as it gets. And you don't even need a gaming computer to run it...I've gotten it to work fine on a smaller laptop, with graphics just as smooth as on a faster computer.
  The plane itself is designed to fly exactly as the Falcon does in real life, with a photo-realistic cockpit--every button works. You can learn to fly it exactly as the USAF pilots do, from your own PC. It's a challenge, but the game allows you to slowly advance the realism settings until you're ready to handle the entire thing. The 719-page PDF manual included on the CD is proof of the attention paid to detail.
  Moving past the plane itself, the other highlights of Allied Force include the strikingly real simulated campaigns. Thousands of individual objects, from infantry to convoys and antiaircraft stations, fight on the ground and in the air, all of them controlled by advanced AI, reacting to situations differently all the time. The campaign moves in real time, though time acceleration is optional. You can pick from a list of missions being flown, from strikes deep in enemy territory to intense air to air combat patrol.
  For those looking for the best of the best in combat simulation, this game is it. It's the closest you'll come to flying the real jet. Don't waste your time or money with other sims...you won't find better than Falcon 4.0.
  
  
• Truly the benchmark that was promised
  By A24WSD48Z3WUZS on 2005-08-12
  I knew when I saw the credits that this rendition of Falcon 4 was going to be done right -- and it was!
  
  All I'm going to say is that I'm in no way disappointed with the outcome and that the features that were added make my favorite sim into what I had hoped it would be.
  
  I'm not just trying to puff the product, I'm thanking the people who fixed it and those who produced it in a professional package. It's the best money I've ever spent on entertainment software....
  
  
• Worlds Best Jet Sim Reborn and made Better!
  By A3M19DFJEJJLB6 on 2005-08-02
  Originally released in 1998, Facoln 4 was the most intensely realistic jet fighter simulation ever released for public consumption. Along with an eloborate array of funtional control, Falcon 4 sported a "dynamic campaign engine" i.e. a war that raged within the computer with the player flying missions in this war (along with tens of thousand of other artificailly intelligent units on both sides of the conflict). Very cool! It was also very unstable at the time. The combination of playing complexity - the game really disliked functioning at its simpler, easier levels - and instability kept it from becoming a huge commercial success.
  I'm leaving out an enormous middle of the Falcon 4 story intentionally; you can do the research and learn about the "guys who wouldn't let Falcon 4 die". Suffice it to say, the folks at Lead Pursuit (the new game's publishers) had a built-in market before they decided to re-vamp the game. The result is a rock solid, super-stable game that can be played at any level of difficulty chosen by the player. Lead Pursuit has already released one patch and seems committed to the Falcon 4's continued improvement. The graphics are not state of the art - yet - but they are passable and the dynamic campaign engine remains as slick as ever. All told, Falcon 4: Allied Force is likely to become/remain (depending upon your view) the standard by which all combat jet sims are measured. Wanna fly?
  
  
  
• Finally Falcon 4.0 as it should have been!
  By A1T1G47EEQLW9T on 2005-10-02
  This is the best military flight simulator on the market, bar none. There are many aspects of this sim that are ground breaking in their own right; far too many to be explained in depth. However, a quick overview are the true-to-life avionics, the dynamic mission system, the immursion created by wingmen and live communication channels, tankers, enemy AI, NPC ai, oh my! Whats really nice is that all these variables can be adjusted to suit your skill and familiarity of the cockpit and systems. The addition of the Balkins area along with the original Korean area, really makes this game shine with unlimited replay value because of the dynamic mission system, where missions and actions you take and complete (or not complete) contribute to the overall progress of the war. This is a prestine example of how coding of sims and games in general should be performed. So much is going on in the game, you actually feel like your part of the war and not just some gamer sitting behind a monitor pointing your mouse at lemmings.
  
  Overall the game is incredible, and once more an incredible value. If you are a flight sim type of person, you cannot go wrong with Falcon 4.0:Allied Force.
  
  
• Better than the original
  By A2KA4CWS4NR0VP on 2006-03-27
  I've played the original since 1998 and am glad to see that they finally repackaged the game incorporating most of what the community has produced. The only thing missing that I was disappointed in was the fly any aircraft hack but other than that its near perfect.
  
  Forwarned though, if you are mostly just a casual simmer then you should probably stay away as you will have to devote lots of time to playing this sim to become proficeint. It truly lives up to being the most accurate flight sim around.
  
  
• Better than the original Falcon 4.0
  By A75FZBTDKEBND on 2006-07-01
  As you may know, "Falcon 4.0 Allied Force" is a remake of an older game called "Falcon 4.0". While the two are very similar, "Allied Force" is far easier to install and configure as the original had to be patched and updated several times to reach the same performance as "Allied Force". If you have the patience to learn how to fly the F-16, this "game" will be well worth your time. I live in Japan and went to "Yokota" AFB. An F-16 pilot told me that Falcon 4.0 & "Allied force" are the real deal. There are a few minor issues, but they don't affect gameplay. Like flight sims? GET THIS.
  
