STORMOVIK: SOVIET ATTACK FIGHTER

 Tactical combat simulations have traditionally focused on conventional warfare
between the U.S. and Russia, with climax missions set in Eastern Europe. Now
that the cold war is fading and Germany is reunited, we can expect to see some
different twists on the old themes. STORMOVIK, by Rick Tiberi and Electronic
Arts, puts us in the cockpit of a Russian jet defending Glasnost and
Perestroika. (This review is based on the IBM-PC version.)

 STORMOVIK is Russian for "ground attack fighter," and the Su-25 is the Soviet
equivalent of the U.S. A10 Thunderbolt ground support plane. Like the A10, the
Su25 is a slow-flying, ground-hugging weapon platform designed to eat tanks for
breakfast. In this simulation, it's also used in air-to-air intercept and escort
roles.

 There is a strong family resemblance to LHX ATTACK CHOPPER (released earlier
this year by EA), and it shares some of that game's strengths and weaknesses as
a simulation. The graphics are average, and in terms of realism and detail
(especially in the weapon systems), I'd describe it as an intermediate-level
simulation. The missions are challenging, and there's plenty of action.

 The combat missions take place during a three-year struggle between the Soviet
High Command and rebels supported and controlled by the defense industry, as
well as by fanatic military elements in both the U.S. and Russia (who see the
winding down of the cold war as a threat to their sales and prestige). The
rebels are naturally armed with the best U.S. and Soviet hardware.

 When you start the game, you create a pilot in the Red Guard Strike Force, and
then select one of the three years in the conflict, beginning with 1991. The
campaign is detailed in the mission descriptions; each year has a menu of 10
different missions, in addition to a training mission for practice. Playing a
campaign consists of starting in 1991 and choosing missions in sequence (from
top to bottom), although you can also select them individually, playing only
your favorites. Difficulty level is by rank, which you can specify when creating
a pilot. Higher ranks have access to better weapons, but the opposition is
tougher. If you do well, the program also offers promotion at various points in
the game. Pilots (up to four) can be saved or loaded between missions, so you
can backtrack if you're killed.

 The VGA graphics are polygon-based, in 16 colors in the 3-D outside views;
256-color graphics are used for the cockpit and instruments. There are five
randomly chosen weather and lighting conditions for the scenery: clear daylight;
overcast; twilight; night with stars overhead; and a very challenging fog
condition, with gray sky and ground, and no visible horizon (which means you
have to watch your instruments carefully).

 Terrain is very similar to that in LHX ATTACK CHOPPER, mostly flat ground with
scattered hills. Unfortunately, there are few opportunities to use terrain
effectively, as a low flying plane of this type normally would. All encounters
take place out in the open, with no nearby hills or other terrain for evasion or
ambush. so your basic tactic is just to fly as low as possible. Scattered dots
on the ground enlarge as you get close to the ground, which helps you to judge
your height.

 Sound support is included for the PC speaker, Tandy sound, and the AdLib and
CMS sound cards. (I used the AdLib driver.) There's a musical passage in the
opening screen, and from then on, it's all sound effects. The AdLib sound
effects are good: Hits on your plane have a solid punch, the jet engine sound is
smooth, and details like landing-gear whine and wheel chirp on touchdown are
included. Warning tones of various types sound to indicate radar or infrared
tracking, missile lock, and missile proximity alert.

 The flight model is fairly realistic. When you bank into a turn you lose lift,
but changing throttle settings or lowering flaps doesn't affect your pitch. The
plane seemed to "coast" a bit too much when throttled down, but air brakes are
available for killing airspeed when needed. Joystick response is good. Landings
are of the "throttle back and point it at the runway" variety, and flight sim
beginners should have no trouble flying and landing the plane.

 The cockpit, based on that of a real Su-25, has a utilitarian, low-tech look.
Essential flight information is presented in a heads-up display, but other
indicators for jammer status and damage are shown in groups of unlabeled,
identical toggle switches and panel lights; you'll be pausing the game
frequently to refer to the manual when you first start out. A waypoint system is
used for navigation, but there is no indicator for distance to the next
waypoint: You must switch to a map screen to see how far you are from the target
(or any other waypoint).

 The missions are a nice mix of targets and situations. Many are time dependent
and involve other aircraft, like clearing a landing zone before your side's
chopper arrives, and then escorting it back home. It's a little disorienting at
first to be targeting an A10 Thunderbolt one minute and a MiG 29 the next; it's
almost as if everyone at one of those big international air shows suddenly
started shooting.

 Airborne opponents comprise a mix of fighters, attack jets, and helicopters.
U.S. hardware includes: the A10 Thunderbolt; Apache and Blackhawk helicopters;
the F16; and the F117A Stealth Fighter (very tough to beat). On the Soviet side,
there are: MiG 27s and 29s; other Su25s; and two Soviet helicopters. A Soviet
airliner is involved in a few missions. Enemy pilots only use horizontal turning
tactics; they never go vertical, which is just as well, since you want to stay
low and avoid ground radar. On the ground, there's the usual assortment of U.S.
and Soviet armor, AA and SAM units, and also infantrymen with AK47's and
shoulder launched SAM's.

 The 30mm chain gun and the unguided folding fin rockets are "angled downward"
about 10 degrees to make them easier to use. With a crosshair set below the
plane axis mark on the HUD, you can attack a target in level flight by waiting
for it to pass under the crosshair. Guided missiles require a very close
approach to the target before they'll lock accurately (Russian inefficiency?),
and some other weapon characteristics are simplified. For example, you can
release bombs at very low altitude with no blast damage to your plane.

 Damage effects include jarring the screen image when the plane is hit, control
line failure (making the plane difficult to control), bullet holes in the
canopy, and the first screen graphic I've seen that shows blood in the cockpit
-- spattered on the canopy! If you lose it completely or are seriously injured,
you can eject, with a nice "boom" that shoots you up above your plane.

 An IBM-compatible 286 machine is recommended for the game, and an 8MHz-10MHz
processor should do fine. Graphics modes supported are CGA, EGA, and MCGA/VGA.
The program is distributed on three 5-1/4" 360K floppies. Copy protection is
off-disk, requiring you to look up (in the manual) the English translation of a
Russian word shown on the screen. Control is by joystick, mouse, or keyboard.
Required memory is 512K. I encountered no bugs while playing in preparation for
this review.

 STORMOVIK is a fast-moving game, and very enjoyable once you've mastered the
spartan cockpit. Hardcore air combat enthusiasts will miss having a more useful
terrain model and in-depth modeling of weapon characteristics, but where else
can you try flying the Russian side, and find out what it's like to take on a
Stealth Fighter!

 STORMOVIK: SOVIET ATTACK FIGHTER is published and distributed by Electronic
Arts.

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