Il 2 sturmovik battle of stalingrad digital delux

IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad Review - Is it Worth the Upgrade?

The latest installment in the IL-2 series, 'Battle of Stalingrad', has finally arrived on store shelves and digital platforms. With promises of improved graphics, new planes to commandeer, and enhanced gameplay mechanics, many fans are wondering if this is worth shelling out their hard-earned credits for once again.

As someone who already owns the previous title in the series ('IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad'), I can confidently say that 'Battle of Staringrad' brings very little to the table. The gameplay remains largely identical, with minor tweaks here and there intended to pass off as significant updates.

Graphically speaking, while things do look slightly better compared to its predecessor (which isn't saying much), the overall visual fidelity still falls short when pitted against more modern flight-sim titles on console or PC. It's a shame really, given how great IL-2 had potential for being one of the best-looking WWII dogfighting experiences available.

However, it seems that developer Digital Deluxe has instead focused their attention elsewhere - namely onto adding two new Collector Planes to sweeten up pre-orders and early adopters alike! These shiny new additions won't necessarily sway anyone who's already invested countless hours into IL-2 1946 or even COD: WWII though. After all, when you've got such a wealth of high-quality planes at your disposal already (over 400+ aircrafts across multiple branches IIRC), adding two more - no matter how authentically rendered they may be - just doesn't cut it anymore.

So what can we conclude from this rather lackluster offering? If you're new to the IL-2 series or simply looking for another WWII flight-sim fix without breaking your wallet, then maybe 'Battle of Stalingrad' might scratch that itch temporarily. However, if like me you've already experienced everything these games have to offer and are hoping for something revolutionary this time around; fear not - because trust us folks: IL-2 still hasn't quite taken off (pun intended).

Rating: 3/5 stars

Final Verdict:

While 'IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad' does deliver some minor improvements over its predecessor, the lacklustre gameplay mechanics and uninspired visuals make it a hard sell for anyone who's already dabbled with this series. Unless you're absolutely new to WWII flight-sims or are looking for something to kill an afternoon while waiting patiently (and we mean *very* Patiently) for actual next-gen titles like 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 5' to arrive, then perhaps it might be best sticking with tried and tested classics such as IL-2 1946 instead.

Il 2 sturmovik battle of stalingrad digital delux