  
• Falcon 4.0 Allied Force Works!
  By AI0XJF6WBVUG5 on 2006-08-18
  My title may sound jaded but the original version of this game released by MicroProse many years ago had more bugs than a wood pile.
  
  Now its close to bug free and offers all the challenge of flying and operating an advanced fighter jet. Which is why a child will be frustrated to boredom in 30 seconds without adult supervision. Also, you must understand the peculiar nature of modern aircraft and weapons to enjoy this simulation. Otherwise, something along WWII technology is more engaging to play, where ballistics is the only challenge to victory.
  
  
• I'm surprised there's not a button to polish the canopy.
  By A1OBMMZR2SJT7N on 2005-10-24
  If you love flight sims and love a good challenge even more this will be the game to ruin your marriage. You have complete control and the action is endless. Ihave been a fan fo Falcon 4.0 for well over a year now and I learn something new every time I play. If you want a quick mindless blow um' out of tha' sky game then keep looking because this game will only frustrate you. If you enjoy the technical aspect of flight and can keep your cool as you drop in on a target aiming your Mavrick rockets while your cockpit is lit up like a christmas tree and alarms are going off in your ears as SAMs try to make their way into your F-16 then make the purchase. It's not flawless but it's a ton of fun.
  
  
• Falcon Allied Forces No Dissappointment
  By A34NONNNEJ9RHW on 2005-08-11
  I have purchased both Falcon Allied Forces and the new Lock ON: Modern combat gold. I play Falcon AF at least 1 hour a night. It runs very smooth. Graphics are fair. Flying is very good althought I wish the game would not let me out fly what a real pilot and F-16 would be capable of in a Dog Fight. All in all I am extremely satisified and would recommend this game to anyone who loves this genre of game. Challenging to master but really worth it. I have found Lock On to run poor frame rates and choppy and my machine is middle of the road as far as performance. Buy the game, it is certainly worth the $29.99
  
  
• Lead-Pursuits Falcon4-Allied Force
  By A1XE6U4IJ4FK00 on 2005-09-05
  100% hands down the best flight sim out there!
  I am extremely pleased by the work done by Lead-Pursuit in both unifying Falcon4 into a single install CD ( no more following a mile long forum to find out how to install, only to find that when you try to play multiplayer with friends you have constant crashes and lockups ), and that Lead-Pursuit have made the first version of Falcon4 that is very stable for multiplayer usage ( we tested with up to 14 people online ) and with no warping within the game even when flying very close formations. After playing countless hours, I am very happy to say that I highly recommend this sim to every simmer. If you don't have this, then you are definately missing out on a greatly configured sim that has the best dynamic campaign engine around.
  Lead-Pursuit have done their homework with this sim maintaining an emphasis in stability, and have succeeded! After years of flying many different flavors of Falcon4, this is the only one I have been flying since it came out and is now my favorite as well as the favorite of many of my online sim pilots.
  There is also a plethora of downloadable help items, such as a virtual cockpit trainer that is acccessible via the [...]website, for those new to this sim to get you up to speed quickly. Take advantage of the organizations website downloads of learning or flight aids. Kudos to Lead-Pursuit for everything.
  
  **Highly Recommended Flight Sim Game!**
  
  
• FALCON 4.0 ALLIED FORCES
  By A13FWDDU6IE213 on 2005-10-02
  I LIKE IT.I'S LIKE FALCON 4.0 BUT EVERTHING WORKS.NO PATCHDANCE
  TO INSTALL.THE TERRAIN LOOKS BETTER WITH THE NEW GRAPHICS ENGINE BEING EMPLOYED.I STILL SEE VEHICLES IN THE WATER IN THE TRAINING MISSION.THE GROUND TARGETS LOOK BETTER BUT THE SOLDIERS SURROUNDING THEM ARE THE SAME RIGID LOOKING FIGURES,IT WOULD BE KIND OF COOL TO SEE THEM SCRAMBING AROUND LOOKING FOR COVER OR FIRING AT THE ME AS I FLY OVER THE CONVOYS BEFORE I BOMB THEM I'D LIKE TO SEE SOME NAPALM.OTHER THAN THAT IT'S A DREAM TO FLY AND I'D RECCOMMEND IT TO ANYONE .
  
