IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad

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IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad is a realistic combat flight simulation game set in the brutal air war over Stalingrad during World War II. Players can fly a variety of aircraft from both the German and Soviet sides, with accurate cockpits, flight models, and damage models. The game features both single-player and multiplayer modes, with large-scale aerial battles and historical missions recreating key events of the conflict.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

79%

Audience ScoreBased on 4,710 reviews

story91 positive mentions

stability26 negative mentions

Incredible graphics and immersive experience, especially in VR.
Realistic flight models and damage systems that enhance gameplay.
Active community and frequent updates from developers.

High cost of DLCs and base game, making it expensive to access full content.
Steep learning curve with no tutorials, making it difficult for new players.
Frequent technical issues and bugs that disrupt gameplay.

story
750 mentions
12 % positive mentions
83 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The game's story aspect is largely criticized for its lack of depth and engaging narrative, with many missions feeling repetitive and formulaic. Players often find the single-player campaign to be a random mission generator rather than a cohesive story, leading to a sense of monotony. While there are some scripted missions and a dynamic career mode, the overall experience lacks the immersive storytelling and historical context that many players desire, often requiring additional purchases for more content.
- “It tells the story of ordinary people drawn into war to defend their country against foreign invaders speaking a different language, through resilience, science and engineering and occasionally (for me) skill.”
- “The single-player scripted missions, adjustable difficulty, and plane selection is varied enough to keep it interesting.”
- “The campaign combines a mixture of a handful of scripted missions and mostly dynamic missions.”
- “The campaign is just randomized quick missions with no backstory, and everything is unlocked from planes to weapons on a Call of Duty style XP bar grind that you have to grind quick missions for.”
- “Single player campaign is hollow and just a random mission generator.”
- “The missions remain incredibly formulaic and repetitive, and friendly AI is so bad that I don’t even bother to acknowledge my wingman or flight’s presence.”
graphics
578 mentions
59 % positive mentions
38 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the stunning visuals and attention to detail, particularly in aircraft modeling and environmental effects. However, some users note that the graphics feel dated compared to modern standards, with occasional performance issues and a lack of customizable settings. Overall, while the game offers impressive graphics for a flight simulator, it may not meet the expectations of those seeking cutting-edge visuals.
- “The graphics are amazing, aircraft are beautiful and the combat is awesome.”
- “The graphics are beautiful, sound is immersive.”
- “The graphics are stunning, the ai voices and commands in game make you feel like you are there and the general gameplay feels real.”
- “Graphics is extremely dated.”
- “The graphics are extremely dated, even for 2014 standards.”
- “The graphics are awful, and my plane was uncontrollable due to me not having a throttle, an ability to start my engine, or an ability to pivot my camera.”
gameplay
184 mentions
34 % positive mentions
63 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, with many praising its realistic flight mechanics, stunning graphics, and engaging single-player and multiplayer modes. However, players frequently express frustration with the complex control mapping, steep learning curve, and occasional bugs that hinder the experience. While it offers a rich simulation experience, newcomers may find it daunting without a joystick and a solid understanding of the mechanics.
- “The flight physics are equally impressive, offering a challenging yet rewarding flying experience that balances historical accuracy with enjoyable gameplay.”
- “Absolutely stunning gameplay!”
- “Great realism, great graphics, phenomenal multiplayer connectivity, smooth as butter gameplay.”
- “Doodoo game, no gameplay, annoying and frustrating to a point it makes DCS look good.”
- “The issue is, the game itself is unnecessarily complicated with the trimming mechanics.”
- “Bad controls, and the gameplay isn't really fun enough to want to sort them out.”
optimization
154 mentions
31 % positive mentions
46 % neutral mentions
