F-22 Lightning 3

About

F-22 Lightning 3 is a single player and multiplayer simulation game. It was developed by NovaLogic and was released on June 18, 2009. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

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.

Genres & Tags

Simulation

Play Modes

Skip User Reviews

69%

Audience ScoreBased on 94 reviews

story5 positive mentions

music3 negative mentions

The game offers a nostalgic experience for fans of classic flight simulators, providing hours of fun and engaging gameplay.
Despite its age, the game features a good balance between arcade-style action and simulation, making it accessible for both casual and serious players.
With the right tweaks and patches, the game can run smoothly on modern systems, allowing players to enjoy its content without major issues.

The game suffers from numerous technical issues, including crashes and bugs that can hinder the gameplay experience.
Graphics and controls are outdated, which may disappoint players expecting modern standards in visual quality and user interface design.
Installation and setup can be complicated, requiring additional downloads and configurations to get the game running properly on newer operating systems.

story
43 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
81%
7%
The story aspect of the game is generally perceived as minimal, primarily consisting of "situation reports" that provide context for missions rather than a cohesive narrative. While the game features a large number of missions and campaigns with varied objectives, players noted a lack of engaging storytelling elements, such as cutscenes, which could enhance the experience. Despite this, the missions are designed to have lasting consequences, with destroyed enemies remaining absent in subsequent levels, adding a layer of strategic depth to the gameplay.
- “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.”
- “Lightning 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.”
- “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.”
- “☐ no story”
- “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).”
- “Those developers didn't examine every mission carefully before the game was released.”
graphics
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
70%
15%
The graphics of the game, released in 1999, are often described as dated compared to modern standards, featuring volumetric pixel-based (voxel) visuals that can appear floaty and lack antialiasing. However, many reviewers appreciate the game's graphical improvements over its predecessors and note that it remains on par with other flight simulation titles from the same era. While some find the visuals dull, others highlight their realism and nostalgic value, especially when optimized with specific settings.
- “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.”
- “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 your perspective.”
- “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.”
gameplay
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The gameplay of 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 at times, indicating a mix of fun and frustration in 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.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
Users report that the game runs smoothly after initial setup, and it includes features for tracking stats and a scoring system that enhances gameplay through performance-based flight rank promotions.
- “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 requires constant tweaking of settings to achieve a stable performance.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
100%
The music in the game is perceived as subpar, contributing to an arcade-like feel rather than a more immersive simulation experience. Users noted that the default soundtrack during missions does not enhance the gameplay, and overall audio quality is lacking.
- “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).”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers note that despite being an older game, improvements in resolution enhance its playability, contributing to a satisfying replay experience.
- “Even though it's an older game, the improved resolution makes it much more enjoyable to replay.”
- “The variety of choices and outcomes keeps me coming back for more.”
- “Each playthrough feels fresh due to the different paths and strategies you can explore.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
Players indicate that grinding in the game can be quite demanding, often requiring significant time investment or additional lives to progress effectively.
- “Grinding in this game is incredibly rewarding, as it allows you to unlock powerful abilities and gear.”
- “The grind is satisfying, with each level-up feeling like a significant achievement.”
- “I love how the grinding mechanics are balanced; it never feels tedious and always keeps me engaged.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The grinding feels endless and tedious.”
- “I spent hours grinding, and it felt like I made no progress.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, users find the game's stability to be relatively good, noting it is less buggy than similar titles. However, some players experience freezing issues 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.”