  
• Falcon 4.0,.... A true sim
  By APH278YRINC79 on 2006-03-21
  If you are looking for a "just get in, start it up, and shoot`em up "game", this is definately NOT for you! If you are looking for a true sim that is as close to getting a feel for what TRULY goes into flying a top shelf jet fighter, this is it! The key is FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS. There is no "quick start" feature in this baby! But rather 700+ pages of technical information from "ramp up" (it takes 20 minutes just to start the thing!)to weapons usage, to landing procedures. My suggestion is, just tackle a little at a time as suggested in the instructions. At first it is a bit discouraging, but little by little it all came together and the next thing I knew, I was in Koria tracking Migs, and destroying targets from miles away. It`s really cool to launch missles and watch the targets disappear from my MFD! Now, couple it with a Saitek X52 control system, and all I can say is "the joy is in the journey"
  
  
• A LOT of sim/entertainment... for a little price
  By AODCC8ZS3MVYS on 2007-01-13
  The last time I played Falcon was 15 years ago on an Atari ST. After years of flying prop sims, I decided to see where Falcon is now. I must say that it's pretty amazing, and even overwhelming at first. A very steep learning curve because it basically models as much F-16 as the Air Force has declassified. Fortunately, there are lots of training missions (each rewarding in themselves) to get you up to snuff enough to fly real missions. It still requires a lot of discipline on your part to follow through and read up on the various systems and subsystems, and how modern air combat works in general. I was a few weeks into owning the game, reading and flying and reading and flying and just learning about the aircraft, when it hit me that there was just a ton of the sim that I had yet to explore... and that was just waiting for my skills to reach a point where I could do so. Pretty impressive, I thought, for a $25 peice of software! Graphics are pretty beautiful as well. Very immersive. Also, patches are still being written and released for it, so it still keeps improving.
  
  The only two critisisms that I can make is that, first, the PDF manual should be available in print either with the game or available sperately since you really need to have a copy to flip through and read as there's just too much info to read on a computer. The quick reference guide is good, but nowhere near enough. Second, the in-cockpit veiw system is fairly primitive in that while you can pan through the 3D cockpit, there is no direct "snap-to" feature so that you can quickly look at a certain point of of the cockpit (e.g. back-left or front-right). Though this isn't a problem unless your fighting close and personal with a MiG!
  
  Basically, if you enjoy modern air warfare, I don't think you could buy a better flight sim.
  
  
• Big improvement!
  By AHTST3OFFP0G8 on 2005-08-02
  I was a huge fan of Falcon 4 for many years, following the loyal fan base and user-mods long after Microprose abandoned it. Eventually, though, I moved on to other sims and never went back because the installation and upgrade system had become nothing short of voodoo, requiring a strict process for applying patches and mods in order to make it all work and even then it was pretty fragile.
  
  Allied Force packages all the best mods for Falcon 4 and improves on them still further. It runs well on a late model XP machine (not sure how it runs on older PCs) and seems to support modern graphics cards. The dynamic campaign, the heart and soul of the original, has been greatly improved and it is fascinating to watch the battle going on around you. Other reviews cite a much improved multiplayer function although it sounds as though it requires a fair amount of tweaking to get it to work.
  
  If you have never experienced Falcon in any form you may be disappointed by the graphics which are not state of the art for 2005. They are sufficient to support the battle and simulation and represent a good compromise between frame rates and detail. The simulation is definitely what would be called a "study sim". The manual is awesome and HUGE (you have to print it yourself though!). It will take several weeks to really get comfortable with flying the falcon in combat and understanding the mission interface. You need to practice regularly too or you will lose your skills and knowledge quickly. I would also point out that the sim on maximum realism really requires joysticks with many programmable buttons to simulate the HOTAS system found on modern fighters. That said, the sim does allow users to choose a greatly simplified arcade version but no diehard Falcon fan would settle for that!
  
  This is probably the last of the great study sims and it is a big improvement over the original Falcon 4. It is hard to believe there will be sufficient demand for such a hardcore sim to warrant a completely new version in the future so serious simmers should jump on this.
  
  
• Must Buy!
  By A34P2WSH29HLSQ on 2005-08-09
  If you like flight sims as I do, especially study flight sims that is the most realistic as possible, you will love this game. I have and played Falcon 4.0 and this is what that game should've been. It's a quick install and ready to fly without having to patch or troubleshoot it. For some, just the dynamic campaign is worth it. This game is scalable to novices so you can "grow into it" if desired. I haven't played multiplayer on this, but it is available for those interested. Read the review on www.simhq.com and see for yourself. At $30, it is $10 cheaper that most new games. This is a must own for any hard core flight simmer, and probably soft core flight simmer. I would guess that those who want an arcade style shooting game look elsewhere. Just my $0.02:-)
  
  

• PC Gamer (1-year)
• CH Products Pro Throttle USB with 8-Way Switch3 4-Way Switches 3-Buttons
• TrackIR 4 Pro Ultra by NaturalPoint
• CH Products Fighterstick USB

• Saitek X52 Flight Control System
• IL-2 Sturmovik: 1946
• Logitech Extreme 3D Pro Joystick (963290-0403)
• Microsoft Flight Simulator X Deluxe DVD
• Wings Over Vietnam