23 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its VR performance and graphical fidelity, particularly on higher-end systems. However, numerous users report significant stuttering, lag, and poor performance in multiplayer and urban environments, indicating that the game may not be well-optimized for all hardware configurations. While some players find it runs smoothly even on lower-end setups, others express frustration over persistent performance issues and the need for further optimization.
- “Insanely good VR performance and immersive WWII flight sim.”
- “The game is beautiful, well optimized, great sound, and has a depth of material you won't find anywhere else.”
- “Best game, but optimization is suffering greatly.”
- “This game has some of the worst stuttering and lag I have ever experienced.”
- “It's so poorly optimized that if you turn it all the way down it overloads your CPU, and all the way up your GPU, so you're stuck.”
- “The most terribly optimized game I have ever played, runs into game-breaking issues regularly and runs at a snail's pace.”
stability
36 mentions
28 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
72 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with many users reporting frequent crashes, freezes, and bugs, particularly in VR mode and when using joysticks. While some players experience smooth performance and beautiful graphics, others face significant issues like long loading times and unresponsive gameplay. Overall, the game appears to require further optimization to address these stability concerns.
- “Excellent flight, damage, and ballistics model, maps are top notch, graphics are beautiful, VR performance is buttery smooth, and gameplay (both single and multi) is accessible and surprisingly bug free.”
- “It runs great on my 6 year old PC and Microsoft FF2 joystick, no optimization required!”
- “Extremely immersive, looks and runs great.”
- “Game crashes, runs great sometimes yet other times just stops responding.”
- “Problems started once I fired up the VR, freezes, flickering seizure-inducing loading screens, and PC lockups.”
- “I have a really good PC with an i7 processor, 16 GB RAM, SSD, etc., and even on low settings the game freezes or crashes; most of the time I can't even run it because it's not responding.”
atmosphere
26 mentions
58 % positive mentions
31 % neutral mentions
12 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in the game is widely praised for its realism and immersion, particularly in the context of WWII air combat, with many players noting the authentic flight models, stunning visuals, and effective sound design that enhance the overall experience. While some critiques mention issues with single-player engagement and modern UI design detracting from the historical feel, the game's ability to evoke strong emotions and create a captivating environment is consistently highlighted as a standout feature. Overall, it is regarded as one of the best flight sims available, especially for fans of the genre.
- “Il-2:fb is a lovely looking game full of atmosphere and, in VR especially, very immersive with flight models that feel very authentic and actually make you feel like you are flying.”
- “The game has a fantastic atmosphere and immerses you in the history.”
- “When it comes to sims, nobody thinks about art direction and atmosphere; but here it is subtle and effective, strongly evoking history book photographs of the eastern front.”
- “As a single player game, it is lacking in atmosphere due to the terrible AI and auto-cue voices barking orders in series.”
- “Lack of WWII atmosphere; buttons and menu are like Windows 8.1... too modern design.”
- “The atmosphere ignores, aids, or intrudes as it will.”
replayability
21 mentions
29 % positive mentions
57 % neutral mentions
14 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability through its extensive single-player campaigns, pilot career mode, and various downloadable content (DLC), although some users express frustration over the limited base game content. Players appreciate the freedom in mission building and the option to play on different sides, contributing to a rich online experience and longevity. Overall, the game is praised for its depth and variety, making it highly replayable despite some concerns about DLC reliance.
- “With over 1000 hours of replayability all in one.”
- “A lot of detail goes into the pilot campaigns, and the various freedom granted to the player for choosing their squadrons allows for countless replayability in that alone.”
- “For a full-priced game, it is frustrating how much of the content is DLC; the menu displays many different campaigns, but only two of them are playable with the base game.”
- “There is a whole section of scripted campaigns, none of them are playable.”
- “The game offers a lot of variables in mission building, so replayability is very high.”
grinding
20 mentions
5 % positive mentions
10 % neutral mentions
