A worthy successor? The Korea IL-2 Series full review!

The IL-2 Sturmovik series dates back to 2001 when the first of the series released to a worldwide audience. The then lesser known Eastern Front setting initially had combat flight sim fans write off the title, however, its great technology and expanding aircraft list made the IL-2 Sturmovik combat flight simulator into a legend. Now, 25-years later, 1C Game Studios have released the fourth generation of the series tackling another lesser known conflict and once again seeking to impress with new technologies. Does the new sim live up to the legacy? Does it push far enough into new areas to justify the next generation? Is it worth the high price? Let’s break everything down in the full review!

Updated August 12 at 9:28 pm EDT: Changes to commentary on VR, correction to Campaign section.

The Korean War

You have to go back to 1999 and Rowan Software’s MiG Alley to find another full featured Korean War combat flight simulator. DCS World dipped its toes into it with the DCS: F-86 and DCS: MiG-15 but two duelling jet fighters don’t make for a full combat scenario and that’s where IL-2 Series focus on the Korean War really make it stand out. Nobody else has touched this subject in 27-years and so the change of scenery and aircraft set feels fresh after decades of mostly World War II and occasionally World War I focused content.

The Korean War itself came on the heels of World War II marking the opening shots of the Cold War and would portent the many proxy wars that would follow after it. The active part of the war would last from the 25th of June 1950 to 27th of July 1953 and lead to some 2.5 to 3-million deaths among civilian and military personnel. It ended inconclusively and permanently split the Korean peninsula between north and south. An armistice was declared, however, no peace treaty has ever been formally signed and its officially considered a frozen conflict. Occasional skirmishes and periods of tension have followed in the 73-years since.

From an aviation perspective, the mix of surplus World War II equipment and cutting edge jet fighters with swept wings marks an interesting inflection point as military aviation began to change dramatically. Aircraft that were top of the line just a few years prior were now being significantly outperformed by the new jet fighters on the scene and bombers, like the B-29, that were difficult to intercept by piston engine interceptors were now vulnerable to the much faster MiG-15. It makes for an interesting…