After four days with DCS: Black Shark, I can safely say that it's the best sim I've played in years.
After the disappointment of Flanker 2, Lock On and (to a lesser extent) Flaming Cliffs, I was a bit on the fence about Black Shark. I shouldn't have been. It's utterly incredible and, unlike previous ED offerings, is very, very polished with (shock!) a game at the heart of the sim!
That last point is probably the biggest thing of all - a quantum leap in the overall quality of the simulation (I still haven't fired a single weapon after 4 days) and yet there's compelling, beautifully presented series of campaigns just waiting for me. This is a million miles from the frankly embarrassing campaign presentation and structure from the Flanker and Lock On series.
Starforce?
Meh... I don't care. I'll take the risk of having to replace my DVD drive if it means I get to fly simulations of this quality.
Amazingly, I actually get better frame-rates from Black Shark than I do with Lock On and Flaming Cliffs.
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