F-22 Lightning 3

71%
Game Brain Score Based on 102 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • gameplay
F-22 Lightning 3 Game Cover
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F-22 Lightning 3 is an action-packed combat flight simulator that allows players to take control of the advanced F-22 Raptor stealth fighter. The game features intense aerial battles, realistic aircraft physics, and a variety of mission types including air-to-air and air-to-ground combat. With stunning graphics and attention to detail, F-22 Lightning 3 provides a thrilling and immersive flight experience for both casual and hardcore gamers.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

71%
Audience ScoreBased on 102 reviews
story5 positive mentions
music3 negative mentions
  • The game offers a nostalgic experience for fans of classic flight simulators, with engaging gameplay and a variety of missions.
  • Despite its age, the game has a good balance between arcade-style fun and simulation, making it accessible for both casual and serious players.
  • The community around the game is supportive, with many players sharing tips and patches to enhance the gaming experience.
  • The game suffers from numerous technical issues, including crashes and compatibility problems with modern operating systems.
  • Graphics and controls are outdated, leading to a frustrating experience for players accustomed to modern standards.
  • Many users report that the game requires extensive tweaking and troubleshooting to run properly, which can be off-putting for new players.
  • story47 mentions

    The game's story is minimal, primarily consisting of "situation reports" that provide context for missions, which are varied and numerous, spanning multiple campaigns. While some players appreciate the continuity of enemy destruction across missions, others note a lack of engaging narrative elements, such as cutscenes. Overall, the missions are described as diverse and interesting, but the storytelling aspect feels underdeveloped, with some technical issues affecting gameplay.

    • “Lightening 3 also has a very interesting story, and does a good job of telling it despite there being little more than 'situation reports' to fill in the background for your missions.”
    • “The size of the game in terms of content is massive for that time, with several campaigns spanning across multiple missions with interesting objectives and targets at times.”
    • “You work your way through various deployment campaigns and the mission situations build up to a finale mission for each campaign, typically culminating in a nuclear strike or combination bombing/multiple enemy squadron mission.”
    • “The worst bug: if you destroyed all enemy radars and missile launchers in every mission of the final campaign, then you can't complete the final mission because you can't receive the voice authorization to release the nuclear weapon.”
    • “Those developers didn't examine every mission carefully before the game was released.”
    • “The loadout, it turns out, doesn't matter so much, even if some missions do feel like you're not making any decisions.”
  • graphics22 mentions

    The graphics of the game, released in 1999, are generally considered dated compared to modern standards, with some users noting a "floaty" voxel style and a lack of antialiasing that detracts from visual quality. However, many reviewers appreciate the game's realistic visuals for its time, especially when played with specific settings and enhancements, which can improve the overall experience. While not on par with contemporary titles, the graphics are deemed acceptable within the context of other flight simulation games from the same era.

    • “The graphics and simulation for a game from 1999 are fantastic.”
    • “Despite being primitive graphically (when compared to modern games), they seem to be pretty realistic (examples include Falcon, Fleet Defender, Jane's simulations).”
    • “It was released in 1999, so the graphics are obviously low quality compared to new titles, but they are on-par with other flight simulation games at that time.”
    • “The graphics are volumetric pixel-based or 'voxel', which makes the scenes seem floaty, often causing them to inflate and deflate like a balloon depending on which way you're looking.”
    • “The lack of antialiasing makes the graphics look like you're having a Texas Instruments dangled at you on a string.”
    • “This game is horrible; the graphics are dull and the controls are just disgusting.”
  • gameplay11 mentions

    The gameplay of the F-16 multirole fighter is noted for its enjoyable balance between arcade-style fast action and simulator realism, offering a variety of missions and good controls. However, some users criticize it for being slow and bland, highlighting multiple gameplay errors that detract from the overall experience.

    • “F-16 multirole fighter was a great game, tons of fun, tons of missions, really cool plane, good controls and everything. It had a good balance of arcade fast fun and simulator slow scary gameplay.”
    • “A good balance of arcade and simulator gameplay.”
    • “You get a game that is a military simulator in a lighter category, but it still contains a balance of realism and fun gameplay at the same time.”
    • “Multiple gameplay errors.”
    • “The gameplay is slow and bland/boring.”
    • “-boring gameplay.”
  • optimization3 mentions

    Overall, users report that the game runs smoothly after initial setup, with effective optimization tips provided. Additionally, the game features a scoring and flight rank promotion system that tracks player performance, enhancing the overall experience.

    • “After that, it runs smoothly.”
    • “Tips for game optimization.”
    • “It also tracks your stats and has a scoring and flight rank promotion system based on your mission performance.”
    • “The game suffers from severe optimization issues, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
    • “Despite the interesting mechanics, the lack of proper optimization makes it nearly unplayable on lower-end systems.”
    • “I was disappointed to find that the game is poorly optimized, resulting in long loading times and crashes.”
  • music3 mentions

    The music in the game is perceived as subpar, contributing to an arcade-like feel rather than a more immersive simulation experience. Reviewers noted that both the soundtrack and audio quality are lacking compared to other titles from the same developer.

    • “The enormous loadout of the plane in this game, along with its default soundtrack during missions, makes the game feel more like an arcade experience compared to the other simcades NovaLogic made in that period (F-16 and MiG-29).”
    • “The enormous loadout of the plane in this game, along with its default soundtrack during missions, makes the game feel more like an arcade compared to the other simcades Novalogic made in that period (F-16 and MiG-29).”
    • “The audio (sound/music) isn't that great either.”
    • “Poor audio (sounds and music).”
  • grinding2 mentions

    Players express that the grinding in the game is excessively time-consuming, suggesting that it requires an almost unrealistic commitment, akin to needing a second life to manage it.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
  • stability2 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is generally better than its competitors, with fewer bugs reported. However, some users have experienced freezing issues, particularly when attempting to change video resolutions.

    • “I can't change the video resolutions; it freezes!”
    • “On the upside, this one is less buggy compared to the other two mentioned simcades.”
  • replayability1 mentions

    Reviewers note that despite being an older game, enhancements in resolution significantly boost its playability, contributing to its replayability.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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