Wings Over Europe

About

"Wings Over Europe" is a combat flight simulator game set in World War II. Players can choose to fly for the Allies or the Axis powers, with a variety of aircraft and missions available. The game features realistic flight models, historical campaigns, and multiplayer options.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

51%

Audience ScoreBased on 79 reviews

optimization2 positive mentions

graphics3 negative mentions

The game offers a fun and engaging flight simulation experience, reminiscent of classic titles from the 90s.
With a variety of aircraft and a strong modding community, players can customize their experience and enjoy a range of missions.
Despite its age, the game can still provide enjoyable gameplay for those willing to patch and tweak settings for modern systems.

The game is plagued by compatibility issues on modern systems, often resulting in crashes and poor performance.
Players must manually apply patches and fixes to make the game playable, which can be frustrating and time-consuming.
Many users report that the game is essentially abandonware, with little to no support from the developers for current operating systems.

story
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
81%
9%
The game's story is primarily conveyed through its campaign missions, which are set during the Cold War and feature a variety of mission types, including recon and air support. While the mission planning and execution aim to provide an authentic experience, players report significant technical issues, such as crashes and black screens, that detract from the overall enjoyment. Despite these challenges, the game's moddability and the immersive nature of its mission dynamics offer a glimpse into historical aerial combat, though the lack of a mission builder is a notable drawback.
- “Another element is that there is something about how they have crafted it with mission background, situation briefings, mission planning, etc.; along with the flight dynamics and real-world limitations that make it feel authentic.”
- “Authentic to me feels like every time I play a campaign, and I'm planning and executing a mission, I get a glimpse of what it was like back then flying over the jungle in Vietnam to ripple off a load of 500lb Snakeyes...and completely miss; or erratically jinking over the Suez Canal desperately trying to avoid SA-2 SAMs...and having the stabilizer blow off.”
- “There is a single mission generator based on many mission types, including escort, fighter sweep, recon, strike, close air support, anti-ship, and scramble.”
- “Very boring and unrealistic and no mission editor.”
- “My one complaint is that there really isn't a mission builder as to be expected in simulations like this included.”
- “Even though this is a classic and fun game, I can't recommend it because it crashes to desktop every time you try to end the mission.”
graphics
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
29%
43%
The graphics of the game are widely criticized for being choppy and dated, reminiscent of 1990s simulations, with many users experiencing significant performance issues even on modern machines. Despite attempts to improve performance through various settings and patches, players report persistent lag and crashes, particularly in full-screen mode and when using multiple monitors. Overall, the graphical experience is deemed unsatisfactory and detracts from gameplay.
- “It has the feeling of 1990s sims with great graphics and voices.”
- “The graphics and gameplay hold up for certain.”
- “This version... it doesn't really run smoothly on a modern machine - even at very modest graphics settings the view is choppy, and the game crashes when you try to exit a flight.”
- “Compatibility issues, the 2008 patch doesn't help either, the graphics are choppy and it's like watching a slideshow, laggy.”
- “I tried many different graphics settings, downloading the patch (because Steam doesn't automatically do it) and running it in compatibility mode for Vista and XP, but nothing improved the FPS to a level that made the game playable.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The optimization of the game has been widely criticized, with users reporting choppy performance even on modern machines at low graphics settings, frequent crashes upon exiting flights, and overall poor optimization that detracts from the experience. Despite some new features and modding capabilities, the game fails to deliver a smooth experience, leading to a lack of recommendation.
- “That contains some optimizations, new features, and better modding capabilities (mostly).”
- “While it features a decent selection of classic jets, fun combat, and easy-to-pick-up sim characteristics, I cannot recommend Wings Over Europe for the simple fact that it's a poorly optimized mess and offers nothing over the Strike Fighters 2 series.”
gameplay
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
67%
The gameplay is praised for its accessibility and engaging mechanics, making it appealing to fans of flight simulators focused on air combat. While it may lack precision in weapon management and flight modeling, the overall experience remains enjoyable and visually impressive.
- “To fans of flight simulators that model air combat and air strikes, the mechanics are relatively easy to learn.”
- “It is not the most accurate in weapon management or flight model, but the gameplay is outstanding.”
- “The graphics and gameplay hold up for sure.”
- “The gameplay is not the most accurate in weapon management or flight model.”
- “The graphics and gameplay hold up for certain.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Many users express frustration with the monetization strategy, labeling it as a cash grab, particularly criticizing the requirement to purchase new versions for compatibility with updated operating systems. This has led to a sense of disappointment and reluctance to support the developer further.
- “I had a lot of fun with these games in the beginning, but now with the cash grab and the fact that you must buy the new version if you want to use a new OS, I am just left disgusted and will not give Thirdwire another dime.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
Reviewers highlight the high replayability of F117 Stealth Fighter due to its customizable mission dynamics and strategic flight options, allowing players to engage with the game in varied ways each time they play.
- “One of my favorite flight sims was F-117 Stealth Fighter by MicroProse. Its customizable mission dynamics and flight strategy with stealth technology guaranteed replayability.”
- “The game's diverse scenarios and multiple endings make it a joy to replay, as each playthrough offers a unique experience.”
- “With various character builds and choices that significantly impact the story, I find myself coming back to this game time and again.”
- “One of my favorite flight sims was F-117 Stealth Fighter by MicroProse, which offered customizable mission dynamics and flight strategy with stealth technology, ensuring high replayability.”
- “The game lacks meaningful choices, making each playthrough feel repetitive and dull.”
- “After completing the main story, there’s little incentive to return, as side quests feel uninspired and the world lacks depth.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Overall, users report that the game runs well on Windows 7 (32-bit), but there are occasional stability issues, such as dropping out after missions, though progress is still saved.
- “I'm running Windows 7 (32-bit) and I've found that it runs great. It tends to drop out of the game after missions, but it still retains your progress.”
- “The game is remarkably stable, with minimal crashes and a smooth experience overall.”
- “I've played for hours without any issues, and the performance remains consistent throughout.”