85 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and time-consuming, often requiring players to invest hundreds of hours to unlock content through repetitive missions and complex setups. Many reviewers express frustration over the lack of fast-travel options and the slow progression system, which detracts from the overall enjoyment and historical realism of the experience. While some players appreciate the challenge, the overwhelming consensus is that the grind can be excessively burdensome, making it a significant drawback for those seeking a more streamlined gameplay experience.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “It's tedious in every aspect.”
- “If you want to sell both your kidneys and spend the next 3 years on life support while grinding the most unbearable tech trees just to get to a certain aircraft, go for it.”
- “I had to spend hours grinding in repetitive missions for quite some time.”
humor
20 mentions
95 % positive mentions
-10 % neutral mentions
15 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is often highlighted as a standout feature, with players enjoying the comedic moments, such as funny in-game noises and absurd scenarios. Many reviews mention the hilarity of glitches and crashes, as well as the amusing interactions during multiplayer sessions. However, some players also express frustration with technical issues, which can detract from the overall comedic experience.
- “Best game to have funny moments in”
- “Funny plane game would recommend on sale”
- “Hilariously good fun, especially on VoIP with friends.”
- “$20...just stop it, it's not funny, it's sick.”
- “The jokes fall flat and feel forced, lacking any real wit.”
- “I expected humor, but instead, I got cringeworthy attempts at comedy.”
monetization
18 mentions
17 % positive mentions
33 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The monetization in this game has been widely criticized as predatory and exploitative, with many users labeling it a "cash grab" due to expensive DLCs and a lack of meaningful content without additional purchases. Players express frustration over the absence of a proper in-game economy and the reliance on costly microtransactions, which detracts from the overall experience. Overall, the monetization strategies are seen as a significant flaw, overshadowing the game's potential.
- “It has zero grind, no microtransactions, and no in-game economy as seen in War Thunder.”
- “Sadly gets the simulator treatment regardless, meaning a mediocre update schedule, an absolutely ridiculous monetization scheme, and overall a lack to achieve its true potential.”
- “Nice game, but I am tired of this spirit of monetization.”
- “Awful monetization, awful controller support unless you own a flightstick. Please abandon this misleading title or update all the controller schemes, monetization schemes, and give us all missions and real co-op content besides PvP that doesn't require third-party effort or mods.”
- “Sadly gets the simulator treatment regardless, meaning a mediocre update schedule, an absolutely ridiculous monetization scheme, and an overall lack of achieving its true potential.”
- “Don't waste your money on this pathetic DLC excuse of a cash grab from a company that continues to rip its fans off.”
music
13 mentions
31 % positive mentions
46 % neutral mentions
23 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed feedback from users. While some appreciate the menu music and find it professional and enjoyable, others express a desire for more immersive battle music to enhance gameplay. Additionally, there are technical issues reported, such as conflicts with other media software, which can detract from the overall experience.
- “The pros are a great overall flight sim experience with great graphics, gameplay, control, great campaigns, voice, music, sound effects, interface, menu layout, easy to learn, and cool VR that I have not tried yet, but heard it is amazing with IL-2 Sturmovik.”
- “I very much enjoy the menu music, and the graphics are simply unmatched.”
- “It can only get better, very sleek, very professional, great music, graphics, UI, flight physics; I don't think there's really anything bad to say about this game.”
- “I miss maybe a bit dramatic WWII music.”
- “- no music in battles: some music for battle situations would be really nice, because this brings more immersion to the game itself.”
- “The soundtracks are all ok but the voices they used are just flat-out annoying!”
emotional
6 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Users express a strong emotional connection to the game, highlighting its realistic portrayal of flight and the nostalgia it evokes, particularly for those who experienced the tail end of the Cold War. The emotional depth is noted as a standout feature, with players feeling a genuine sense of achievement and connection while navigating the skies.
- “Haven't been back since the Cliffs of Dover heartbreaking fiasco.”
- “One heartbreaking note, which surprises me, I was born in 1985; the tail end of the Cold War still sits in my mind.”
- “Even being hit feels kind of real, and the emotional depth of this game is really cool.”