Combat Air Patrol 2
- June 6, 2016
- Sim155 Limited
Get on Steam"Combat Air Patrol 2" is a naval combat flight simulator featuring the AV8B Harrier II, offering a mission planner and open-ended campaign. The game provides a 3D cockpit with AA and AG radar modes, adjustable lighting, and animations. It aims to be accessible, with selectable controls and no need for a 300-page manual to start playing .
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Very fast load times and good graphics, especially in VR.
- The flight mechanics are enjoyable, providing a fun experience for casual sim players.
- Potential for a dynamic campaign and community-driven content, which could enhance gameplay.
- The game is unfinished and has been abandoned by the developers, with no updates for a long time.
- Controls are difficult to set up, with many users experiencing issues with key bindings and joystick compatibility.
- There is very little content available, with no meaningful missions or campaigns, making it feel incomplete.
- story88 mentions
- 7 % positive mentions
- 89 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The game's story aspect is severely lacking, with players reporting an absence of meaningful missions, campaigns, or engaging narratives. Most training missions are broken or poorly designed, leaving players frustrated and without guidance, while the promise of future content remains unfulfilled after years in early access. Overall, the game feels incomplete and fails to provide a cohesive or enjoyable storytelling experience.
“Combat Air Patrol 2 for PC offers a dynamic story campaign allowing players to fly both individually and in co-op mode – the player joins another player's campaign in this case.”
“With a dynamic campaign like Falcon 4.0 and a community to create more missions, I really think this game is just what the doctor ordered for this genre.”
“Putting a player in the hot seat of pilot and mission commander to achieve overall mission success makes for a challenging combat flight sim.”
“The game is incomplete, and not at a playable state; there are no missions, enemies, or anything to do.”
“Very, very incomplete; what is here is buggy and broken (most of the training missions didn't even work) and while it doesn't seem to be abandoned, progress is so slow that after 4 years it's hard to have any hope that this game might eventually go somewhere.”
“In its current state, there is a lack of appropriate tutorials, missions, and user interface.”
- graphics40 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 18 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
Overall, the graphics in the game are generally praised for their impressive quality and realism, particularly in aircraft and terrain visuals, with many users noting smooth performance and immersive experiences, especially in VR. However, some critiques highlight issues with certain elements, such as boxy building designs and a desire for improved damage graphics. While the graphics are considered a strong point, there are mixed opinions regarding their overall polish and fidelity, especially in comparison to other flight simulators.
“Impressive as well as terrain graphics, all in all a great flight sim value.”
“The game has very impressive graphics, cockpit immersion is amazing without draining your PC.”
“Graphics are stunning, and I love the concept of a casual sim for flying games.”
“Missed the point with this game, the graphics are not up to much.. took me a lot of googling to figure out how to even take off.. would love a refund.”
“Graphic poor lack of tutorial on playing the game not anything like a sim more arcade than sim 1 out of 10 deleted it after an hour's frustration.”
“Awful graphics.”
- gameplay7 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Combat Air Patrol 2 is characterized by its semi-realistic mechanics, offering a balance between accessibility and depth, akin to titles like Strike Fighters and IL-2 Sturmovik. While it incorporates some simplifications, the flight physics maintain a level of realism that distinguishes it from more arcade-style games, making it particularly appealing to simulation enthusiasts. Players appreciate the detailed flight mechanics, especially for a game developed by a small team.
“I loved flying the Harrier in X-Plane growing up, and this game nails the flight mechanics and adds incredible realism, especially given the small development team.”
“In terms of the mechanics, Combat Air Patrol 2 for PC is a semi-realistic game, comparable to such titles as Strike Fighters or IL-2 Sturmovik.”
“Although a set of simplifications were applied to the mechanics, flight physics are far from arcade here, which separates the game from such console simulators as the Ace Combat series, for example.”
“Within 20 minutes of gameplay, I found out that:”
- stability6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs and incomplete features, particularly in the training missions, leading to significant frustration. While some players note that the game performs smoothly despite its issues, the overall sentiment reflects a lack of confidence in the developers' ability to resolve these problems, especially after several years of development.
“Very, very incomplete; what is here is buggy and broken. Most of the training missions didn't even work, and while it doesn't seem to be abandoned (the dev does post occasional updates), progress is so slow that after 4 years it's hard to have any hope that this game might eventually go somewhere.”
“As I tried to move through the 'training' missions (there's no training element, just judgment), the glitches and bugs leaped to the fore, and I deleted the game after 2 hours of zero progress and frustration.”
“Still buggy with many features missing at the moment, but it performs very smoothly and feels like everything is in the right place.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Overall, the optimization of the game is highly praised, with users reporting excellent performance and smooth graphics even on mid-level machines, achieving impressive frame rates like 300fps. While some bugs are noted, they do not significantly detract from the overall VR experience, which is described as clear and fluid.
“Graphics are great and performance is really sharp on my mid-level machine.”
“Bugs aside, the actual VR performance is excellent, the clarity of the view is top-notch and the performance is butter smooth - no glitching or jumping.”
“Excellent performance; averaging 300 FPS on an i5 and GTX 970.”
“The optimization in this game is severely lacking, making it frustrating to complete preset missions and training performance.”
“I find the optimization to be inconsistent, which negatively impacts my overall experience with the game.”
“The game's performance issues during missions and training sessions are a clear sign of poor optimization.”
- music3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed feedback; while some players appreciate its quality and find it engaging, others feel it could be improved to enhance the overall experience. Suggestions include adding more lively music and features like an MP3 player for customization. Overall, the sound design is praised for its realism and contribution to the immersive environment.
“Very realistic environment, excellent weather effects so far, great sounds, good flight physics, and the music rocks.”
“I wish they would work more on the music and mission start positions to make it livelier. The tower control keeps telling sniper 1, 2, 3... God knows what he is saying, but overall it's a nice game.”
“The game could benefit from a combat multiplayer mode, a little more intense explosions, and maybe an MP3 player for music. It's a top-rated game.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly due to the lengthy and cumbersome process of setting up controls, as none are bound by default. This lack of initial configuration can lead to frustration, especially for those unfamiliar with the game's mechanics.
“The control setup was long and tedious, as none of the controls on my peripherals were bound by default. This meant I had to go through all axes and check their inversion, and none of the buttons were bound either. It's difficult to know what you'll need if you're not already familiar with the game.”
“Grinding in this game feels like an endless chore, with little reward for the time invested. It quickly becomes repetitive and frustrating.”
“The amount of grinding required to progress is overwhelming, making it hard to stay engaged with the game.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users express a sense of surprise and concern regarding the aircraft's unexpected behavior, highlighting a mix of anxiety and excitement in their emotional experience. This reaction suggests that the game effectively evokes strong feelings related to control and unpredictability.
